American Excavators, Inc. v. Parshall

595 F. Supp. 1092, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22585
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Michigan
DecidedOctober 22, 1984
DocketNo. G83-485 CA
StatusPublished

This text of 595 F. Supp. 1092 (American Excavators, Inc. v. Parshall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Excavators, Inc. v. Parshall, 595 F. Supp. 1092, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22585 (W.D. Mich. 1984).

Opinion

OPINION

BENJAMIN F. GIBSON, District Judge.

This is a civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in which American Excavators, Inc. (American), a Michigan corporation, seeks damages claiming that it was deprived of property without due process of law. Defendant Johanna Parshall is the treasurer of Oneida Township and is charged with collection of property taxes under state law. Plaintiff alleges that on February 24, 1983, defendant seized property belonging to plaintiff and others which [1094]*1094was valued at more than $1 million to pay allegedly delinquent personal property taxes totalling approximately $13,000. Defendant has filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that plaintiff has failed to state a cause of action under federal law since plaintiff has failed to allege that defendant’s actions violated the United States Constitution. American has also filed a motion to add Robert Cole, Eaton County Treasurer, and Eaton County as parties defendant.

DISCUSSION

The motion for summary judgment is brought pursuant to Ped.R.Civ.P. 56 which provides in part:

The judgment sought shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.

In order to warrant the grant of summary judgment, the moving party bears the burden of establishing the non-existence of any genuine issue of fact that is material to a judgment in his favor. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 147, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 1603, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970); United States v. Articles of Device ... Diapulse, 527 F.2d 1008, 1011 (6th Cir.1976).

In determining whether or not there are issues of fact requiring a trial, “the inferences to be drawn from the underlying facts contained in the affidavits, attached exhibits, and depositions must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion.” United States v. Diebold, Inc., 369 U.S. 654, 655, 82 S.Ct. 993, 994, 8 L.Ed.2d 176 (1962); Bohn Aluminum & Brass Corp. v. Storm King Corp., 303 F.2d 425 (6th Cir.1962). Even if the basic facts are not disputed summary judgment may be inappropriate when contradictory inferences may be drawn from them. United States v. Diebold, Inc., 369 U.S. 654, 655, 82 S.Ct. 993, 994, 8 L.Ed.2d 176 (1962); E.E.O.C. v. United Association of Journeymen & Apprentices of the Plumbing & Pipefitting Industry, Local 189, 427 F.2d 1091, 1093 (6th Cir.1970).

Defendant claims that plaintiff has failed to allege a violation of the United States Constitution and, therefore, has failed to state a claim under § 1983. Although plaintiff’s complaint does not disclose the specific portion of the constitution which was violated by defendant’s conduct, plaintiff does claim that defendant violated plaintiff’s “right not to be deprived of its property without due process of law as guaranteed by said Constitution ...” Complaint ¶ 13. Giving these allegations a fair reading, the Court concludes that plaintiff has attempted to allege a violation of the due process clause of the 14th Amendment.

In Parratt v. Taylor, 451 U.S. 527, 101 S.Ct. 1908, 68 L.Ed.2d 420 (1981), the Supreme Court recognized that not every taking of property by the state without a predeprivation hearing gives rise to a cause of action under § 1983 and concluded the state tort remedies could satisfy the requirements of due process. In Vicory v. Walton, 721 F.2d 1062 (6th Cir.1983), the Sixth Circuit interpreted Parratt to require plaintiffs claiming deprivation of property without due process of law to plead and prove the absence of an adequate state law remedy in order to state a claim under § 1983.1 The plaintiff in Vicory had brought a § 1983 action to recover damages for the seizure of his house trailer by local authorities investigating a murder. After reviewing the applicable state law, the Sixth Circuit concluded that the proce[1095]*1095dures under Ohio’s forcible entry and detainer statute permitted plaintiff to recover damages for the seizure of his property and, therefore, due process could be provided in a post-seizure judicial proceeding.

In Michigan, a civil action to recover possession of property seized to pay taxes or a fine pursuant to state law is specifically prohibited by M.C.L. § 600.2920 which provides in part:

Section 2920. (1) A civil action may be brought to recover possession of any goods or chattels which have been unlawfully taken or unlawfully detained and to recover damages sustained by the unlawful taking or unlawful detention, subject to the following conditions:
(a) An action may not be maintained under this section to recover possession of or damages for goods or chattels taken by virtue of a warrant for the collection of a tax, assessment, or fine in pursuance of a statute of this state.

Nonetheless, defendant contends that state procedures permitting taxpayers to pay taxes under protest and seek a refund afforded plaintiff in this case an adequate remedy for any alleged constitutional violation. Plaintiff, however, claims that that procedure was ineffective because the constitutional violation only occurred when defendant actually seized the property.

“The fundamental requirement of due process is the opportunity to be heard and it is an ‘opportunity which must be granted at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner.’ ” Parratt v. Taylor, supra, 451 U.S. at 540, 101 S.Ct. at 1915 (quoting Armstrong v. Manzo, 380 U.S. 545, 552, 85 S.Ct. 1187, 1191, 14 L.Ed.2d 62 (1965)). The Court concludes that procedures which permit a taxpayer to challenge the amount of tax assessed after paying the taxes do not provide an adequate opportunity to challenge the seizure of property which only occurs if the taxes are not in fact paid. However, in spite of this conclusion, the Court finds that plaintiff has an adequate state law remedy against defendant.

In Campbell v. Shearer, 732 F.2d 531 (6th Cir.1984), plaintiff filed a § 1983 action claiming that seizure of his property by the Michigan Department of Treasury under a jeopardy tax assessment violated the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. The district court granted summary judgment to defendants based on its conclusion that they were entitled to immunity for their conduct.

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Related

United States v. Diebold, Inc.
369 U.S. 654 (Supreme Court, 1962)
Armstrong v. Manzo
380 U.S. 545 (Supreme Court, 1965)
Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co.
398 U.S. 144 (Supreme Court, 1970)
Parratt v. Taylor
451 U.S. 527 (Supreme Court, 1981)
Chester Wheeler Campbell v. Joseph Shearer
732 F.2d 531 (Sixth Circuit, 1984)
Craig v. City of Detroit Police Department
243 N.W.2d 236 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1976)
Fisher v. Department of Mental Health
339 N.W.2d 692 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1983)
Antkiewicz v. Motorists Mutual Insurance
283 N.W.2d 749 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1979)
Fidlin v. Collison
156 N.W.2d 53 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1967)
Raynsford v. Phelps
5 N.W. 403 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1880)

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Bluebook (online)
595 F. Supp. 1092, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22585, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-excavators-inc-v-parshall-miwd-1984.