The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-14
BANK STOCK TAXES.
COMES TO THE CITY


| VUMLV ~ I'LL UlIl
Supreme Court Of Virginia Holds
That Con,entid4 Of City Attorney
Pollard Ii Correct.
Ths city Of Richmond won two I'm
! portant cases when the supreme court
OF appeals OF Virginia handed down
number of opinions yesterday One
Is that OF the city against the Mer-
chants National bank Of RichYond,
the hem municipafIty in tie hast a court!
and many thousands OF dollars In
taxes Ia involved.
The bank protested payment Of the
city tax rate OF $40 on bank stock
standing in the name Of stockholders.
contending that the rate Of thirty
cents on each 800 Of stock was all
that the city could assess and collect
verse decision OF the lower court, City
Attorney Pollard took the case up
and the decision yesterday was a COM
plete reversal Of the trial court and
. verdict for the city.
The case was q test one ana all Of
the banks Of the city had been await
Ing the decision. Had the lower
CV0AS OoSu UuoL1lHOO, LILO CITY WOutu
have been called on to refund several
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars In
revenue which had been paid In BY
the various bankA
City Attorney Pollard, when asked
what the amount Of revenue the city
would have lost had the decision been
otherwise, said that . rough estimate
would place the sum at not less than
| S2b0.000 annually and . refund for
l ~ - h. hn 90
heen paid would have Obligated the
city to the extent of almost 4 million
doilars The opinion was one OF sew
eral written by President Stafford q.
Whittle.
Csty Wins Another
| Another important case won BY the
city 10 that against the Virginia Rail-
way and Power company. from the
chancery court. the opinion being
written by Judge r. w. Sims.
| Prior to the annexation to Rich
mond Of erstwhiie Manchester. that
corporation had exempted certain
real estate owned by tho street car
company from taxation, the property
consisting Of nearly thirty acrea OF
| land near the southern end of the
/ Free bridge.
| After the property was brought into
! tho greater city II was assessed for
4
! tending that the ordinance OF tho city
of Manchester was \ contract in fact,
and that as such Richmond had no
right to assess the property or to seek
| To enforce payment OF taxes thereon.
| The lower court sustained the con-
( tcntton OF the company and supported
the validity OF the ordinance which
the city appealed. The opinion Of
Judge Sims reverses the decree Of tho
| trial court. The land 10 said to be
| worth approximately 3i25.o 600 and. N
the state can go back for unpaid
| taxes for three years. II means that
| the city excheouer will be materially
| enriched
The city. however. Ioses In this case
OF keppler against the city of Rich
mond. owne rship of small parcel
OF land IN the rear OF the promises
next To the corner of Seventh and
| Broad streets was involved. The
ground 10 unoccupied and the Keppier
estate commended that the alleged pub
tic alley was part of the property be-
longing to the estate. The trial court
sustained the claim Of the keppier
court, handed down by Judge Sims,
upholds the decree OF the lower court.
| A summary Of the opinions OF the
court handed down yesterday follows:
| BY Judge Stafford q. White.
| president: South Norfolk Land Cont
pany ct al v. Tcbault ct ais Court Of
Law and Chancery OF City OF Norfolk
I'm part Neal v. Commonwealth. Cir
| cult Court OF Lunenburg county.
Judgment reversed. Taliaferro v.
Emery. Circuit Court OF Prince Will
| liam county. Decree reversed. Bar-
rett Brothers v. Feiie. Circuit Court
Of City OF Newport News, Judgment
/ reversed City of Richmond v. Mer-
\ chants National Bank OF Richmond,
| Hastings Court of City OF Richmond
order reversed.
BY Judge Joseph L Kelly, Glide
| well Y. Murray-LAcy 4 Company, ct
| al. Circuit Court OF Lunennurg coun-
| y, Judgment affirmed. virg.nian
Railway Company 81 al y. Avis. Cir
| cult Court of Isle of Wight county.
wealth. Corporation Court or City OF
Hopeweil Judgment reversed Good
man Y. Goodman. Circuit Court Of
Hanover county. Decree reversed.
Western Union Telegraph Company
Y. Bowiea. Circuit Court of Henry
county. Judgment reversed. At
lantio Coast Realty Company v. Town
| City Of Petersburg. Judgment rs-
I, versed.
BY Judge r. W. simsi Virginia
Tale 4 Soapstone Co.. Inc. " Hur-
kamp. Corporation Court OF City OF
Fredericksburg. Judgment affirmed.
| County OF Norfolk Y. City OF Ports
mouth. and Southern Railway Com
pAny v. City OF Portsmouth. Circuit
Court Of Norfolk county. Order
amended and affirmed. keppler Of
ais. v. City OF Richmond. ChAncery
Court OK City Of Richmond. Decree
! reversed. Moore v. Norfolk d West-
ern Railway Company. Circuit Court
Of Campbell county. Judgment re-
versed. City OF Richmond v. Virginia
Railway and Power Company. Chan
Gerry Court of City OF Richmond De
| cree reversed.
BY Judge Robert r. Prentis, Ber-
nard-Smith Company ct ala V. Ber-
nard. Circuit Court OF City OF Lynch
burg. judgment afflrmed. Atlantic
I Coast Limo Railroad Company v.
| Tyler. Hastings Court. part III. OF
City of Richmond. Judgment AFFIRM
I ad Smith " Holland at ak Circuit