D & S Family Preservation Trust v. United States

967 F. Supp. 1206, 80 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5469, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9485, 1997 WL 366056
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedJune 27, 1997
DocketCivil No. 95-1222-FR
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 967 F. Supp. 1206 (D & S Family Preservation Trust v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
D & S Family Preservation Trust v. United States, 967 F. Supp. 1206, 80 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5469, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9485, 1997 WL 366056 (D. Or. 1997).

Opinion

OPINION

FRYE, District Judge:

The matters before the court are 1) the United States’ motion for summary judgment (# 31); and 2) the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment (# 36).

BACKGROUND

The plaintiffs bring this action under 26 U.S.C. § 7426 against the United States of America alleging that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) wrongfully levied upon and seized funds deposited in the United States National Bank of Oregon, Account Number 178 0019 301, belonging to the Christian Patriot Association.

AGREED FACTS IN THE PRETRIAL ORDER

Richard G. Flowers and Dorothy L. Flowers are officers of the Christian Patriot Association in Boring, Oregon. The Christian Patriot Association is a self-described political association which generally opposes what it perceives to be unlawful and unconstitutional application of the federal internal revenue laws and monetary laws and policies of the United States. The Christian Patriot Association operates the Natural Coin Exchange. The Natural Coin Exchange is not incorporated, is not a limited partnership, and does not have a business license. One of the stated purposes of the Natural Coin Exchange is to allow participants in its activities to “drop out of sight” as much as possible and to maintain their privacy by eliminating the paper trails which are inherent in the Federal Reserve System.

On April 19, 1990, a business account was opened at the United States National Bank of Oregon in the name of the Christian Patriot Association Services. The signature card filed with the bank in order to cause the bank to open the business account on that day states that the Christian Patriot Association Services is a check cashing and bill paying business; the taxpayer identification number for the Christian Patriot Association Services is 93-6235461; the business account number for the Christian Patriot Association Services at the United States National Bank of Oregon is Account Number 178 0019 301; and the authorized signatories for the Christian Patriot Association Services Account Number 178 0019 301 are Richard G. Flowers — designated as trustee, Dorothy L. Flowers — designated as treasurer, and Anne Savage-designated as secretary.

[1208]*1208On October 24,1994, Richard Flowers purchased a cashier’s check in the amount of $125,000.00 from the head office of the United States National Bank of Oregon in Portland, Oregon. The check was made payable to Richard Flowers. At a later date, the cashier’s check was endorsed by Richard Flowers and was stamped “Pay to the Order of Clackamas Office of U.S. Bank [Account Number] 178 0019 301 CPA Services CPA NCE the Patriot Review AFA.”

On November 1, 1994, Richard Flowers purchased a cashier’s check in the amount of $125,000.00 from the head office of the United States National Bank of Oregon in Portland, Oregon. The check was made payable to Richard Flowers. At a later date, the cashier’s check was endorsed by Richard Flowers and was stamped “Pay to the Order of Clackamas Office of U.S. Bank [Account Number] 178 0019 301 CPA Services CPA NCE the Patriot Review AFA.”

On November 2, 1994, Richard Flowers purchased a cashier’s check in the amount of $125,000.00 from the head office of the United States National Bank of Oregon in Portland, Oregon. The check was made payable to Richard Flowers. At a later date, the cashier’s check was endorsed by Richard Flowers and was stamped “Pay to the Order of Clackamas Office of U.S. Bank [Account Number] 178 0019 301 CPA Services CPA NCE the Patriot Review AFA.”

On November 4, 1994, Richard Flowers purchased a cashier’s check in the amount of $125,000.00 from the head office of the United States National Bank of Oregon in Portland, Oregon. The check was made payable to Richard Flowers. At a later date, the cashier’s check was endorsed by Richard Flowers and was stamped “Pay to the Order of Clackamas Office of U.S. Bank [Account Number] 178 0019 301 CPA Services CPA NCE the Patriot Review AFA.”

On or about November 29, 1994, the IRS filed a Notice of Levy upon the United States National Bank of Oregon against CPA Services, nominee, transferee, alter-ego or agent of Richard G. Flowers. On or about November 29, 1994, the IRS served a Notice of Levy upon the United States National Bank of Oregon against CPA Services, nominee, transferee, alter-ego or agent of Dorothy L. Flowers.

On or about December 1, 1994, the information about the authorized signatories on the business account signature card for the Christian Patriot Association Services at the United States National Bank of Oregon, Account Number 178 0019 301, was changed. The authorized signatories on the account were D. Flowers, designated as secretary, and Joseph Pack, designated as director. The type of business was described as “ ‘lite’ bookkeeping.”

On or about December 21, 1994, in response to the IRS Notice of Levy in reference to the Christian Patriot Association Services account, taxpayer identification number 93-6235461, the United States National Bank of Oregon released to the IRS the sum of $465,613.04.

On August 18,1995, a complaint for wrongful levy was filed by the following parties who claimed ownership of the funds levied upon in the Christian Patriot Association Services Account Number 178 0019 031: D and S Family Preservation Trust, Steven Miljus, trustee, in the amount of $163,000.00; Joseph Pack in the amount of $75,000.00; Jerry Gillespie in the amount of $89,500.00; Michael Bloomquist in the amount of $91,-400.00; and Jim Bodily in the amount of $87,000.00. The original plaintiffs alleged as wrongfully levied a total sum of $505,900.00.

On April 15, 1996, a Notice of Deposition Upon Oral Examination and Request for Production was directed to the named plaintiffs. On June 12, 1996, plaintiffs Joseph Pack, Michael Bloomquist, and Jim Bodily appeared for deposition. Plaintiffs Steven Miljus and Jerry Gillespie did not appear.

On September 10, 1996, plaintiffs D and S Family Preservation Trust and Steven Miljus were dismissed as parties in this wrongful levy action.

On October 9, 1996, the complaint was amended to state that the sum of money claimed by plaintiff Joseph Pack is $163,-000.00.

Plaintiff Joseph Pack testified at his deposition that he gave a cardboard box contain[1209]*1209ing $163,000.00 in cash to Richard Flowers on February 15, 1990. Pack testified that this money was provided to Richard Flowers to be used as operating capital for the Christian Patriot Association. Pack testified that he never made any withdrawals from the Natural Coin Exchange.

Plaintiff Michael Bloomquist testified at his deposition that Richard Flowers and Dorothy Flowers operate the Christian Patriot Association Services as a cheek cashing and check writing business; that anywhere from 100 to 10,000 people have provided money to the Christian Patriot Association Services; that the Christian Patriot Association Services does not pay interest on money it receives; and that the Christian Patriot Association Services charges fees for its services. Bloomquist testified that he cannot claim individual ownership of the $91,400.00 attributed to him in the wrongful levy complaint, and that he used the Christian Patriot Association Services in his capacity as a trustee for 10,000 to 20,000 trust accounts.

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Related

D & S Family Preservation Trust v. United States
983 F. Supp. 926 (D. Oregon, 1997)

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Bluebook (online)
967 F. Supp. 1206, 80 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5469, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9485, 1997 WL 366056, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/d-s-family-preservation-trust-v-united-states-ord-1997.