state treasury, and for all such taxes collected by him and not paid into the state treasury within thirty days from the times herein required, he shall pay interest at the rate of ten per centum per annum. (Thus amended by L. 1901, chap. 173, taking effect April 1, 1901.) § 240a. Report of state comptroller; payment of taxes.The state comptroller shall deposit all taxes collected by him under this article in a responsible bank, banking house or trust company in the city of Albany, as, in the opinion of the comptroller are secure, and pay the highest rate of interest to the state for such deposit, to the credit of the state comptroller on account of the transfer tax. And every such bank, banking house or trust company shall execute and file in his office an undertaking to the state, in the sum, and with such sureties, as are required and approved by the comptroller, for the safe keeping and prompt payment on legal demand therefor of all such moneys held by or on deposit in such bank, banking-house or trust company, with interest thereon on daily balances at such rate as the comptroller may fix. Every such undertaking shall have endorsed thereon, or annexed thereto, the approval of the attorney general as to its form. The state comptroller shall on the first day of each month make a verified return to the state treasurer of all taxes received by him under this article, stating for what estate, and by whom and when paid; and shall credit himself with all expenditures made since his last. previous return on account of such taxes, for salary, refunds, or other purpose lawfully chargeable thereto. He shall at the same time pay to the state treasurer the balance of such taxes remaining in his hands at the close of business on the last day of the previous month, as appears from such returns. (Inserted by L. 1901, chap. 173, taking effect April 1, 1901.) 241. Application of taxes. All taxes levied and collected under this article when paid into the treasury of the state shall be applicable to the expenses of the state government and to such other purposes as the legislature shall by law direct. (Thus amended by L. 1901, chap. 173, taking effect April 1, 1901.) 66 prop 8242. Definitions. The words estate and erty", as used in this article, shall be taken to mean the property or interest therein of the testator, intestate, grantor, bargainor or vendor, passing or transferred to those not herein specifically exempted from the provisions of this article, and not as the property or interest therein passing or transferred to individual legatees, devisees, heirs, next of kin, grantees, donees or vendees, and shall include all property or interest therein, whether situated within or without this state. The word "transfer," as used in this article, shall be taken to include the passing of property or any interest therein in possession or enjoyment, present or future, by inheritance, descent, devise, bequest, grant, deed, bargain, sale or gift, in the manner herein prescribed. The words "county treasurer," "comptroller," and "district attorney," as used in this article, shall be taken to mean the treasurer, state comptroller or the district attorney of the county of the surrogate having jurisdiction as provided in section two hundred and twenty-nine of this article. (Thus amended by L. 1898, chap. 88, and L. 1901, chap. 173, taking effect April 1, 1901.) § 243. Exemptions in article one not applicable. The exemptions enumerated in section four of the tax law, of which this article is a part, shall not be construed as being applicable in any manner to the provisions of article ten hereof. (Added by L. 1900, chap. 382, taking effect April 11, 1900.) L. 1901, chap. 173, § 17. Repeal.- Chapter eight hundred and sixtyone of the laws of eighteen hundred and ninety-five; chapters nine hundred and fifty-two and nine hundred and fifty-three of the laws of eighteen hundred and ninety-six, chapter three hundred and seventyfive of the laws of eighteen hundred and ninety-seven; and chapters two hundred and sixty-nine, two hundred and seventy and four hundred and six of the laws of eighteen hundred and ninety-nine, and chapter three hundred and seventy-nine of the laws of nineteen hundred, are hereby repealed. L. 1901, chap. 173, § 18. Taking effect. This act shall take effect April first, nineteen hundred and one, except that salaried appraisers for the counties of Albany, Suffolk, Westchester, Dutchess, Monroe, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange and Rensselaer shall not be appointed before January first, nineteen hundred and two, and until such time such counties shall be deemed counties in which the office of appraiser is not salaried under the provisions of this act. (Thus amended by L. 1901, chap. 288, taking effect April 5, 1901.) 256. Refund of tax paid upon illegal, erroneous or unequal assessment. 257. When county court may apportion tax. 258. Application to county court where taxpayer has removed from the county. 259. Supplementary proceedings to collect a tax. 260. Power of county court when collector fails to pay over. 262. Collection of deficiency from collector's bondsmen. § 250. Contents of petition. Any person assessed upon any assessment-roll, claiming to be aggrieved by any assessment for property therein, may present to the supreme court a petition duly verified setting forth that the assessment is illegal, specifying the grounds of the alleged illegality, or if erroneous by reason of overvaluation, stating the extent of such overvaluation, or if unequal in that the assessment has been made at a higher proportionate valuation than the assessment of other property on the same roll by the same officers, specifying the instances in which such inequality exists, and the extent thereof, and stating that he is or will be injured thereby. Such petition must show that application has been made in due time to the proper officers to correct such assessment. Two or more persons assessed upon the same roll who are affected in the same manner by the alleged illegality, error or inequality, may unite in the same petition. See notes to this section in Greene's Tax Laws, 2d ed., 1901. 251. Allowance of writ of certiorari. Such petition must be presented to a justice of the supreme court or at a special term of the supreme court in the judicial district in which the assessment complained of was made, within fifteen days after the completion and filing of the assessment-roll and the first posting or publication of the notice thereof as required by this chapter. Upon the presentation of such petition, the justice or court may allow a writ of certiorari to the officers making the assessment, to review such assessment, and shall prescribe therein the time within which a return thereto must be made and served upon the relator's attorney, which shall not be less than ten days, and may be extended by the court or a justice thereof. Such writ shall be returnable to a special term of the supreme court of the judicial district in which the assessment complained of was made. The allowance of the writ shall not stay the proceedings of the assessors or other persons to whom it is directed or to whom the assessment is delivered, to be acted upon according to law. § 252. Return to writ. The officers making a return to such writ shall not be required to return the original assessment-roll or other original papers acted upon by them, but it shall be sufficient to return certified or sworn copies of such roll or papers, or of such portions thereof as may be called for by such writ. The return must concisely set forth such other facts as may be pertinent and material to show the value of the property assessed on the roll and the grounds for the valuation made by the assessing officers and the return must be verified. $253. Proceedings upon return. If it shall appear upon the return to any such writ that the assessment complained of is illegal or erroneous or unequal for any of the reasons alleged in the petition, the court may order such assessment, if legal, to be stricken from the roll, or if erroneous or unequal, it may order a re-assessment of the property of the petitioner, or the correction of his assessment upon the roll, in whole or in part, in such maner as shall be in accordance with law, or as shall make it conform to the valuations and assessments of other property upon the same roll and secure equality of assessment. If upon the hearing it shall appear to the court, that testimony is necessary for the proper dis position of the matter, it may take evidence or may appoint a referee to take such evidence as it may direct, and report the same to the court, with his findings of fact and conclusions of law, which shall constitute a part of the proceedings upon which the determination of the court shall be made. A new assessment or correction of an assessment made by order of the court shall have the same force and effect as if it had been so made by the proper officers within the time prescribed by law for making such assessment. $254. Costs. Costs shall not be allowed against the officers whose proceedings may be reviewed under any such writ unless it shall appear to the court, that they acted with gross negligence or in bad faith or with malice in making the assessment complained of. If the writ shall be quashed or the prayer of the petitioner denied, costs shall be awarded against the petitioner, not exceeding the costs and disbursements taxable in an action upon the trial of an issue of fact in the supreme court. § 255. Appeals. An appeal may be taken by either party from an order, judgment or determination under this article as from an order, and it shall be heard and determined in like manner as appeals in the supreme court from orders. All issues and appeals in any proceeding under this article shall have preference over all other civil actions and proceedings in all courts. § 256. Refund of tax paid upon illegal, erroneous or unequal assessment. If in a final order in any such proceeding it shall be ordered or adjudged that the assessment complained of was illegal, erroneous or unequal, and such order shall not be made in time to enable the assessors or other officers to make a new or corrected assessment for the use of the board of supervisors, then at the first annual session of the board of supervisors after such correction there shall be audited and allowed to the petitioner and included in the tax levy of such town, village or city, made next after the entry of such order, and paid to the petitioner, the amount paid by him, in excess of what the tax would have been if the assessment had been made as determined by such order of the court, together with |