Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1903 — HIRING TAX FERRETS IS LEGAL. [ARTICLE]

HIRING TAX FERRETS IS LEGAL.

A Decision of Interest to Jasper County. The Appellate Court last week held that a contract by which the commissioners of Parke county agreed to pay tax ferrets a sum equal to half of all taxes paid on concealed or omitted property was not illegal nor void, and that a taxpayer could not sucoessfalty dispute an allowance of suoh amount from the county treasurer for servioee performed under the oontraot. One ground on which the contract was attacked was that a large part of the taxes paid went to the state, to townships and cities within the county, so that the oounty was paying the tax ferrets a great deal mom than it received as its share of the taxes paid. On this point Judge Wiley said: “We are asked to consider this question: Is it incumbent on the oounty to pay the entire amount, or should ttw state pay its proportionate share? No such question is presented here by the pleading. We are dealing only with a question of pleading. The county contracted to pay appellants s specific per cent of the amount of taxes collected on property discovered by them and placed on the tax duplicate. Under that oontraot the county is primarily liable to appellants sad recognized its liability by appellant’s claim through its board of commissioners. Neither the oooaly nor state is a party to this appeal (toing from an fcllowanoe to tj>e*§srrotsf) and the record does not present soy question between them as tO reciprocal obligations in the premises. We only hold that no such question is presented.” !•' "><U