Court Opinion

ID: 9627241
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:40:36.478572+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:33:21.061725
License: Public Domain

JACKSON, Justice
(concurring in part and dissenting in part).
My dissent goes .to the last two paragraphs of the majority opinion. Therein it is pointed out that defendant (Magnolia Petroleum Company) tendered payment of all amounts found to be equitably due to plaintiff and agreed to pay the same. The majority reverses the cause with directions to enter judgment for defendant after proof has been submitted disclosing payment by defendant of such sum as is found to be equitably due under the tender and stipulation.
I find nothing in the record to indicate that the Commissioners of the Land Office have stipulated as to the amount “equitably due” the plaintiff (Commissioners of the Land Office). Their position is that defendant was not entitled to notice prior to the cancellation of the certificate and that cancellation without notice cancelled all Magnolia’s interest in the minerals.
The majority opinion recognizes that the case of Magnolia Petroleum Company v. Carter Oil Co., 10 Cir., 218 F.2d 1, presented a situation identical to the case now before this court. In that case the judgment was reversed in favor of Magnolia *192and remanded with directions to accord Magnolia the right of redemption. The “right of redemption” is not “spelled out” in that opinion nor in the majority opinion in this case. The parties to this litigation have not briefed the question of what rights Magnolia will have when accorded the right of redemption. Therefore the proper disposition of this case is to reverse the judgment and remand the case to the trial court with directions to accord Magnolia the right of redemption.
Serious questions are raised in this controversy and not answered. How much will Magnolia be required to pay? Is the amount due to be determined by law or by equity? Will the Commissioners be entitled to demand the full amount that was due and to become due on their contract with the certificate holder, together with interest as provided in that contract? If so, will Magnolia be entitled to claim the fee title ns well as the minerals ? What will the trial court do with 64 O.S.19S1 § 186, wherein it is provided:
“Whenever a certificate for the sale of any of said lands has been can-celled, it shall be the duty of the Commissioners of the Land Office to notify the clerk of the county in which such lands are located of said cancellation •and thereafter such lands shall not be listed for taxation but in the event of the redemption of any such lands the party making such redemption shall pay as taxes and in addition to all •other charges an amount equal to the taxes last levied thereon for each year such land was not listed for taxation, together with such interest and penalty as would have been charged if the same had been regularly listed and taxed.”
If we would reverse the case and accord Magnolia the right of redemption the foregoing questions could be presented to the trial court for consideration after both parties have had an opportunity to brief these questions. For the foregoing reasons I must respectfully dissent in part, as indicated.