Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/215/341/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 14:06:04+00:00

Document:
Where the validity of the local statute under which national bank shares are assessed was not drawn in question, but the only objection in the state court was that the assessment was in excess of actual value, exorbitant, unjust, and not in proportion with other like property, no federal right was set up or denied, and this Court has no jurisdiction to review the judgment under § 709, Rev.Stat.
Writ of error to review 136 Ia. 203 dismissed.
Iowa. In that court, plaintiffs filed a pleading containing a recital of the facts and demanding relief, and reiterating the same contention as made below, and the same claim as to the proper manner to arrive at the assessable valuation of said shares of stock. Answer was filed in behalf of the Board, wherein it was denied that the assessment, as raised, was unjust, and asserted that the market value was the proper criterion for valuation, and that the actual and market value of the stock in question was even greater than that fixed in the raised assessment. It was also denied that the assessment was unfair as related to the assessment on other like property.
"In doing so we shall first dispose of a matter of contention brought forward for the first time in argument in this court. This contention is, through the action of the defendant board, as complained of, there was worked a violation of § 5219 of U.S. Revised Statutes, having to do with the subject of state taxation of national bank shares. As confessedly such matter was not presented to the board or suggested on the trial in the court below, we cannot give consideration thereto on merits in this court. But this is to follow our repeated decisions bearing on the subject. Railway Co. v. Cedar Rapids, 106 Ia. 476; Trust Co. v. Fonda, 114 Ia. 728."
be construed as clothing the court with jurisdiction to sit as an assessing tribunal. Frost v. Board, 114 Ia. 103; Farmers' &c. Co. v. Fonda, 114 Ia. 728."
"it is true that, under the third clause of § 709, Rev.Stat., where a title, right, privilege, or immunity is claimed under federal law, such title, etc., must be 'specially set up or claimed,' and that no such provision is made as to cases within the second clause, involving the constitutionality of state statutes or authorities, but it is nonetheless true that the authority of such statute must 'be drawn in question' by someone who has been affected by the decision of a state court in favor of its validity, and that, in this particular, the three clauses of the section are practically identical."
In order to give this Court jurisdiction of a writ of error to the highest court of a state in which a decision could be had, it must appear affirmatively that a federal question was presented for decision, that its decision was necessary to the determination of the cause, and that it was actually decided, or that the judgment rendered could not have been given without deciding it.
"said stock is not assessed and valued in proportion to other like personal property in the City of Estherville, but is grossly in excess thereof, and unfair to these appellants, and is unequal taxation. "
These were not federal questions. No mention of the national banking act was made, nor any right or privilege claimed under it, nor were the provisions of the Revised Statutes invoked by name or otherwise. There was no assertion of an issue in the case claiming the local statutes to be in conflict with, or repugnant to the terms of, § 5219 of the Revised Statutes or the Constitution of the United States. Plaintiffs filed a written pleading in the district court in which they set out all proceedings leading up to the appeal and the grounds for their complaint against the action of the equalization Board, and, when the case went to trial, filed an amendment alleging the additional grievance of inequality.
corporations owning only the real estate (inclusive of leasehold interest, if any) on or in which the bank or trust company is located] shall be deducted from the real value of such shares, and such real estate shall be assessed as other real estate, and the property of such corporations shall not be otherwise assessed."
"All property subject to taxation shall be valued at its actual value. . . . Such assessed value shall . . . be taken and considered as the taxable value of such property, . . . upon which the levy shall be made. Actual value of property, as used in this chapter, shall mean its value in the market in the ordinary course of trade,"
found that the shares should be assessed at their market or sale values, and then the court proceeded to ascertain, on the facts, whether the shares were taxed at more than their market value, and whether at a greater rate in proportion to the value of other like personal property.
If plaintiffs in error believed that the local statute was unconstitutional and invalid because of conflict with the federal Constitution or statute, they could and should have said so; but the validity of the act was nowhere specifically drawn in question.

References: § 709
 § 5219
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 § 709
 § 5219