Owens v. Vanhook
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
ERROR to the common pleas of Fayette county. This was an action of ejectment by Vincent Owens against Isaac Vanhook and Elisha Hunt for a lot of ground in the town of Bridgeport. In the year 1815 the property in question was assessed as a house and lot for a tax of 42 cents, as the property of Elisha Crane, and was put into the collector’s duplicate of seated lands.
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ERROR to the common pleas of Fayette county. This was an action of ejectment by Vincent Owens against Isaac Vanhook and Elisha Hunt for a lot of ground in the town of Bridgeport. In the year 1815 the property in question was assessed as a house and lot for a tax of 42 cents, as the property of Elisha Crane, and was put into the collector’s duplicate of seated lands. The assessor was called as a witness, and proved that the lot was vacant and unimproved in 1815. In 1822 the lot was sold by the treasurer for the tax of 1815, and purchased by the commissioners, who sold it in 1828 to the…
1Opinion of the Court
*261The opinion of the Court was delivered by
Huston, J.
The laws authorize the commissioners to sell unseated lands where the taxes are not paid; but no other than unseated lands can they sell. The witnesses testified this lot was vacant and unimproved. What will be decided to be unseated lands, may be the subject of judicial decision sometime. It happens that lots in a town are sometimes enclosed by a fence, though no house is on them; that outlots near a town are enclosed, though no house is on them : these are sometimes cultivated in grain; often used for pasture; but no person resides on them.…
2Cited by8 opinions
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- Frick v. SterrettSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1842
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