Case Name: Doe on demise of John Register v. Roe and Bryan
Court: Supreme Court of North Carolina
Jurisdiction: North Carolina
Decision Date: 1822-06
Citations: 2 Hawks 17
Docket Number: 
Parties: Doe on demise of John Register v. Roe and Bryan.
Judges: ÍÍk:;:*eu,soN, Judge, concurred.
Reporter: North Carolina Reports
Volume: 9
Pages: 17–22

Head Matter:
Doe on demise of John Register v. Roe and Bryan.
From Columbus.
Where lands are sold for taxes under the act of 1798, if no person bids off a smaller quantity than the whole, the bid shall be considered as made by the Governor for the use of the State, but the title of the State is not completed before all the further requisites pointed out by the act are complied with.
Ejectment, tried before Paxton, Judge, in the Superior Court of Columbus, at its Fall Sessions, 1821. The lessors of the Pial. th? claimed under a patent grani.-d to ^ov''ar(:’ regularly deduced title down to James Register, who by deed on the 7th of July, 1819, conveyed to the I .sors of the Plaintiff. On the Din of August, 1816, the ‘and was exposed to sale for taxes bv the 3¡:er;i:of Colin,ifeu-, and James Register became the purchaser, not having'-greed to pay the taxes for a less quantify thaw the " hole land j and on the 28th of February, 1818, the ' u-r'fif executed accordingly a deed to James Register, "'bsc Defendant claimed the land u tder a younger patemr, m,.:1 relied on the act of 1798, which declares, that v-ln.. lands are sold for taxes, and no person shall bid for .. less quantity than the whole of the said land, such Lid shall be considered as a bid by the Governor for the use of the State. The Jury, under the instruction of the Court as to the law, found a verdict for the Plaintiff, and Defendant appealed.

Opinion:
Hall, Judge.
The. principal question here, is, whether the sale of Re land for taxes, divested the true of James Register. K it did not, the Plaintiff is entitfed to recover the land in the present action. When James Register became t;,j highest bidder for the whole land, and bid therefor a amount of all the taxes that were due upon it, such bid became the bid of the Governor, by the act of 1798, ch. 492, Rev. Code. That act declares, sec. 4, "that if person shall bid a smaller quantity than the whole, then the whole of the land so set up shall fee considered as a bid for the Governor, and the Sheriff shall strike off tlx same to him accordingly, and execute *a good and sufiioseni deed of conveyance to him and his successors in office, in manner hereinafter directed, for the use of the Stale." Further requisites are pointed out for a completion of title to the State, such as registration, &c. From this law, it would seem that the Legislature considered the title of the State complete, when the requisites pointed out by the act should be complied with by the proper officer. That has not been done, and ! beb nol prepared to say that Ike 'egal esiate has been «•¡vc'9fi o:*; of James Be'datcr; oí course be remained in of hi-* old estate; for i view the conveyance oi the Sheriff •>' «.¡hi as a nullity.
Fof* iivse reasons, l think judgment should be entered i'n- the í'iamíiíí.
ÍÍk:;:*eu,soN, Judge, concurred.