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98 Pa. 551

Garber v. Conner

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Decided November 21, 1881

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania · decided 1881-11-21

<p>1. The penalty provided by section 26 of the Fee Bill Act of March 28 th 1814, P. L. 364, upon any officer taking greater or other fees than those hud down by the Act, cannot be imposed upon officers who have no right to charge fees of any kind.</p> <p>2. A collector of delinquent taxes in Allegheny county, appointed by virtue of the provisions of the act of May 1st 1861. Pamph. L. 455, is not subject to the penalty prescribed by the said Act of 1814 for taking illegal fees.</p> <p>3. Semble, that by virtue of the provisions of the act of April 8th 1864, Píimph. L. 316, such collector of delinquent taxes is entitled to collect as his full compensation ten per cent, over and above the amount of the tax only. Any additional charge of any kind is illegal and void.</p> <p>4. Semble, moreover, that said collector has no right to issue a warrant to a constable to collect delinquent taxes. Such a warrant is ultra vires and the constable has no power to execute it.</p>

Decided 1881-11-21

Mr. Justice Gordon

¶1delivered the opinion of the court

¶2Conner, the collector of delinquent taxes for the 8th ward of the city of Pittsburgh, had no right to charge fees of any kind, hence his case does not come within the Pee Bill. Act of 1814, and consequently not within its penalty. The Act of the 8th of April, 1864, allows him to collect from the delinquent tax-payer ten per centum in addition to the amount of the tax, and this ten per centum is his full compensation, and any additional charge of any kind is illegal and void. Moreover, his warrant to the constable was altogether ultra vires: he had no power to issue such a writ, and the constable had no power to execute it. The only legal warrant was that of the treasurer to Conner; this was his authority tó demand and collect the taxes found in his schedule, and he liad no power to delegate that authority, by his waiTant or otherwise, to some other person. Under tlie act of 1834, he might, with the approbation of the treasurer, employ a suitable person to act for him “ in the execution of his warrant ” ; that is, the warrant issued to him by the treasurer. Hence, his deputy, if he has one, acts under the same power that he does. All this is very plain and obvious to any one who takes the pains to read the provisions of the statute, and how this collector and the constable, to whom he directed his sham warrant, came to pursue the course they did, is a matter hard to understand.

¶3But notwithstanding the illegality of the proceedings of these officers; though they were clearly guilty of extortion and might have been punished therefor, we must agree with the court below that they were not amenable to the penalty prescribed by the 26th section of the Act of the 28th March 1814.

¶4Judgment affirmed.

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