Whaley v. Nocona Independent School Dist.

Decision Date23 September 1960
Docket NumberNo. 16117,16117
Citation339 S.W.2d 265
PartiesGould WHALEY, Appellant, v. NOCONA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, Appellee.
CourtTexas Court of Appeals

Donald & Donald and J. M. Donald, Bowie, for appellant.

E. G. Aycock, Fort Worth, for appellee.

RENFRO, Justice.

The Nocona Independent School District sued and obtained judgment against Gould Whaley for delinquent taxes.

The District's petition was full, complete, met all statutory requirements, and included an allegation that all things required by law to be done had been duly and legally performed by the proper officials

Plaintiff offered in evidence the renditions filed by defendant, the assessment rolls and the delinquent tax records concerning defendant's property for the years involved.

Defendant plead and offered proof that certain valuation figures which appeared in his rendition forms had been penciled through and higher figures penciled in the margins of the forms; that in his opinion the value was too high, and thus that the burden of proof was on plaintiff to prove that the values were legally increased.

The introduction of the official records made a prima facie case as to every material fact necessary to the establishment of the District's cause of action. State v. Whittenburg, 153 Tex. 205, 265 S.W.2d 569; Corbett v. State, Tex.Civ.App., 153 S.W.2d 664.

The decisions of the Tax Board in the matter of valuations are quasi judicial in nature and a collateral attack cannot be justified in the absence of fraud, or something equivalent thereto; lack of jurisdiction; an obvious violation of the law; or the adoption of a fundamentally wrong principle or method, the application of which substantially injured the complainant. Druesdow v. Baker, Tex.Com.App., 229 S.W. 493; Doneghy v. State, Tex.Civ.App., 240 S.W.2d 331; State v. Whittenburg, supra.

The burden, after introduction of the necessary official records by plaintiff, then rested on defendant to go forward with proof which would meet the requirements of law for avoiding the valuation. State v. Whittenburg, supra; City of Arlington v. Cannon, 153 Tex. 566, 271 S.W.2d 414. Defendant offered no such proof.

Defendant also contends the court erred in permitting plaintiff to file its second amended petition less than seven days before trial of the case. Rule 63, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, provides that leave shall be granted for amendments to be filed within seven days of trial...

To continue reading

Request your trial
12 cases
  • Davis v. City of Austin
    • United States
    • Texas Supreme Court
    • March 17, 1982
    ...law that the personalty in question has a tax situs within the taxing unit's jurisdiction. Whaley v. Nocona Independent School District, 339 S.W.2d 265, 267 (Tex.Civ.App.-Fort Worth 1960, writ ref'd). This presumption imposes upon the defendant taxpayer the burden of producing evidence suff......
  • Houston Lighting & Power Co. v. Dickinson Independent School Dist.
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • August 5, 1982
    ... ... Whaley v. Nocona Independent School District, 339 S.W.2d 265, 267 (Tex.Civ.App.--Ft. Worth 1960, ... Page 307 ... writ ref'd); Stratton v. Del Valle ... ...
  • Duval County Ranch Co. v. State, 16085
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • July 11, 1979
    ...Park Independent School District, 361 S.W.2d 916 (Tex.Civ.App. Austin 1962, no writ); Whaley v. Nocona Independent School District, 339 S.W.2d 265 (Tex.Civ.App. Fort Worth 1960, writ ref'd). In Keystone Operating Co. v. Runge Independent School District, 558 S.W.2d 82 (Tex.Civ.App. San Anto......
  • City of Houston v. McCarthy
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • September 19, 1963
    ...in evidence their official records. Doneghy v. State, Tex.Civ.App., 334 S.W.2d 506, error ref., n. r. e.; Whaley v. Nocona Independent School Dist., Tex.Civ.App., 339 S.W.2d 265, error ref.; Joy v. City of Terrell, Tex.Civ.App., 143 S.W.2d 704, dism., judg. cor.; City of San Marcos v. Zimme......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT