Fitzgerald v. United States

882 F. Supp. 959, 75 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 991, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20391, 1994 WL 790832
CourtDistrict Court, D. Idaho
DecidedDecember 19, 1994
DocketNo. MS-4294
StatusPublished

This text of 882 F. Supp. 959 (Fitzgerald v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Idaho primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fitzgerald v. United States, 882 F. Supp. 959, 75 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 991, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20391, 1994 WL 790832 (D. Idaho 1994).

Opinion

[961]*961ORDER

LODGE, Chief Judge.

Pending before the court is an amended petition to quash a third-party administrative summons. (Dkt. No. 2). As explained below, the petition is denied.

The record reflects that on August 24, 1994, the IRS issued and served a summons to First Security Bank requiring the bank to produce certain financial records relating to Douglas and Michelle FitzGerald, who evidently were customers of the bank. On September 14, 1994, the petitioners filed a Petition to Quash Internal Revenue Service Third Party Administrative Summons, pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 3410(a). The FitzGeralds filed an Amended Petition on September 22, together with a Memorandum of Points and Authorities, which were signed by them both.

In their amended petition, the FitzGeralds contend that the summons served on the bank must be quashed on the ground that the IRS failed to provide them with a copy of the summons and notice required by statute. Additionally, the FitzGeralds challenge the legal authority of IRS agent to issue the summons; they attack the relevance of the records sought to legitimate IRS investigation; they claim that the IRS is merely seeking to harass themselves and their bank, insisting that agent Peters should be satisfied with the information submitted by them to the government; and that compliance with the summons is impossible.

Section 3405(2), Title 12, United States Code authorizes the government to obtain financial records by summons “only if’ a copy of the summons has been “served upon the customer or mailed to his last known address on or before the date on which the subpoena or summons was served on the financial institution.” As a further prerequisite, the customer must be provided a notice specifying the nature of the law enforcement inquiry. 12 U.S.C. § 3405(2).

The petitioners assert that because they were not served with a copy of the summons on or before the date the summons was served on the bank, the summons therefore must be quashed. However, the statute provides that the summons is to be served or mailed. The petitioners do not aver that the summons was not mailed to them, and therefore, have not established that the IRS failed to provide them a copy of the summons in the manner required by statute.

The FitzGeralds also aver that the IRS did not provide them notice containing the requisite “specificity” of its law enforcement inquiry. However, because they have failed to provide the court with any information concerning the contents of notice they did receive, the court cannot evaluate the petitioners’ claim. Accordingly, the FitzGeralds’ argument is rejected.

The court has reviewed the balance of the FitzGeralds’ assertions and finds them to be without merit.

Based on the foregoing, the petitioners’ amended petition to quash the IRS summons (Dkt. No. 3) is DENIED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

AMENDED ORDER

On December 19, 1994, this court entered an order denying Douglas and Michelle Fitz-Gerald’s amended petition to quash an IRS summons. Subsequent to the issuance of that order, the court discovered that some of the pleadings, although properly submitted to the court, had been misfiled. Consequently, the court did not have a complete record before it at the time of its ruling. The court has decided, on its own motion, to reconsider its earlier order in light of the additional pleadings.

The court has now reviewed the entire record, which consists of the FitzGeralds’ petition to quash IRS third-party summons; the FitzGeralds’ Amended petition to quash IRS third party-summons; the FitzGeralds’ memorandum of points and authorities in support of the amended petition (including attached exhibits); the United States’ response to the amended petition and its cross-petition to enforce summons; the United States’ brief in opposition to the amended petition and in support of its cross-petition; the declaration of Gary Peters; and its proposed form of final judgment and enforcement order.

[962]*962For the reasons explained below, the court now enters the following AMENDED ORDER, which shall supersede its previous order of December 19,1994. As a result of the entry of this amended order, the FitzGeralds’ application for extension of time, filed on January 19, 1995, is now moot.

Background.

The record reflects that on August 24, 1994, the IRS issued and served a summons to First Security Bank directing the bank to produce certain financial records relating to Douglas and Michelle FitzGerald. On September 14, 1994, the FitzGeralds timely filed a petition to quash the IRS summons. They filed an amended petition to quash on September 22, 1994, together with a supporting memorandum.

On November 15, 1995, the United States filed its response to the FitzGeralds’ amended petition, a cross-petition for an order of enforcement, a memorandum in support of its position, and the declaration of Gary Peters, the IRS agent who issued the summons. Jurisdiction.

This court has jurisdiction to hear and determine these matters pursuant to 26 U.S.C. §§ 7609(b)(2), 7609(h)(1); see Liberty Fin. Servs. v. United States, 778 F.2d 1890, 1392 (9th Cir.1985).

Analysis.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (“TERFA”), the IRS may issue a summons for production of information relevant to “determining the liability of any person for any internal revenue tax.” 26 U.S.C. § 7602(a). Under TERFA, the summons must be complied with unless a person entitled to notice commences a proceeding to quash not later than the 20th day after notice of the summons is given. 26 U.S.C. § 7609(b)(2)(A). The law further provides that in any proceeding to quash, the United States may seek to compel compliance with the summons in the same judicial proceeding. 26 U.S.C. § 7609(b)(2)(A).

In order to establish a prima facie case for enforcement of a summons, the government must make a “minimal showing” that (1) the summons was for a legitimate purpose; (2) the material being sought was relevant to the investigation; (3) the information was not already in the IRS’s possession; and (4) the administrative steps required by the Internal Revenue Code had been followed. See United States v. Powell, 379 U.S. 48, 57-58, 85 S.Ct. 248, 254-55, 13 L.Ed.2d 112 (1964); United States v. Saunders, 951 F.2d 1065, 1066 (9th Cir.1991). Assertions by affidavit of the investigating agent that the requirements are satisfied are sufficient to make the prima facie case. United States v. Abrahams, 905 F.2d 1276, 1280 (9th Cir. 1990).

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Related

United States v. Powell
379 U.S. 48 (Supreme Court, 1964)
United States v. Noall
587 F.2d 123 (Second Circuit, 1978)
United States v. Abrahams
905 F.2d 1276 (Ninth Circuit, 1990)

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882 F. Supp. 959, 75 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 991, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20391, 1994 WL 790832, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fitzgerald-v-united-states-idd-1994.