Atlantic National Bank v. United States

536 F.2d 1354, 22 Cont. Cas. Fed. 80,368, 210 Ct. Cl. 340, 38 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5203, 1976 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 262
United States Court of Claims·Decided June 16, 1976·No. No. 30-75·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinions

Kashiwa, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This case is before the court on cross motions for summary judgment. There is no genuine issue as to any material fact. The case involves the priority of federal tax liens over plaintiff-assignee’s claim to contract proceeds. For the reasons below we hold for the defendant.

The General Services Administration (GSA) awarded contracts to Argus Security, Inc. (Argus), for the performance of uniform guard services. By June 4, 1974, the Internal Bevenue Service (IBS) had filed Notices of Federal Tax Lien Under Internal Bevenue Laws relating to Argus as follows:

Amount of lien Date filed with State Corporation Commission, Richmond, Yirginia

$53,870.27 March 21, 1974

32, 702. 75 June 4, 1974

$86, 573.02

On June 5, 1974, and July 9, 1974, Argus made assignments to plaintiff of proceeds to be paid under its contracts. A more complete chronology of events is listed in the margin.1 As of [343] January 31, 1976, Argus’ unpaid tax liability arising out of tlie two notices of tax lien filed by June 4, 1974, totaled $78,527.93. The total due under the Argus contracts is $43,739.09.2

Plaintiff first argues that the tax liens did not attach to the contract proceeds when the liens were filed because at that time the monies were not yet earned. Plaintiff contends that when the monies were earned, they were immediately encumbered by plaintiff’s perfected security interest.

Section 6321, Int. Rev. Code of 1954, provides that upon refusal to pay a tax after demand, a lien arises in favor of the United States “upon all property and rights to property, whether real or personal,” belonging to the delinquent taxpayer. Argus had a right to, and interest in, the monies due or to become due under the subject contracts to enable a federal tax lien to attach thereto. Even after the assignments to plaintiff, Argus retained a sufficient interest to which a federal tax lien could attach. In Texas Oil & Gas Corp. v. United States, 466 F. 2d 1040, 1052 (5th Cir. 1972), cert. denied, 410 U.S. 929 (1973), the court held:

* * * a federal tax lien attaches immediately to after-acquired property without any further action required by the Government.

It has also been held that the fact that the taxpayer’s right to contract proceeds was dependent on his satisfactory per-[344] formalice does not mean that the proceeds were not property or rights to property of the taxpayer under § 6321. In City of Vermillion v. Stan Houston Equipment Co., 341 F. Supp. 707, 713 (D.S.D. 1972), the court stated:

The fact that the taxpayer’s right to the proceeds of the contract was dependent upon his performance of the contract and acceptance by the City does not mean that the proceeds were not property or rights to property of the taxpayer under 26 U.S.C.A. Sec. 6321. Seaboard Surety Co. v. United States, 306 F. 2d 855, 859 (9th Cir. 1962) ; Home Ins. Co. v. B. B. Rider Corp., 212 F. Supp. 457, 462 (D.C.N.J. 1963). The taxpayer had more than a mere contingent right to the proceeds of the contract.

See Glass City Bank v. United States, 326 U.S. 265 (1945) ; Corwin Consultants, Inc. v. Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., 375 F. Supp. 186, 193 (S.D. N.Y. 1974), reversed and remanded on another question, 512 F. 2d 605 (2d Cir. 1975); United States v. Blackett, 220 F. 2d 21 (9th Cir. 1955). Clearly under § 6321 we must hold that plaintiff’s argument cannot be sustained.

In Glass City Bank v. United States, supra at 267-69, the Court stated that there “is a plain intent to subject to the lien ‘property owned by the delinquent’ when suit is filed, rather than only that owned when the lien arose” and also: “Our conclusion is that the lien applies to property owned by the delinquent at any time during the life of the lien. This is in accord with all the cases that have directly passed upon this question.” [Footnote omitted.] In Seaboard Surety Co. v. United States, 306 F. 2d 855 (9th Cir. 1962), the taxpayer was awarded a Government contract on December 31, 1956. On March 2,1957, a trust agreement was executed assigning the proceeds of the contract to a bank, Prior to the date of the agreement the Government had a fully perfected tax lien on all property and rights to property of the taxpayer. The court stated at 859:

* * * These tax liens attached immediately to all rights of taxpayer under the government contract awarded December 31, 1956, including payments whenever- earned. * * * [T]he trust agreement of March 2, 1957, could not displace the tax liens, which had already attached to taxpayer’s property rights in the contract. [345] The fact that taxpayer’s rights under the contract were dependent upon its performance did not affect the tax liens * * *.

In United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. United States, 201 Ct. Cl. 1, 475 F. 2d 1377 (1973), this court held that where the IRS was owed taxes by a defaulted prime contractor and the amount was paid to the IRS by the contracting agency out of retained contract funds, the tax lien has priority over a surety that has paid laborers and material-men on its payment bond. Accord, Seaboard Surety Co. v. United States, 107 Ct. Cl. 34, 67 F. Supp. 969 (1946), cert. denied, 330 U.S. 826 (1947).

Plaintiff also relies on § 6323.3 Plaintiff argues that as to monies earned under these contracts by Argus on and after June 28,1974, the Federal Tax Lien Act of 1966 grants plain[346] tiff a priority over earlier filed notices of tax lien as a holder of a security interest within the meaning of § 6323. However, since plaintiff does not in fact qualify for the priority status it claims for itself under § 6323, plaintiff’s reliance, based as it is on a fallacious premise, collapses for lack of support.

In Donald v. Madison Industries, Inc., 483 F. 2d 837, 842 (10th Cir. 1973), the Court of Appeals in an opinion by Senior Judge Laramore of this court held with relation to § 6323 as follows:

Summarizing the foregoing definitions and rules as applicable herein, it is apparent that the appellant’s security interest will take priority over the filed Federal tax lien if the following requisites are met:
1. The “security interest'1'1 stems from a written agreement which (a) was entered into before the Federal tax lien was filed, and (b) qualifies as a “commercial transactions financing agreement” under section 6323(c) (2) (A) (i); [Emphasis supplied.]

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Atlantic National Bank v. United States, 536 F.2d 1354, 22 Cont. Cas. Fed. 80,368, 210 Ct. Cl. 340, 38 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5203, 1976 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 262 (cc 1976).

536 F.2d 1354 (Atlantic National Bank v. United States) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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