Tax Law Commons^™

Taxation - Special Assessments For Street Lighting, Herbert J. Bloom

Michigan Law Review

The city of Los Angeles, under the authority of the "Public Works and Utility Act" of California, passed two ordinances levying special assessments for street lighting purposes upon abutting property specially benefited according to the front foot rule. The validity of the ordinance ordering the necessary lighting posts and appliances, which were installed before the present proceeding was brought, was conceded. The other ordinance provided for the furnishing of electric current to light the public streets for a period of fourteen months. This was contested by the plaintiff, who owned three lots subject to the assessment, on the ground that …

Municipal Corporations - Constitutional Limitation On Indebtedness - Delinquent Taxes As Deductible Asset, Emma Rae Mann

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff taxpayer sued to enjoin defendant city from borrowing $500,000 for general public improvements, alleging that if, the city so obligated itself it would be indebted beyond the limit fixed by the constitution at two per cent of the assessed valuation of taxable property. Defendant showed that such limit would not be exceeded if two-thirds of the outstanding delinquent taxes were regarded as deductible. The court denied the injunction and held that since collection of at least two-thirds of such outstanding delinquent taxes was certain this item was properly deductible. Ward v. Pittsburgh, 321 Pa. 414, 184 A. 240 …

Revenue Financing Of Public Enterprises, E. H. Foley Jr.

Michigan Law Review

Courts have been slow to take judicial notice of the growing needs of local communities. Legislatures have restrained municipal corporations from engaging in business enterprises upon the assumption that the object was mere hope of gain, that the investment of municipal funds in such enterprises was simply a speculation, or that the effect was to divert municipal corporations from their legitimate ends and to poach upon the preserves of private enterprise. Novel municipal undertakings have been feared as an entering wedge of state socialism or governmental paternalism. Even when the instrumentality of private adventure was disposed to leave a need …

Municipal Corporations - Effect Upon Collection Of Tort Judgments Of Constitutional And Statutory Limitations On Indebtedness And Taxing Powers, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

In an effort to protect the taxpayer from the extravagance of municipal officials, two types of restrictions, in the main, have been imposed: those limiting the power to contract debts, and those restricting the power to levy taxes. Frequently in an effort to recover and collect a judgment against the city, one or the other of these restrictions is met. Courts seem to hold unanimously that debt limitations apply to the city's obligations in contract and not in tort, but they are divided as to the effect of tax limitations upon collection of a tort judgment. As an example of …

Constitutional Law-Police Power -Validity Of Compulsory Unemployment Insurance Act

Michigan Law Review

Complainants asked for a declaratory judgment that the New York Unemployment Insurance Act is unconstitutional. They contended that the law, providing for the payment of limited unemployment benefits out of a fund raised by a uniform payroll tax imposed on all employers, takes property without due process of law. Held, that the law is valid, violating neither the state nor the Federal Constitution. W. H. H. Chamberlain, Inc. v. Andrews, 271 N. Y. 1, 2 N. E. (2d) 22 (1936).

Constitutional Law - Franchise Tax - Burden Upon Interstate And Foreign Commerce - Due Process - Equal Protection Of The Laws

Michigan Law Review

The state of California adopted a franchise tax which was based upon the corporations' net income apportioned according to "that portion which is derived from business done within the State." When this was construed to include not merely the income from intrastate business alone, but rather the income from both this and from all interstate and foreign business attributable to California, its enforcement was resisted upon the grounds that (1) so construed it was repugnant to the commerce clause upon the theory that it burdened interstate and foreign commerce, (2) it violated the due process clause upon the theory that …

Municipal Corporations-Power Of Congress To Pass Act For Readjustment Of Municipal Debts

Michigan Law Review

In 1934, Congress amended the National Bankruptcy Act so as to authorize any municipality or other political subdivision of any state to effect a readjustment of its debts by proceedings in courts of bankruptcy. A water district in Texas petitioned the United States District Court asking for a readjustment of its obligations. After the dismissal of the proceedings in the District Court, but before the reversal of the decision by the Court of Appeals, the state legislature of Texas passed an act empowering municipalities and other political subdivisions to proceed under the federal statute. Held, that the municipal debt …

Municipal Corporations - Power To License - Discretionary Power In Administrative Officers

Michigan Law Review

The City Council of Philadelphia enacted an ordinance requiring as many officers or firemen as the Director of Public Safety should deem necessary to be present at all athletic contests for profit, and further provided that the officers or firemen so stationed should be compensated at the rate of $5.50 per day by those persons requiring or demanding such service. The plaintiff brought this suit in equity to declare invalid and restrain the enforcement of the ordinance. The lower court held that the ordinance was invalid, but the supreme court reversed this decision and held that this was a valid …

Constitutional Law-Public Purpose-Feed Loans To Destitute Farmers

Michigan Law Review

Pursuant to a constitutional provision enabling such action, the Governor asked the supreme court of South Dakota the following question: "Could the legislature enact legislation which would permit the several counties as a county enterprise to raise funds either by supplemental budget or bond or warrant issues with which they might in turn furnish feed loans or even distribute feed as a part of a county poor relief system . . . ?" In answer to this question the court held, in In re Opinion of the Judges, that the furnishing of feed or feed loans to individuals …

Municipal Corporations--Implied Power To Tax For Advertising Purposes, Donald M. Hutton

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Constitutional Law-Due Process-Statutory Interpretation As Judicial Legislation

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff brought suit in Missouri to enjoin collection of taxes alleged to be discriminatory, basing his claim for equitable relief on the absence of any other remedy. The supreme court of Missouri dismissed the bill, without hearing on the substantive question, on the ground that there existed, under a state statute, an adequate remedy in appeal to the state tax commission. Previously the court had denied, in several cases, that the statute gave such a right, and had allowed equitable relief in one case on that ground. When the decision in the principal case was rendered, it was too late …

Recent Important Decisions

Michigan Law Review

A collection of recent important court decisions.

The Status Of A Municipal Corporation Organized Under An Unconstitutional Statute, Oliver P. Field

Michigan Law Review

A municipal corporation has governmental as well as proprietary functions to perform. It differs from a private corporation in that its primary functions are governmental. Municipal corporations are usually spoken of as legal persons, or entities, in the same sense that private corporations are, but in studying them it must always be borne in mind that the main purpose for which most of them are created is that they may perform certain governmental functions.

Situs Of Corporate Shares For Administration Purposes

Michigan Law Review

Questions concerning the situs of corporate shares for tax purposes have been productive of much litigation and a fairly extensive body of authority on the subject has accumulated. Cases dealing with the situs of shares for purposes of administration, on the other hand, arc very rare. This latter fact may be ascribed to the acceptance, in all states except Illinois and Mississippi, of the common law rule that the distribution of personal property shall be governed by the law of the decedent's domicil. But in those two jurisdictions, the legislature has provided that, "All personal property situated in this state …

The Equitable Conversion Fiction As A Basis For Inheritance Taxation

Michigan Law Review

No one would dispute the jurisdiction of the state where land is situated to impose an inheritance tax upon its transfer at the death of the owner. Callahan v. Woodbridge, 171 Mass. 595, 51 N. E. 176; Matter of Majot, 199 N. Y. 29, 92 N. E. 402, Chamberlain's Estate, 257 Pa. 113,101 Atl. 314. Equally clear is the converse proposition: that no other state except the state where the land lies can impose such a tax. Succession of Westfeldt, 122 La. 836, 48 So. 281; In re Rust's Estate, 213 Mich. 138, 182 N. W. …

Tax On Income Received From Foreign Sources

Michigan Law Review

In the recently decided case of Cook v. Tait, 44 Sup. Ct. 444, the Supreme Court of the United States decided that the federal government could lawfully tax the income of a citizen of the United States, although the citizen was domiciled in Mexico, and the income came from real and personal property there situated. Suppose instead of the federal income tax, a state tax on incomes had been involved. A Michigan man, say, has among his other sources of revenue, a house and lot in Cleveland which is rented at a price which insures him a comfortable addition …

Note And Comment, Gordon Stoner, Grover C. Grismore, Stanley E. Gifford, Stuart S. Wall

Michigan Law Review

What is a Public Purpose Justifying the Expenditure Therefore of Money Raised From Taxation - A recent Ohio case raises a question which is frequently discussed in connection with the activities of cities, i. e., 'what is a municipal or public purpose for the accomplishment of which city funds raised from taxation may be expended. The council of the city of Toledo passed an ordinance authorizing the expenditure of $1000 for the purpose of establishing a municipal moving-picture theater. The auditor refused to pay over to the director of public service the fund thus appropriated and mandamus was sought by …

Recent Important Decisions, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Agency--Fiduciary Relation--Right of Principal to Agent's Acquisitions--Patents for Agent's Inventions; Bankruptcy--Insurance Policies as Assets; Carriers--Duty Toward Alighting Passenger; Commerce--Conflicting State and Federal Regulation; Constitutional law--Restrictive Labor Laws for Women; Contributory Negligence--Children; Conveyancing--Covenants--Construction of "Business" in Restrictive Covenant; corporations--Director's Meetings--Effect of Surprise, Trick, or Fraud in Securing a Quorum; Corporations--Eleemosynary--Liability of Educational Institution for Torts; Corporations--Fraudulent Organization--Corporation a Nullity; Criminal Law--Wife Abandonment--Proper Venue; Damages--Breach of Contract--Value of Unmatured Crops; Damages--Master and Servant--Wrongful Discharge of Servant; Dedication--requisites, Sufficiency and Acceptance; Deeds--Rule in Shelley's Case; Equity--Temporary Injunction--Function and Effect; Garnishment--Possession of Garnishee--Safety Deposit Box; Husband and Wife--Power of Wife to Dispose of Her …

An Experiment In Equalization, And Its Result, William Carpenter

Michigan Law Review

The legislature of the State of Michigan at its latest session, attempted to provide a remedy for the injustice often occasioned by the boards of supervisors in equalizing the assessment rolls of the several townships, wards and cities of their respective counties. For that purpose it passed Act No.292 of the laws of 19O9 amending secs. 34 and 37 of the general tax law. The act provides that any supervisor of any township or city who considers his township or city aggrieved by the action of the board of which he is a member, in equalizing the valuation of the …

Note And Comment, Harry B. Hutchins, Frank B. Fox, John E. Winner

Michigan Law Review

The Liability of a Physician for the Acts of His Partner; Municipal Taxation by Appointive Boards or Commissioners; The Right of a Married Woman to Recover for Personal Injuries; What is Corporate Action?;

Note And Comment

Michigan Law Review

The Case of Bigelow v. Calumet and Hecla Mining Company et al., Involving the Question of the Control by One Corporation of a Competing Corporation; The right of the Federal or a State government to Maintain an Action for the Recovery of Taxes; Liability of a Life Insurance Company When the Insured is Executed for the Commission of a Crime; Jurisdiction of a Court of Equity to Restrain the Commission of Criminal Acts; Municipal Contracts for Patented or Proprietary Paving

Note And Comment, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

A New Instance of the Power of Congress to Destroy by Taxation; Pleading Contributory Negligence Under the Code; Presumptions as to Delivery of Deeds; Jurisdiction of Equity to Restrain Threatened to Wrong; The Power of Courts to Allow Amendments Under the Common Law and Code Procedure; Situs of Debts; The Time Limit for Presentations of Railroad Tickets

Some Legal Aspects Of Special Assessments, Frank L. Sage

Articles

Taxes have been defined as "the enforced proportional contributions from persons and property levied by the state by virtue of its sovereignty for the support of the government and all public needs." The essential elements that we will notice particularly are two; first, that the contributions are proportional, that is, levied upon all in the same class according to some impartial standard, and second, that taxes can be levied for public purposes only.

Remedies Of Illegal Taxation, Thomas M. Cooley

Articles

Taxation is to a nation what the circulation of the blood is to he individual; absolutely essential to life. In ordinary times it is the chief burden which government imposes upon the people, and is likely, therefore, to be the greatest source of discontent. This renders it of the utmost importance that taxation should as nearly as possible be just, and also that it should appear to those who pay it to be just. Absolute justice, however, is unattainable.

A Treatise On The Law Of Taxation Including The Law Of Local Assessments, Thomas M. Cooley

Books

"The following pages have been prepared with a view to present in a shape for practical use, the general rules which must govern the action of all authorities acting in matters of taxation ….

The preparation of any treatise on taxation necessarily involves the presentation of disputed points, and the expression of opinions upon them. This has been done in the following pages. It has not been the purpose, however, to take any positions which it was not believed the authorities would justify; and if this has been done in any instance, the references which are made to authorities will …

A Treatise On The Law Of Taxation Including The Law Of Local Assessments, Thomas M. Cooley

Books

"The following pages have been prepared with a view to present in a shape for practical use, the general rules which must govern the action of all authorities acting in matters of taxation ….

The preparation of any treatise on taxation necessarily involves the presentation of disputed points, and the expression of opinions upon them. This has been done in the following pages. It has not been the purpose, however, to take any positions which it was not believed the authorities would justify; and if this has been done in any instance, the references which are made to authorities will …