Chassen v. United States

Second Circuit

Chassen v. United States

207 F.2d 83

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit

DecidedJanuary 4, 1954

Docket22594_1

StatusPublished

Cited by16 cases

This text of 207 F.2d 83 (Chassen v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Chassen v. United States, 207 F.2d 83 (2d Cir. 1954).

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Opinion

FRANK, Circuit Judge.

The facts are set forth in the opinions of the referee in bankruptcy and of the district judge, both reported in 103 F. Supp. 351. It there appears that, on February 8, 1950, when the United States, by sheer inadvertence, paid the trustee in bankruptcy refunds of taxes in the amount of $35,373.43, the United States had on file in the bankruptcy proceedings a proof of claim, timely filed, for taxes on which there was owing $24,-383.71. 1 This proof of claim stated that there were “no set-offs or counterclaims.” Admittedly, the government could then have stated the actual facts. It did not do so until March 1951. Its statement at that time was the equivalent of an amendment, of its proof of claim, made after the expiration of the statutory period for the filing of claims.

The question, then, is whether such an amendment is valid. Our recent opinion in Rumsey Manufacturing Corp. v. United States, 2 Cir., 206 F.2d 565, serves to answer this question in the affirmative. For here no one changed his position to his detriment in reliance on the previous failure to state the facts. 2 Indeed, here *84 the justification for permitting the amendment is even stronger than in the Rumsey case, for here all parties concede the claimant’s inadvertence. 3 The allowance of an amendment in the circumstances does not turn on the fact that the claimant is the United States.

Affirmed.

CLARK, Circuit Judge, concurring in the result.

1

. The adjudication in bankruptcy occurred on March 23, 1949. On May 10, 1349, the United States filed a claim, for taxes due, in the amount of approximately $240,000. Actually, there was then owing to it the amount of $24,383.71; an amended proof of claim for this smaller amount was filed October 30, 1950.

3

. To the effect that waiver is the “intentional relinquishment of a known right,” see Lehigh Valley R. Co. v. Providence-Washington Insurance Co., 2 Cir., 172 F. 364, 365; Clark v. West, 193 N.Y. 349, 360, 86 N.E. 1.

2

. See also Lewith v. Irving Trust Co., 2 Cir., 67 F.2d 855, 850; In re Meade Tool *84 & Die Co., 6 Cir., 164 F.2d 228, 230-231; In re Prindible, 3 Cir., 115 F.2d 21, 23; Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co. v. Coggin, 4 Cir., 78 F.2d 471, 477; Union National Bank v. McKey, 7 Cir., 102 F. 662; In re Myers, D.C.Ind., 99 F. 691; cf. Hutchinson v. Otis, 190 U.S. 552, 555, 23 S.Ct. 778, 47 L.Ed. 1179; U. S. National Bank v. Chase National Bank, 331 U.S. 28, 35-36, 67 S.Ct. 1041, 91 L. Ed. 1320.

In so far as In re Mauch Chunk Brewing Co., 3 Cir., 131 F.2d 48, 143 A.L.R. 451, may be considered contra, we disagree with it.

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FRANK, Circuit Judge.

The facts are set forth in the opinions of the referee in bankruptcy and of the district judge, both reported in 103 F. Supp. 351. It there appears that, on February 8, 1950, when the United States, by sheer inadvertence, paid the trustee in bankruptcy refunds of taxes in the amount of $35,373.43, the United States had on file in the bankruptcy proceedings a proof of claim, timely filed, for taxes on which there was owing $24,-383.71. 1 This proof of claim stated that there were “no set-offs or counterclaims.” Admittedly, the government could then have stated the actual facts. It did not do so until March 1951. Its statement at that time was the equivalent of an amendment, of its proof of claim, made after the expiration of the statutory period for the filing of claims.

The question, then, is whether such an amendment is valid. Our recent opinion in Rumsey Manufacturing Corp. v. United States, 2 Cir., 206 F.2d 565, serves to answer this question in the affirmative. For here no one changed his position to his detriment in reliance on the previous failure to state the facts. 2 Indeed, here *84 the justification for permitting the amendment is even stronger than in the Rumsey case, for here all parties concede the claimant’s inadvertence. 3 The allowance of an amendment in the circumstances does not turn on the fact that the claimant is the United States.

Affirmed.

CLARK, Circuit Judge, concurring in the result.

1

. The adjudication in bankruptcy occurred on March 23, 1949. On May 10, 1349, the United States filed a claim, for taxes due, in the amount of approximately $240,000. Actually, there was then owing to it the amount of $24,383.71; an amended proof of claim for this smaller amount was filed October 30, 1950.

3

. To the effect that waiver is the “intentional relinquishment of a known right,” see Lehigh Valley R. Co. v. Providence-Washington Insurance Co., 2 Cir., 172 F. 364, 365; Clark v. West, 193 N.Y. 349, 360, 86 N.E. 1.

2

. See also Lewith v. Irving Trust Co., 2 Cir., 67 F.2d 855, 850; In re Meade Tool *84 & Die Co., 6 Cir., 164 F.2d 228, 230-231; In re Prindible, 3 Cir., 115 F.2d 21, 23; Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co. v. Coggin, 4 Cir., 78 F.2d 471, 477; Union National Bank v. McKey, 7 Cir., 102 F. 662; In re Myers, D.C.Ind., 99 F. 691; cf. Hutchinson v. Otis, 190 U.S. 552, 555, 23 S.Ct. 778, 47 L.Ed. 1179; U. S. National Bank v. Chase National Bank, 331 U.S. 28, 35-36, 67 S.Ct. 1041, 91 L. Ed. 1320.

In so far as In re Mauch Chunk Brewing Co., 3 Cir., 131 F.2d 48, 143 A.L.R. 451, may be considered contra, we disagree with it.