Case Name: Philadelphia v. Eglin's Garages, Inc., Appellant; Philadelphia v. Safe System Garages, Inc., Appellant; Philadelphia v. Sley System Garages, Appellant
Court: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 1941-04-21
Citations: 342 Pa. 142
Docket Number: Appeals, Nos. 139, 163 and 167
Parties: Philadelphia v. Eglin’s Garages, Inc., Appellant. Philadelphia v, Safe System Garages, Inc., Appellant. Philadelphia v. Sley System Garages, Appellant.
Judges: Before Schaffer, C. J., Maxey, Drew, Linn, Stern, Patterson and Parker, Jj,
Reporter: Pennsylvania State Reports
Volume: 342
Pages: 142–144

Head Matter:
Philadelphia v. Eglin’s Garages, Inc., Appellant. Philadelphia v, Safe System Garages, Inc., Appellant. Philadelphia v. Sley System Garages, Appellant.
Argued April 15, 1941.
Before Schaffer, C. J., Maxey, Drew, Linn, Stern, Patterson and Parker, Jj,
Earl Jay Gratis, for appellants, Nos. 139 and 163.
Marshall A. Goyne, with him Gustave F. Straub and David J. Smyth, for appellant, No. 167.
Abraham L. Shapiro, with him Abraham Werhick, Assistant ¡City Solicitors* and Francis-F.- Burch, City Solicitor, for appellee.
April 21, 1941:

Opinion:
Per Curiam,
In each of these three suits, brought to recover taxes due by operators of open parking lots pursuant to the ordinance of July 21, 1937, judgment was entered for want of a sufficient affidavit of defense. The appeals from those judgments were argued together here. The matters averred in defense were the subject of consideration in Philadelphia v. Samuels and Sley System Garages v. Philadelphia, 338 Pa. 321, 12 A. 2d 79; we have again considered them in the light of the arguments presented, and for the reasons stated in the opinion referred to, find the affidavits of defense insufficient. A word may be added. The statute authorizes the city tó tax the parking transaction for revenue purposes. Proof of the averments of loss contained in paragraph 7 of the affidavits in Number 139 and Number 163 respectively, and of paragraph 9 of Number 167, would hot establish confiscation even if we should' assume, for purposes of argument, the relevancy of the inquiry; this follows because the losses avérred might be avoided by increasing the rate ' charged for the service or by reducing, operating expenses or by making changes in other respects. Moreover, it may well be that' an operator conducting open parking lots in á number of places in the city, as some of them do, makes a profit in, some and sustains losses in others; if he chooses to have the profitable places carry those that are unprofitable he will not be heard to say that his property has been confiscated. In any view, therefore, the averments of loss referred to are not sufficient to sustain the charge of confiscation assumed to be relevant.
No. 139 — Judgment affirmed.
No. 163 — Judgment affirmed.
No. 167 — Judgment.affirmed.
Mr. Justice Maxey did not participate in the decision of these appeals.
City Ordinances 1937, p. 391.
Present appellant in No. 167.