Assess
Defined in 8 dictionaries — Cyclopedic (1922), Ballentine's (1916), Bouvier (1914), Black's (1910), Kinney (1893), Black's (1891), Anderson (1889), Burrill (1850)
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary
Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922
To rate or fix the proportion which every person has to pay of any particular tax. To tax. To adjust the shares of a contribution by several towards a common beneficial object, according to the benefit received. To fix the value of; to fix the amount of.
Ballentine's Law Dictionary
James A. Ballentine · 1916
Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia
John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914
To rate or fix the proportion which every person has to pay of any particular tax. To tax. To adjust the shares of a contribution by several towards a common beneficial object according to the benefit received. To fix the value of; to fix the amount of. As used in a covenant to pay rates, etc., "assessed" means "reckoned on the value." 66 L. J. Ch. 353; [1S97] 1 Ch. 633.
Black's Law Dictionary
Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910
2. To adjust or fix the proportion of a tax which each person, of several liable to it, has to pay; to apportion a tax among several; to distribute taxation in a proportion founded on the proportion of burden and benefit. Allen v. McKay, 120 Cal. 332, 52 Pan. 828; Seymour v. Peters, 67 Mich. 415, 35 N. W. 62.
3. To place a valuation upon property for the purpose of apportioning a tax. Bridewell v. Morton, 46 Ark. 73; Moss v. Hindes, 28 Vt. 28
1.
4. To impose a pecuniary payment upon persons or property ; to tax. People v. Priest, 169 N. Y. 435, 62 N. E. 568.
A Law Dictionary and Glossary
George C. Kinney · 1893
To adjust or proportion; to paid; to rate or fix the proportions payment upon persons or property terms to assess and to tax were the same idea. The damages in a taxed, and the jury in a cause were ages. Afterwards a distinction assess the damages, and the court tinction has been preserved, v.
A Dictionary of Law
Henry Campbell Black · 1891
1. To ascertain, adjust, and settle the respective shares to be contributed by several persons toward an object beneiicial to them all, in proportion to the benefit reecived. 2. To adjust or fix the proportion of a tax which each person, of several liable to it, tas to pay; to apportion a tax among several; to distribute taxation in a proportion founded on the proportion of burden and benefit. 3. To place a valuation upon property for the purpose of apportioning a tax. 4. To impose a pecuniary payment upon persons or properiy; to tax. state tax, and contains a proviso that “no otlier lax or impost shal! be levied or assessed upon the said company,” the word “assessed” in the proviso cannot have the force and meaning of describing special levies for public improvements, but is used{merely to describe the act of levying the tax or impost. 42 N. J. Law, 97.
A Dictionary of Law
William C. Anderson · 1889
' 1. To rate or fix the proportion which each person is to pay of a tax; to » 4B1. Com. 14«: 3 Coke, Inst. 176. ' L. assentire, to agree to. ' Webster's Diet. * Crabbe's Syn. » See Welch v. Sackett, 12 Wis. *257 (1860), Dixon, C. J. "See 4 Wheat. 225; ISumn. 218; 12 Mass. 461,; UN. Y. 441; 1 Pars. Contr. 400; 2 Washb. E. P. 579. ' Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Young, 23 Wall. 107 (1874), Swayne, J. » Utley V. Donaldson, 94 U. S. 47-49 (1876), cases, Swayne, J.; First Nat. Bank of Quincy v. Hall, 101 id. 49-60(1879); 109 id. 97. • From L. assessor, an adjuster of taxes; originally tax. To adjust the shares of a contribution by several persons toward a common object according to the benefit received. To fix the value or the amount of a thing.i To detei-mine by rules of law a sum to be paid; to rate the proportional contribution due to a fund; to fix the amount payable by a person or persons in satisfaction of an estabhshed demand. 2 Assessor. (1) An adviser to a court; an expert. Nautical assessor. A person, possessing special knowledge in matters of navigation and of maritime affairs, who assists, a court of admiralty.'^ Compare Alderman. (2) One who makes assessments for purposes of taxation or contribution. ' A person charged by law with the duty of ascertaining and determining the value of property as the foundation of a public tax.-" Assessment. The act or proceeding by which a sum due or payable is determined; also, the sum itself as a payment or obligation. As^ an assessment — of the damages suffered by a plaintiff; of the value of property taken for public use; of money as the equivalent of a benefit or burden caused by a municipal improvement; of losses in insurance; of installments payable upon stock subscriptions; of a sum to be raised by taxation, and of the portions due from individuals. Strictly speaking, an assessment of taxes is an official estimate of the sums which are to constitute the basis of an apportionment of a tax between the individual subjects of taxation within a district. As more commonly employed, consists in listing the persons, property, etc., to be taxed, and in estimating the sums which are to be the guide in an apportionment of the tax between themi; — valuation is a part of it.''' In a broad sense taxes undoubtedly include assessments, and the right to impose assessments has its foundation in the taking power of the government; but there is also a broad distinction between them. " Taxes " are public burdens imposed generally upon the inhabitants of the whole State, or upon some civil ' [Bouvler's Law Diet. ^ [Abbott's Law Diet. ' See The Clement, 2 Curt. 369 (1865); The Empire, 19 F. E. 559 (1884), cases. ■• Savings, &o. Society v. Austin, 46 Cal. 509 (1873), Wallace, C. J. division thereof, for governmental purposes without reference to peculiar benefits to particular individuals or property. "Assessments" have reference to impositions for improvements which are specially beneficial to individuals or property and which are imposed in proportion to the particular benefits supposed to be conferred. They are justified when the improvements confer special benefits and are equitable only when divided in proportion to such benefits. ' See Installment; Just, 2; Tax, 2; Value. Used of a business corporation, a rating or fixing, by the board of directors, of the proportion of his subscription which every subscriber is to pay, when notified of it and called upon.2 See Call, 3 (1). Political assessment. See Obticek. 3. To decide the degree of; to determine the extent of: as, to assess a punishment. A statute providing that issues of fact in criminal cases shall be tried by a jury, " who shall assess the punishment in their verdict," refers to offenses as to which the limits of pimishment are fixed by law and within which a discretion may be exercised.'
A New Law Dictionary and Glossary
Alexander M. Burrill · 1850
p Li. Lat. assidere, assedare.] To rate, or tax; to fix or settle a sum to be levied, or paid.