Opinion

Choctaw County Excise Board v. St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Co.

  • 456 P.2d 545
  • 1969 OK 110
  • 1969 Okla. LEXIS 413
Court
Supreme Court of Oklahoma
Filed
Jul 15, 1969
Status
Published
Author
Berry
On the bench
Jackson, Irwin, Davison, Williams, Hodges, Lavender, Berry, Blackbird, McInerney
Cited by
9 cases
Authority
More cited than 5.7%

The opinion

BERRY, Vice Chief Justice

(dissenting).

It is my opinion errors disclosed upon the face of the record are fatal to the conclusion stated. The petitions in the present appeals failed to make allegations which satisfied the mandatory requirements of 62 O.S.1961 § 362(2), (3) (b). Excise Board, etc. v. Kansas City Southern Ry. Co., 173 Okl. 238 , 47 P.2d 580 . And, the judgments involved reflect total failure to comply with requirements of 62 O.S.1961, § 310.1.

It is my view the" rule of prior decisions requires municipal officers to file proper pleadings and make good faith defense against claims made and approved for a purpose which exceed the tax levied for such purpose during the fiscal year. The presumption in favor of validity of judgments does not prevail where the record discloses there has not been a bona fide trial of the cause and no bona fide defense made. Lowden v. Stephens County Excise Board, 191 Okl. 5 , 126 P.2d 1023 ; In re Gypsy Oil Co., 141 Okl. 291 , 285 P. 67 . Public officers can accomplish by non-action that which formerly was illegal because of ineffective or improper action. Hereafter it will be necessary to resort to mandamus, to compel municipal officers to perform their duty, or be concluded from attacking judgments such as are involved here. I dissent.

I am authorized to state that BLACKBIRD and McINERNEY, JJ., concur in the views herein expressed.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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