First Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n of St. Joseph v. United States

288 F. Supp. 477, 22 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5238, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12670
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Missouri
DecidedJune 17, 1968
DocketCiv. 1426
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 288 F. Supp. 477 (First Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n of St. Joseph v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
First Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n of St. Joseph v. United States, 288 F. Supp. 477, 22 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5238, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12670 (W.D. Mo. 1968).

Opinion

*479 ORDER OVERRULING DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS-MEMORANDUM OPINION, FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

DUNCAN, Senior District Judge.

On April 7, 1967, plaintiff, the First Federal Savings & Loan Association, chartered under the laws of the Federal Savings & Loan Association Act, with its principal place of business in St. Joseph, Missouri, filed this suit against the United States, as authorized by the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, Title 26 U.S.C. § 1346 as amended, to recover the income taxes which it alleged were erroneously assessed and collected by the defendant on the amounts paid to the Federal Savings & Loan Insurance Corporation, as additional premiums under Title 12, U.S.C. § 1727(d) 1 , for the years 1963, 1964 and 1965.

For the respective years 1963, 1964 and 1965, the plaintiff paid income taxes in the amounts of $39,052.12, $34,467.46 and $30,448.35. For each of those years the plaintiff also paid to the Federal Savings & Loan Insurance Corporation (hereinafter referred to as FSLIC), the sums of $12,353.82, $13,399.34 and $15,-090.36 respectively as required by Title 12, U.S.C. § 1727(b) (1) 2 as insurance premiums. Each of the latter amounts was deducted from gross income as ordinary and necessary business expenses and are not in controversy here.

In addition to the amounts paid as § 1727(b) (1) premium payments, the plaintiff also paid for the respective years, the sums of $20,651.36, $32,206.18 and $28,398.10 which were required of it by Title 12 U.S.C. § 1727(d) as “additional premiums”. These amounts were not deducted by plaintiff.

It is plaintiff’s contention that it erroneously included in its net income for tax purposes the amounts paid by it to the FSLIC under 1727(d) as premium contributions, believing that it was liable for income tax on the amount so paid, and that it later determined that the amounts in question had been paid and collected erroneously and should *480 have been deducted as an ordinary and necessary business expense under Title 26 U.S.C. § 162(a). 3 The amounts sought to be recovered are as follows: Count I for the year 1963 — $4,637.05; Count II for the year 1964 — $6,961.52 and Count III for the year 1965 — $6,-913.31.

There are two issues now before the court, the first is a Motion to Dismiss for lack of jurisdiction over the subject-matter filed by the Government prior to the time the case came on for trial, and the second is the question of whether plaintiff is entitled to deduct from its net income for the years in question under title 26 U.S.C. § 162(a), the amount of its premium payments required by Title 12 U.S.C. § 1727(d).

With respect to the Motion to Dismiss, the facts are that the attorney for the defendant addressed a letter to Philip J. Erbaeher, counsel for the plaintiff, on December 1, 1967, in which it was stated among other things that an administrative settlement had been approved on behalf of the Attorney General, and that the Chief Counsel had been authorized to schedule payment of such taxes as the Service computes to be due under the issues raised by the pleadings plus interest.

The letter further advised that a check would be delivered by the United States Attorney at Kansas City, Missouri, to the taxpayer or to its counsel of record. It was further stated that:

“It is hereby stipulated and agreed that the above-entitled action be dismissed with prejudice, each party to bear its own costs.”, and that “The terms of the settlement should not be included in the stipulation.”

Counsel for plaintiff replied to that letter on December 5, 1967, stating among other things that there was no agreement as to “* * * this manner of disposing of the case,” and further that:

“It is our preference that the matter proceed to trial as set for December 11, and that the partial stipulation, presently signed and awaiting filing, be filed this week with the Clerk. Thereafter, if at the opening of the trial the defendant wishes to accept judgment by open statement in Court, the matter can then be disposed of by entry of the judgment and satisfaction thereof.”

A check in the amount of $18,771.42 was tendered by the attorney for the defendant to plaintiff’s counsel in the Court’s chambers on December 6, 1967. This tender was refused by plaintiff’s counsel solely on the ground that it was entitled to a trial of the issues and a judgment. The amount tendered was not the amount sought and this was raised by plaintiff at pre-trial conference. However, it was not relied upon as a ground for rejecting the offer. Defendant then offered to pay whatever the correct amount was computed to be but plaintiff again rejected the offer.

At the conclusion of the pre-trial conference the Court directed that the check be deposited with the Clerk of the Court, to be held by the Clerk pending the outcome of the case.

At the trial on December 11, 1967, it was discovered that the computation of the amount offered had not taken into account the amount claimed in 1965 which was attributable to the alleged deduction for additional premium payments, which amount has been determined to be $724.34 plus interest.

During the course of the trial counsel for defendant orally tendered the entire amount due without producing same, which was orally rejected by plaintiff’s counsel, who stated no reason for the rejection thereof.

On the same day as the pre-trial conference, i. e., December 6, 1967, the defendant filed a Motion to Dismiss, an affidavit in support of that motion, and *481 suggestions in support thereof. This was countered with a brief in opposition to which a reply was filed, all of which were taken under consideration by the court for disposition following the submission of the case on the merits.

It is the defendant’s contention that inasmuch as a suit for refund of taxes alleged to have been erroneously or illegally assessed or collected is in the nature of an action for money had and received, the case becomes moot and consequently the Court lacks jurisdiction over the subject-matter where the amount of taxes in question are in fact refunded or tendered.

Although it is true that where litigation is based upon a money demand and during the pendency of such litigation in the trial or appellate courts the money has been paid and full compliance has been made with the demands in the litigation the issue then becomes moot and the Court lacks jurisdiction over the subject matter, H. L. Gwalter & Co. v. United States, 30 C.C.P.A.

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Bluebook (online)
288 F. Supp. 477, 22 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5238, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12670, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-federal-savings-loan-assn-of-st-joseph-v-united-states-mowd-1968.