Greenwood v. Adams
Before: Belcher
Synopsis
Taxation — Certificate of Sale —Tax Deed—Recital of Assessment to Named Person, “and All Owners Known and Unknown.”—A certificate of sale for taxes which recites that the laud was assessed to a named person, “ and all known owners or claimants, and when unknown, to unknown owners or claimants, ” and a tax deed founded thereon purporting to convey the land and all interests therein belonging to the person named, “and all owners and claimants thereof known or unknown, ” are each void.
Id. — Quieting Title — Filing Supplemental Answer — Condition to Granting Relief — Discretion.— In an action to determine an adverse claim to land, asserted by the defendant under a tax sale thereof made two years prior to the time of the trial, it is not an abuse of discretion for the court, on the day of the trial, to require the defendant to pay twenty dollars and costs as a condition to the leave granted them to file a supplemental answer setting up title acquired by a tax deed made to them on that day.
Id. — Claim under Void Tax Deed — Title will be Quieted against without Condition. — An owner of land is entitled to have his title quieted as against an adverse claimant under a void tax deed, without first reimbursing the defendant for the amount paid by him at the tax sale.
Id,—Purchaser under Void Tax Sale Acquires No Rights—A purchaser of property at a tax sale, which is invalid by reason of irregularity in the proceedings for the levy and the sale, acquires no rights to the property which either a court of law or equity can enforce.
Appeal prom Judgment — Review of Evidence. — On an appeal from a judgment not taken within sixty days after its entry, the question as to whether the findings were justified by the evidence or not cannot be raised.
Belcher, C. C. Action to quiet title to certain lands in the county of San Luis Obispo; judgment for plaintiff; appeal by defendants.
The defendants by their original answer denied plaintiff’s ownership of the lands described in the complaint, and by a supplemental answer they alleged that since the commencement of the action they had acquired title thereto in fee.
At the trial it was admitted that John Q. Greenwood [76]held title to all the lands described in the complaint under patents issued by the United States in 1870.
The defendants then, in support of the issues on their part, introduced in evidence a certificate of sale for nonpayment of taxes made to them by the tax collector of San Luis Obispo County, under date of March 3, 1884. The certificate recited that the lands were assessed for the fiscal year ending June 30,1884, for state and county taxes "to J. H. Greenwood, and all known owners or claimants, and when unknown, to unknown owners or claimants.” Defendants next offered in evidence a tax deed made to them in pursuance of the certificate, and dated March 27, 1885. The deed purported to convey the lands described as fully and absolutely as the tax collector could lawfully convey the same, “together with all and singular the tenements, hereditaments, and appurtenances thereto belonging, or in any wise appertaining, of the said J. H. Greenwood, and all owners and claimants thereof known and unknown.” The plaintiff objected to the deed being received in evidence, on the ground that it was void and irrelevant and immaterial. The court sustained the objection, and defendants reserved an exception.
We see no error in the ruling. It has been frequently held in this state that an assessment of real property to some person named, "and to all owners and claimants known or unknown,” is void, and that a certificate or deed reciting such an assessment is also void. (Grotefend v. Ultz, 53 Cal. 666; Grimm v. O’Connell, 54 Cal. 522; Daly v. Ah Goon, 64 Cal. 512.) The recital in the certificate here is in substance the same as that in the cases cited.
The defendants next asked leave to file a second supplemental answer setting up that they had acquired title to the lands in controversy.under a tax deed made to them on the day of the trial. The plaintiff objected, but the court'offered to allow the answer to be filed on payment [77]
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