M. A. SMITH, AS LIQUIDATOR OF THE BANK OF BISCAYNE, AND M. B. SHANBERG
v.
CARL LINDSAY

Fla. | 1938-06-17
Whitfield, Terrell, Brown, Buford and Chapman, J. J., concur., Whitfield, Buford and Chapman, J. J., concur., Brown, J., dissents., Ellis, C. J., and Whitfield, Buford and Chapman, J. J., concur., Brown, J., dissents.
133 Fla. 306 Florida Supreme Court (1938) Positive Treatment
Also reported at: 182 So. 910
Cited by 12 cases

AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.

Synopsis

Smith and Shanberg, as liquidators of the Bank of Biscayne, sought to enforce municipal tax sale certificates they acquired for $2,000 against Carl Lindsay. The Florida Supreme Court held that they were entitled to recover only the amount actually paid for the certificates plus interest, not the full face value, reversing the lower court's decree to that extent.


Holding

The complainants were entitled to a decree of foreclosure to enforce payment only of the amount actually paid to the municipality ($2,000) plus interest since such payment, along with assignment of the certificates. The decree for the full face amount was improper.


Key Quotes

“the complainant was entitled to a decree of foreclosure of the municipal tax sale certificates to enforce the payment to complainant of the amount which the records show paid the municipality in full payment of all taxes represented by such certificates and the assignment of the certificates to the complainant with interest on such amount since such payment”

Establishes the proper scope of recovery—limited to actual amount paid plus interest, not face value

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Facts & Procedural History

The complainants acquired municipal tax sale certificates from a municipality for $2,000, representing less than one-third of the face value of the ce…

The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.

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Topics

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Opinion of the Court
Per Curiam.

Per Curiam.

—In this case the only question necessary for us to determine is whether or not the Chancellor committed error in entering a final decree in favor of the Complainant for the face amount of municipal tax certificates where the record shows that such certificates were acquired by the complainant from the municipality for less than one-third of the amount of the face of such certificates.

Under the pleadings as shown in the record presented here we hold that the complainant was entitled to a decree of foreclosure of the municipal tax sale certificates to enforce the payment to complainant of the amount which the records show paid the municipality in full payment of all taxes represented by such certificates and the assignment of the certificates to the complainant with interest on such amount since such payment.

The amount paid in settlemeent of the taxes involved and the assignment of the involved certificates was $2,000.

The decree of foreclosure decreed the payment of a far greater amount.

*308The decree should be affirmed in all respects except as to the amount adjudicated to be due the complainant and to be paid by the defendants. As to this item, the decree should be, and is, reversed on authority of the opinion and judgment in the case of Lang v. Quaker Realty Corp., filed February 16th, 1938, reported 179 Sou. 144.

The decree is accordingly reversed and the cause remanded with directions that the final decree be reformed in accordance with the views here expressed.

The costs of this appeal should be, and are, directed to be- taxed and paid in equal parts by appellants and appellee.

So ordered.

Affirmed in part and reversed in part.

Whitfield, Terrell, Brown, Buford and Chapman, J. J., concur.

On Petition for Rehearing.

Per Curiam.

-—Petition for rehearing has been considered by us in connection with our opinion and judgment filed herein on June 17th, 1938.

In that opinion and judgment we held that the decree of the Chancellor should be affirmed except as to the amount of the decree of foreclosure. The decree was held to be excessive because it was shown by the record to be in excess of the amount paid for the certificates with legal interest. In entering its judgment this court exercised its power to direct such judgment to be entered in the court below as should have been entered there.

The fact that the title to the property involved passed from M. A. Smith as Liquidator to Shanberg instead of passing to Lindsay is not material to the disposition of the case. The status of the rights of Lindsay to foreclose the *309lien evidenced by the tax certificates was in no way changed or affected the acquisition of title by Shanberg. Such rights remained in the same status as they would have stood had the title remained in the Bank Liquidator and in that event Lindsay was not entitled to receive more in foreclosure proceedings than the amount paid for the municipal tax certificates with legal interest thereon. See Lang v. Quaker Realty Corporation, filed February 16th, 1938, reported 179 So. 144.

Rehearing denied.

So ordered.

Whitfield, Buford and Chapman, J. J., concur.

Brown, J., dissents.

Extraordinary Petition for Rehearing Denied

Per Curiam.

—-This cause having been submitted to the Court upon Motion of Counsel for Appellee for leave to file an Extraordinary Petition for Rehearing herein and which motion has been duly considered; it is ordered and adjudged by the Court that leave be granted to file the said Extraordinary Petition for Rehearing and that the said Extraordinary Petition having been considered by the Court be and it is hereby denied. The Appeal is a step in the cause and must be disposed of according to the rights of the parties as shown by the record. The Court so disposed of the case by affirming the foreclosure but reversing the decree because it was for an amount in excess of the amount which the record showed to be recoverable. See Sec. 2918 R. G. S., 4637 C. G. L.; Schnabel v. Betts, 23 Fla. 178, 1 Sou. 692.

Ellis, C. J., and Whitfield, Buford and Chapman, J. J., concur.

Brown, J., dissents.

*310Brown, J.

(dissenting).'—I think the extraordinary petition sets up some serious questions which makes it advisable to grant rehearing as prayed, so that these questions can be fully argued and considered by the Court.

Other
Per Curiam. Per Curiam.

On Petition for Rehearing.

Per Curiam. -—Petition for rehearing has been considered by us in connection with our opinion and judgment filed herein on June 17th, 1938. In that opinion and judgment we held that the decree of the Chancellor should be affirmed except as to the amount of the decree of foreclosure. The decree was held to be excessive because it was shown by the record to be in excess of the amount paid for the certificates with legal interest. In entering its judgment this court exercised its power to direct such judgment to be entered in the court below as should have been entered there. The fact that the title to the property involved passed from M.

A. Smith as Liquidator to Shanberg instead of passing to Lindsay is not material to the disposition of the case. The status of the rights of Lindsay to foreclose the lien evidenced by the tax certificates was in no way changed or affected the acquisition of title by Shanberg. Such rights remained in the same status as they would have stood had the title remained in the Bank Liquidator and in that event Lindsay was not entitled to receive more in foreclosure proceedings than the amount paid for the municipal tax certificates with legal interest thereon. See Lang v. Quaker Realty Corporation, filed February 16th, 1938, reported 179 So.

144.

Rehearing denied.

So ordered.

Whitfield, Buford and Chapman, J. J., concur. Brown, J., dissents. Extraordinary Petition for Rehearing Denied Per Curiam. —-This cause having been submitted to the Court upon Motion of Counsel for Appellee for leave to file an Extraordinary Petition for Rehearing herein and which motion has been duly considered; it is ordered and adjudged by the Court that leave be granted to file the said Extraordinary Petition for Rehearing and that the said Extraordinary Petition having been considered by the Court be and it is hereby denied. The Appeal is a step in the cause and must be disposed of according to the rights of the parties as shown by the record. The Court so disposed of the case by affirming the foreclosure but reversing the decree because it was for an amount in excess of the amount which the record showed to be recoverable. See Sec. 2918 R.

G. S., 4637 C.

G. L.; Schnabel v. Betts, 23 Fla. 178, 1 Sou.

692.

Ellis, C. J., and Whitfield, Buford and Chapman, J. J., concur. Brown, J., dissents.

Dissent
Brown, J.

[*310] Brown, J.

(dissenting).'—I think the extraordinary petition sets up some serious questions which makes it advisable to grant rehearing as prayed, so that these questions can be fully argued and considered by the Court.


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Citator

Cited By

  • …not the ease at bar is ruled by Green v. Northern Investment Corp., 140 Fla. 386, 191 So. 778, or previous holdings of this Court beginning with the case of Lang v. Quaker Realty Corp., 131 Fla. 179, 179 So. 144, and reiterated in Smith v. Lindsay, 133 Fla. 306, 182 So. 910; Shaw v. Hamm, 133 Fla. 722, 183 So. 19; Banks v. Shaw, 144 Fla. 550, 198 So. 341, and Shaw v. Morrison, 145 Fla. 443, 199 So. 566. Sections 13 and 14, and other provisions of Chapter 14572, Acts of 1929, Laws of Florida, authorized th…
    1 / 2
  • Culmer v. Off. Realty Co., 137 Fla. 675 (Fla. 1939)
    …. 112 Fla. 835, 151 So. 52; State v. Hoy, 112 Fla. 526, 151 So. 1. The suit being to enforce a lien for taxes on land, the owner may redeem by paying the proper, amounts. See Lang v. Quaker Realty Corp., 131 Fla. 179, 179 So. 144; Smith v. Lindsay, 133 Fla. 306, 182 So. 910. Affirmed. ■ Terrell, C. J., and Buford and Chapman, J. J., concur. Brown and Thomas, J. J. concur in conclusion.…
  • Town OF Dundee v. Pressgrove, 153 Fla. 671 (Fla. 1943)
    …mposition agreement would be inequitable. Appellant offered the foregoing as a plea on equitable grounds and contends that it should have been sustained as a good defense to the declaration. Shaw v. Hamm, 133 Fla. 722, 183 So. 19; Smith v. Lindsay, 133 Fla. 306, 182 So. 910; and Lang v. Quaker Realty Co., 131 Fla. 179, 179 So. 144, are relied on to support this contention. The substance of the holding in these cases is that one cannot in equity purchase tax certificates from taxing authorities at less than…

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