168 N.W. 33 | S.D. | 1918
This action was' brought by the Pierre & Et. Pierre Bridge Railway Company to recover the first half .df the school taxes for tihte year 1914 paid by it in March, 1915, assessed, against its property by the Et. Pierre independent school district, and for an amnulinent of the order hereinafter referred to. The ground of recovery was the alleged invalidity of proceedings had in 1914, whereby the boundaries' of said independent district were extended' to incluidle thle property of plaintiff. A better und’ersltanding. of the situation may be had by reference to the attached plat.,
The congressional township No. 5 north, of range 31 east, of the Black Hills meridian, is a fractional township, being bounded on the east by the Missouri river. Tine property of plaintiff begins ion the easterly bank of said river in Hughes county and ends on the westerly bank of said river in Stanley county. Prior to the proceedings had in 1914, the boundaries of such independent district were coextensive with the city limits of Ft. Pierre, which, as shlolwn by the plat, embraced an area substantially one
The boundary extension proceedings were confessedly had •tinder the provisions of section 176 of chapter 135, Laws of 1907. Subdivision 3 of said section provides:
“The committee shall consider itihe interest of the 'two corporations concerned, the convenience of: the petitioners and the permanent school interest, and -if they deem it proper, shall grant the petition and issue an order authorizing the attaching of such -territory.”
The trial court found:
“That -s,aid petitions were circulated by, on behalf of, and in -the interest of certain interested taxpayers residing in said Ft. Pierre independent school district for the purpose of having the -property located in said Bad River school district Nio. 5, including the property of the plaintiff herein, attached to said Ft. Pierre independent school district, so that the same might be-come subject to levy for school purposes in said city of Ft. Pierre, and thereby subject the said property toi the payment of the indebtedness theretofore contracted by said Ft. Pierre independent school district and then existing, and for the purpose of relieving, to the extent of the amount raised by levy upon saiiidi property in. said Bad river school district No. 5, tire .property ¡of said resident taxpayers situate in Ft. Pierre independent school district, and -of shifting the burden of the indebtedness .theretofore incurred .and then owing by the said Ft. Pierre independent school diis*478 tridt and! the taxpayers thereof iupon the taxpayers of and! property ini said Bad River school district No. 5, amid! the said- taxpayers fin said Ft. Pierre school district Conspired and confederated together for said purposes, and for said1 purposes caused 'said petitions to be circulated and signed by certain electors of said two school districts, and for the purpose of inducing said electors to, sign said petitions represented to them that the purpose of the proposed1 annexation; of the territory in said Bad River schoioi district No. 5 was to: include plaintiff’s said property in the said) district, sio that it could be taxed, and by that means decrease the taxes of the said1 electors, and the only inducement held out to said electors) for Ithe signing of said petitions -wias that of shifting the burdlen of taxation upon plaintiff herein, and caused the said! petitions toi be- presented to and filed with the county superintendent of said Stanley county and secured certain action to be taken upon said petitions •hereinafter mentioned!, for the sole 'and! only purpose of- -raising fundís to provide fior foie payment o-f said indebtedness, which had already been -incurred, and1 flor the- payment of school! facilities and bearing the -expense incident thereto! ini said! Ft. Pierre indepenid1ent school district, and solely in foe interest of sUtto taxpayers, and not in foe interest nor for foe benefit olf education, nor for educational -purposes.”
The trial court also found that:
.The committee in granting the petitions acted “in furtherance of -said conspiracy and Collusion to1 shift foe said -burden of indebtedness and' taxation froto the property situate in said Ft. Pierre independent school district upon this plaintiff and others having 'property in said Bad River school- district No. 5, and without reference or regard to -educational facilities for the children of school age in said! Bad River school district No. 5 or Ft. P-ierre independent school district.”
The trial court also found:
“That no changes were made in ithe school facilities afforded! foe -childreni of school age in saidl Bad River school -district No. 5 by the said attempted annexation of said territory to the- said Ft. Pierre independent school district and none were intended or -contemplated, but said children have, since the. pretended annexation of said territory, attended foe public schools! in foe city of*479 Ft. Bierre as they bad' been wont to do before the .pretended annexation oif said territory; that of the said .children practically all ■reside in tire immediate vicinity of the said city of Ft Pierre.”
Subdivision 5 of said section o'f tibe school law provides for the recording of‘the decision lof the committee by the clerks of the respective boards. Subdivision 6 provides:
“Such territory shall, from- the date of the order authorizing sUtoh Change, be considered a part of the independent district of [or] tihe said school district;
“Provided, that such order shall niat be issued until after the action and decisions of 'the committee are recorded by the board of education and itihe district school board.”
The trial court found:
“That the said' alleged action and decision of the committee was not recorded by the board of education or the district school board, or any of the officers of either of said districts, prior to tihe making of said pretended order by said committee, nor at any other time, and there never has been any record of any kind or character made in the records or bololcs. of the "Said Bad River school district No. 5 .of the said alleged action or decision af .he said committee, and the order attempted to foe made by said committee purporting to attach said' Bad River school district No. 5 to s'aid Ft. Pierre independent school district was so made without jurisdiction .or authority by said Committee.”
A further proviso of subdivision. 6 of s'aid section provides:
“Provided, that territory more than two miles from the limits of such city or town shall not be considered1 adjacent territory to which the provisions of this section may apply unless tihe electors-of such territory shall unanimously petition to be thus attached and considered as adjacent territory,”
The trial court found:
“That at the time of the fiM-nfg of said petitions and prior thereto there were -electors residing in said Bad River school .district No. 5 beyond! and' Outside oif .the two-mile limit, who. had not andi did not sign the said petition, and the court finds chat John Rea, Hornier Cannon, and Mins. Homer Cannon were at said times electors of said Bad River school .district No. 5, residing beyond said 2-mile limit, who did not sign- the said oetiitiion.”
“That the saa.di city of Ft. Pierre is mot mear tice center of said tolwnship No.' 5, but is', situate ini the extreme southeast corner thereof, and hence the' greater portion of the territory pretended! ta be attached) by said proceedings lies outside and beyond the tiwo.-mile limit.”
The court thereby negatived! the claim' of the appellants that tflie last proviso of said subdivision 6 is applicable to' the situation.
“But in ail cases in which, far ¡any reason it shall be claimed that the tax [was] collected- 'or about to - be collect ed, was or is wro-ngfuly -or illegally collected' or about to be 'collected! for any reason whatever, in .'whole-, or in- ipart, the remedy shall be as above .provided and! im.ma other manner.,”
The judgment appealed from is modified by Striking from the mioney judgment the item of $2,938.69, with interest from March 31, 1915; and as so modified it is affirmed. No costs will be taxed in this court.
The judgment was entered! in February, 19117. At that time the 1916 taxes, if any were levied upon the property of appellant for the benefit of the defendant school district, were payable. Nothing appears in the record or briefs in regard thereto. Therefore, in affirming the judlgment, we do not pass upon the question whether, in view of the act of 1915, the trial court could lawfully enjoin- the collection of those taxes.