Cruger v. Ginnuth
Cruger v. Ginnuth
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
. § 24. Taxes; state and county; when lien for, attaches; case, stated. On January 1, 1882, appellant owned certain real estate in the city of Houston, Texas. On March 22, following, she sold and conveyed the same to B. Colter, T. J. Boyles and appellee. Subsequently, September 14, 1882, Colter and Boyles sold and conveyed their interest in the property to appellee Ginnuth. On July 1, 1882, Colter, Boyles and Ginnuth rendered the property for taxation for the year 1882, the assessment being against, or in the name of, their vendor, Fannie M. Cruger. On June 1, 1883, appellee Ginnuth paid the taxes so assessed, for the year 1882, state, county and city — the state and county taxes being $97.50, and the city tax being $300. He then brought this suit to recover of appellant the taxes so paid, and recovered judgment therefor. Held: The question presented is, Were the claims of the state, county and city for the taxes of 1882 incumbrances upon the land? The constitution provides that, ‘‘ The annual assessment made upon landed property shall be a special lien thereon, and all property, both real and personal, belonging to any delinquent tax payer shall be liable to seizure and sale for the payment of all the taxes and penalties due by such delinquent.” [Art. 8, sec. 15.] At the date of the conveyance made by appellant, the law in force provided as
Under our system the tax is levied on the 1st day of January of each year, and the assessment is made as of that date, although the rendering or listing and valuation of the property is in fact subsequently made. The evidence in this case shows that the state and county taxes were an incumbrance upon the land when conveyed by appellant.
§25. City taxes; when an incumbrance upon land; ordinance of city must be alleged and proved. The charter of the city of Houston is a special act of the legislature, required by its terms to be taken judicial notice of by the courts, makes all city taxes levied and assessed upon real estate within the corporate limits a lien upon said property, and the city council is given full power to make such rules and regulations and pass such ordinances as it shall deem necessary to the levying, imposing and assessing such taxes. ' But we fail to find in the charter any provision fixing the date when such taxes shall be levied and assessed, as is the case with regard to the state and county taxes. [Special Laws, 18†9, p. 13.] It maybe that, in fact, the system of taxation for the city
§ 26. Warranty against incumbrances. It is alleged in the petition that the defendant Cruger did warrant and covenant with plaintiff, by her conveyance, that the property conveyed was free of all incumbrances in the way of taxes. This allegation was sustained by the introduction of said conveyance, which contained the words “grant ’’ and “ convey,” and conveyed a fee-simple title. This implied the covenant that at the date of the conveyance the land was free from incumbrances. [R. S. art. 557.]
§27. Variance in description of land held immaterial. In the deed from appellant to Colter, Bóyles and Ginnuth, the land is described as lot 5, block 44, giving metes and bounds. In the deed from Colter and Boyles to Ginnuth it is described as lot 5, block 45, and it is recited in the deed that the property is the same conveyed to them and Ginnuth by appellant. Held: This variance is immaterial, the land being otherwise fully identified.. Because the evidence does not support the judgment as to the city tax, the judgment is reversed.
Reversed and remanded.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.