Doty v. Franchise Tax Broad (In re Doty)

93 B.R. 712, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 1897
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. California
DecidedNovember 16, 1988
DocketBankruptcy No. 181-01896-A-7; Adv. No. 188-0164
StatusPublished

This text of 93 B.R. 712 (Doty v. Franchise Tax Broad (In re Doty)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Doty v. Franchise Tax Broad (In re Doty), 93 B.R. 712, 1988 Bankr. LEXIS 1897 (Cal. 1988).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

RICHARD T. FORD, Bankruptcy Judge.

INTRODUCTION

A COMPLAINT FOR SANCTIONS AND FOR DETERMINATION OF CLAIM OF FRANCHISE TAX BOARD AGAINST DEBTOR, was filed in the above entitled court on July 19, 1988. The complaint and summons were served by mail on the Franchise Tax Board, Legal Director, the State of California and the Attorney General. On August 19, 1988, the Franchise Tax Board for the State of California filed an Answer and on August 25, 1988, the Franchise Tax Board for the State of California filed an Amended Answer. The pre-trial hearing was set for and conducted on September 28, 1988, at which time appropriate orders were made pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Section 16. The trial was set to take place on October 27, 1988, at 1:30 p.m.

On October 27, 1988, Edward P. Holl-ingshead Deputy Attorney General, appeared for the Franchise Tax Board, and Hilton Ryder of the firm of RYDER & WALTER, appeared as attorney for plaintiff.

Both counsel agreed that there were no contested factual issues and stipulated to the following facts.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. On August 13, 1988, GEHRMAN K. DOTY, dba Doty’s Outlet Center filed a Chapter 11 proceeding in the above entitled court. The FRANCHISE TAX BOARD was not listed as a creditor in the proceeding and at that time they had no notice of the filing of the chapter proceeding.

2. On November 10,1983, the Franchise Tax Board completed a NOTICE OF ADDITIONAL TAX PROPOSED TO BE AS[714]*714SESSED and transmitted it to the debtor at his home in Fresno, California. The notice proposed and claimed additional taxes for the year of 1978, in the sum of $3,560.28, and for 1979 in the sum of $4,829.44.

3. On December 12, 1983, a plan was confirmed in the above debtor’s estate, and on December 21, 1983, an amended order was entered confirming a Chapter 11 plan.

4. On May 1, 1984, debtor’s counsel filed a document with the court entitled “Objection to Claim of State of California Franchise Tax Board for Tax Claims for All Years and Notice of Hearing”. In substance the objection stated that the debtor was not justly or truly indebted to the Franchise Tax Board and that the Board had assessed interest in violation of the Bankruptcy Code Section 1129(a)(9)(c). The objection further stated that unless a request for hearing was made within 30 days, the objection would be sustained. In the event a written request for hearing was made the matter would be set for hearing.

5. On June 6, 1984, a representative of the Franchise Tax Board corresponded with McGUGIN & RYDER, the attorneys for the debtor, and stated in effect that they received the Objection to Claim but their records indicated they had not filed a claim in the debtor’s estate.

6. On June 22,1984, Lawrence B. Kenk-el, one of the attorneys in McGUGIN & RYDER’s office, wrote to the appropriate representative of the Franchise Tax Board, acknowledging receipt of her letter of June 6, 1984, and stating “not withstanding the fact that your office did not file a proof of claim, with respect to the Doty bankruptcy estate, I intend to object to any claim of the Franchise Tax Board”. The letter goes on to state “the objection of the Franchise Tax Board was prompted by a final notice before levy, dated April 24,1984. In as much as the debtor’s records show that no profit was made during the period of time pertaining to the Franchise Tax Board notice, the estate owes the Tax Board no money”. Lastly, the letter states that “the objection to the claim will be sustained unless the request for hearing is received by the Bankruptcy Court within 30 days of May 1, 1984. I will wait five days before filing an order sustaining the objection to the claim of the Franchise Tax Board”.

7. On July 19, 1984, an order was signed by Robert E. Coyle, United States District Judge, based on the recommendation of Eckhart A. Thompson, as consultant and special master (he was the bankruptcy judge) sustaining the debtor’s objection to alleged taxes claimed to be due for the years of 1978 and 1979. A copy of said order was forwarded by mail to the Franchise Tax Board and a copy of said order was in their file.

8. On October 15, 1985, because the debtor was unable to comply with his Plan, he voluntarily converted his Chapter 11 proceeding to one under Chapter 7.

9. On April 7, 1986, the debtor received a discharge in bankruptcy.

10. On April 29, 1987, the Chapter 7 trustee held a hearing on his First and Final Account Report and $1,994.40 was distributed to Cost of Administration claimants (the trustee’s fees) and other than Franchise Tax Board priority claims.

11. On September 8, 1987, after learning that the Franchise Tax Board was attempting to collect the unpaid taxes for 1978 and 1979 against Dr. Doty, Hilton Ryder wrote to the Franchise Tax Board and in essence stated that it was his client’s understanding that the original tax found by the Franchise Tax Board for the I years of 1978 and 1979 was based on an audit report forwarded to them by the Internal Revenue Service. The letter went on to state the audit report had subsequently been modified resulting in no tax due for the two years involved. Mr. Ryder asked that the Franchise Tax Board take whatever steps were necessary to verify with Internal Revenue Service that the audit on which they relied had been resolved favorably to the taxpayer by the IRS. The last paragraph of the letter stated that if the issue could not be resolved then he would file an objection to the present claim with the Bankruptcy Court.

12. On October 21,1987, the representative of the Franchise Tax Board replied to [715]*715Mr. Ryder in a two-paragraph, hand-written document, acknowledging that the assessments for the years 1978 and 1979 were based upon reports of the Internal Revenue Service and that if Mr. Doty did not pay the balance due of $12,472.42, collection action would proceed. In the second paragraph Eva Basich stated that it was the taxpayer’s responsibility to notify the Franchise Tax Board (re the IRS reau-dit). She referred to Section 18451 of the Revenue and Taxation Code (of the State of California).

13. In February, 1988, the Franchise Tax Board collected $2,368.00 by levy on Doty’s bank account at Guarantee Savings, Fresno, California, and $100.00 by offset of Doty’s lottery winnings, pursuant to Government Code Section 12419.5. Two smaller amounts of $32.00 and $60.00 were also collected.

DISCUSSION

The issues before the Court are as follows:

1. Whether the obligations of the debt- or to the Franchise Tax Board for the years of 1978 and 1979 were terminated by the Court’s order of July 19, 1984, which sustained the debtor’s objection without the filing of a formal proof of claim, without a hearing and without evidence to support the debtor’s objection.

2. If the taxes in question were terminated, is plaintiff entitled to sanctions prayed for in his complaint?

The debtor argues that the Franchise Tax Board was aware of the bankruptcy case during the Chapter 11 proceeding and after its conversion to a Chapter 7 and could have participated in the Chapter 7 distribution had a formal proof of claim been filed.

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