274 Mass. 505 | Mass. | 1931
This is an appeal from a decision of the Land Court denying the motion of the town to vacate a decree foreclosing all rights of redemption from a tax title. The grounds set forth in that motion were (1) that by inadvertence the citation issued and served upon the town was mislaid and overlooked until long after the decree, (2) that the town would lose a large amount of taxes unless the decree be vacated, (3) that the court was without jurisdiction to enter the decree because it appeared from the report of the examiner on file with the court that at the time of the sale of the land and the making and delivery of the tax deed to one Chadwick, on which the decree of foreclosure of rights of redemption was predicated, there were then existing and outstanding and unredeemed tax titles to the same land to the town, and that thereby the said sale and delivery of deed to Chadwick were void and of no effect.
Plainly, the first ground was addressed to the sound judicial discretion of the court. There is nothing on this record to show abuse of that discretion. Cohen v. Industrial Bank & Trust Co., ante, 498, this day decided, and cases there collected. Lee v. Fowler, 263 Mass. 440, 443.
Certain reasons of public policy and practical importance are adduced in the second ground to support the motion. These, too, rise no higher than arguments designed to move the discretion of the court to favorable action. There was no error of law or abuse of judicial power in refusing to accede to them.
The third ground states want of jurisdiction of the
The town urges various grounds to show that the deed on which the decree rested was invalid and did not convey a title which ought to foreclose the rights of the town. These arguments need not be reviewed because in essence they all are directed to the point that the court made a wrong decision in ordering the decree. All those matters would have been highly important if presented to the court at a trial upon the merits. But they affect only the soundness of the conclusion reached by the court, and not its jurisdiction. A court with jurisdiction may make a wrong decision, or a party may fail to present available defences, and thus a decision may not be a true adjudication. But such decisions are not void. They stand unless reversed under some recognized and available procedure. Lonergan v. American Railway Express Co. 250 Mass. 30, 40. Lennon v. Cohen, 264 Mass. 414, 422. Castaline v. Swardlick, 264 Mass. 481, 484-485 and cases cited. Aisenberg v. Royal Ins. Co. Ltd. 266 Mass. 543, 546.
No question has been raised as to procedure and none has been regarded. See Shour v. Henin, 240 Mass. 240; Maker v. Bouthier, 242 Mass. 20; Wrinn v. Sellers, 252 Mass. 423; Donovan v. Danielson, 263 Mass. 419; Burt v.
Order denying motion affirmed.