Court Opinion

ID: 9833652
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 22:55:21.956495+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:44:05.603076
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing and to Certify.
Appellant has filed a motion for rehearing, in which it is contended that the opinion *950filed herein on April 19, 1912; is in conflict with the opinion of this court in the case of Hillsman v. Faison, 23 Tex. Civ. App. 398, 57 S. W. 921, and the opinion of the Court of Civil Appeals for the Second District in the case of Hendrick v. Culberson, 23 Tex. Civ. App. 409, 56 S. W. 616; and because of such alleged conflicts we are asked to certify the questions upon which the conflicts are claimed to exist to the Supreme Court for decision.
The claim of conflict with the opinion in the Hillsman Case, supra, is based upon the ruling of this court in not sustaining appellant’s eleventh assignment of error, which complains of the holding of the trial court that the voter Ed Haas was not unlawfully deprived of his right to vote at the election to contest .which this suit was brought. Haas testified on the trial that he owned property in the district subject to taxation on the 1st day of January next preceding the date of the election, but that said property had not been rendered for taxation prior to the time he offered to vote.
[3, 4] Under the decision in the Hillsman Case the fact that Haas had not rendered his property for taxes did not disqualify him as a voter, and our former opinion in this case does not conflict with that ruling. There was more involved in the question presented by the assignment of error before mentioned than the disqualification vel non of Mr. Haas. The trial court found, and the finding is not assailed by any assignment presented in appellant’s brief, that, when asked by the judge of the election if he owned property in the district subject to taxation,' Haas replied that he did not. Having informed the ofiicer of the election whose duty it was to test his qualification that he did not own property in the district subject to taxation, the officer properly refused to permit him to vote, and it is immaterial whether he was in fact a property owner. The election officer was not responsible for his mistake, or his misunderstanding of the question, and there is nothing to indicate that the officer had any reason to suppose that the fact was otherwise than as stated to him by Haas. We think it olear that in overruling the assignment mentioned we were not in conflict with the decision in the Hillsman Case, supra.
But for the finding of the trial court before mentioned, we would hold, upon the testimony in the record, that Haas was a qualified voter, and was wrongfully deprived of his right to vote. He testified, and his testimony does not appear to be contradicted, that he did own property subject to taxation in the district on the 1st of January next preceding the election, and that he was not asked by the judge of the election whether he owned property, but whether he had assessed any, and his reply was, not that he did not own any, but that he had assessed none. Upon these facts he was a qualified voter, and should not have been refused the right to vote.
The contention that our former opinion is in conflict with the opinion in the Hendrick Case, supra, is based upon our refusal to sustain appellant’s twelfth assignment of error. This assignment complains of the ruling of the trial court in holding that the voters Thomas and Solansky were qualified voters at said election. It is claimed that these voters were not taxpayers in the district, and were therefore not qualified to vote at said election. The evidence shows that both of. said voters owned property in the district subject to taxation on the 1st day of January next preceding the election, but that neither had assessed their property, and the name of neither appeared upon the assessment rolls. In the Hillsman Case, supra, which we followed in overruling this assignment, it was expressly held that the failure to assess the property did not disqualify the property owner to vote at such election. The Hendrick Case is not in conflict with this ruling. In that case the person held disqualified did not own property in the district subject to taxation on the 1st day of January next before the date of the election, and for that reason he was held not qualified to vote; the court expressly declining to decide whether it was necessary that the property should be assessed in order to entitle the owner to vote at such election.
We think the motion for rehearing and to certify should be refused, and it is so ordered.