People ex rel. Day v. Tax Commissioners

Assuming that Mr. Day was a resident of New York city in January, 1891, the Revised Statutes, as amended by chap. 176 of the Laws of 1851, did not authorize the assessment in question because the securities deposited in Newark, New Jersey, could not be regarded, for the purpose of taxation, as “ within this state,” nor were they in the “possession,” or under “the control ” of Mr. Day. 2 R. S., 8th ed., pp. 1082 and 1084; People v. Commissioners, 23 N. Y., 230 ; People v. Smith, 88 id., 576; People v. Coleman, 119 id., 137; 28 St. Rep., 937 . In the last mentioned case, Peckham, J., who delivered the opinion of the court, said: “ It is substantially conceded, and it is, in any event, very plain, that prior to the act, chap. 392 of the Laws of 1883, the assessment in question could not be sustained.” And speaking of the right in which a trustee holds property, and of

In the Barrow case, above referred to, two of the trustees resided in this state, but the securities assessed were in the possession of a third trustee, who resided in New Jersey. Judge Peck-ham, in his opinion, which was concurred in by all the judges except Bari, J., absent, said: “Does the act of 1883 meet such a case ? We think not. It is not a debt due and owing to persons; residing within this state, for it is one "which is due or owing to them in connection with another, who is a joint owner, and who is. not a resident within this state, and such other has .possession of the securities. The statute means that the debt must be one" which is solely due or owing to residents of this state. * * * Nor do we think that the statute means to include as owners persons who were trustees only, and thus assess them for the property not held by them and not within this state. Generally a man is not spoken of as the owner of property who merely holds it as a trustee and in a representative capacity.”

It is claimed by the counsel to the corporation that the case at bar can be distinguished from the Barrow case, first, because while the securities were physically without the state of New York, they were not in the custody or possession or physical control of either of the non-resident trustees, or at the house, or even within the same town or city with such non-resident trustees; secondly, because the meetings held by the trustees in the discharge of their duties under the trust were held in the city of New York; and thirdly, because the bonds and mortgages held by the trustees represented investments made on property situated within the state of New York.

Upon principle, I do not think that either of the facts above mentioned constitute a ground upon which this case can be distinguished from the Barrow case. The securities were in the state of New Jersey, and Mr. Day alone not only had no control over them, but he could not even have access to them without the presence of one of the non-resident trustees; while on the other hand the two latter, jointly, though not severally, did have such control and right of access. Our statutes authorize the assessment of such personal property only as is “ within the state,” anil trustees can be assessed for such personal property only as is in their “possession ” or under their “ control,” and as the securities were neither “ within the state ” nor in the “ possession ” nor under the “ control ” of Mr. Day, he could not be assessed for them.

It is true such property has the protection and benefits given by the state to all real property within its .limits, but the property itself is liable to be, and doubtless is, taxed here. The bonds .and mortgages themselves are in New Jersey, and the debts secured by such bonds and mortgages are not due or owing to Mr. Day alone, but to him jointly with the other trustees, who are non-residents. Moreover, such bonds and mortgages are not merely evidences of debt, but are themselves property. In the case of The People ex rel. Jefferson v. Smith, supra, Earl, J., who delivered the opinion of the court, said: “ It is clear from the statutes referred to, and the authorities cited, and from the understanding of business men in commercial transactions, as well as of jurists and legislators, that mortgages, bonds, bills and notes have for many purposes come to be regarded as property, and not as the mere evidence of debts, and' that they may thus have a situs at the place where they are found, like other visible, tangible chattels.”

Bonds, secured by mortgages upon real property located in ■other states, are taxable here when the bonds and mortgages themselves are within this state, and if the laws of New Jersey are like our own, the securities in question are liable to be taxed there.

The fact that the property taxed did not have the protection of our laws was not the only consideration which influenced the court of appeals to make the decisions which it did in the Hoyt, Jefferson and Darrow cases, above cited. That court has uniformly held that ambiguous statutes of our own state relating to taxation ought not to be construed to cover personal property situated in other states, and thus render it liable to be taxed more than once.

In the Darrow case it was said: “ The contention of the counsel for the tax commissioners would render property liable to double, or even treble, or still greater taxation, if the laws of other states were like ours, and there were three or more trustees living in as many different states. The statute, as it is, may lead to injustice in the double taxation of personal property; once to its absolute owner in this state, and again in the hands of his agents in the shape of securities in their custody and control in other states. It is not for courts to widen the possible injustice which may be perpetrated under a statute by giving it a construction not only not called for by its language, but forced and unnatural under the circumstances. It is unnecessary to go over the argument arising from an examination of the whole law of assessment for the purpose of showing that the

The observations last above quoted were made in reference to-the said act, chap. 392 of the Laws of 1883, but they are equally applicable to the provisions of the Revised Statutes, above cited,, which relate to the taxation of personal property “ within the state ” and in the “ possession ” or under the “ control ” of trustees. And, so far as that act itself may have been supposed to furnish, authority for the assessment in question, the- fact that the bonds, are secured by mortgages upon real property situated in this state-is wholly immaterial, because, as above stated, the court of appeals-has decided that the term “ owners,” as used in that statute, does not include “ trustees,” and that the statute means that the- “ debt must be one which is solely due or owing to residents of this state.” Mr. Day was assessed as a trustee, and the debt cannot, in any view of the case, be considered as due or owing “ solely ” to him, and therefore the statute can have no possible-, application to the case.

I am of the opinion that the asséssment involved in each of the-proceedings brought on behalf of legatees under the will of Mrs. Eliza M. Morgan should be vacated and set aside, irrespective of the question whether Mr. Day is or is not a resident of this state. That question is not free from difficulty, but as he and his family habitually live in this city during the winter months, and were so-living here on the second Monday of January, 1891, and as it is-conceded that of the estate held under the trusts created by the will of the late Edwin D. Morgan there was within this state and city on that date personal property of the value of $54,652, I think that the assessment should not be wholly vacated, but should be reduced to that amount