Forty Fort State Bank v. Grace

30 Pa. D. & C.2d 340, 1962 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 11
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne County
DecidedDecember 11, 1962
Docketno. 149
StatusPublished

This text of 30 Pa. D. & C.2d 340 (Forty Fort State Bank v. Grace) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Forty Fort State Bank v. Grace, 30 Pa. D. & C.2d 340, 1962 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 11 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1962).

Opinion

Schiffman, J.,

This matter is before the court on the petition of plaintiff, Forty Fort State Bank, for a rule to strike the exception of the Commonwealth to the proposed distribution prepared by the sheriff of Luzerne County upon execution by plaintiff against defendant herein.

The facts giving rise to the present situation are as follows:

On November 17, 1955, defendant Joseph T. Grace executed a bond and mortgage on certain premises owned by him and located at the intersection of Wyoming Avenue and Pacific Avenue in the Borough of West Pittston, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. This bond and mortgage were given contemporaneously to secure a debt of $47,000 owed by defendant to plaintiff. On April 17, 1958, defendant executed a mortgage in favor of the Pagnotti Coal Company in the amount of $10,000 which was recorded on the same date. On December 9, 1960, an affidavit of default was filed by one Elizabeth Domarasky, cashier of the Forty Fort State Bank, setting forth that defendant was then in default on this note and that the balance then due and payable was $43,533.69 plus costs and attorney’s commission of ten percent. On the same date, James P. Harris, Jr., an attorney of this court, entered judgment against defendant Joseph T. Grace in the amount of $94,000 according to the terms of the bond executed herein by defendant.

On December 9, 1960, a praecipe for a writ of execution was filed and the sheriff of Luzerne County was directed to execute upon the obligation herein. On January 13, 1961, pursuant to said execution, the real estate of defendant set out above was sold to “Pitreal [342]*342Corp.”, the highest bidder, for the sum of $53,100.

The sheriff of Luzerne County thereafter, on January 18, 1961, advertised that he had prepared a schedule of proposed distribution of the funds realized from this sale and that said schedule would remain on file in his office for ten days after said advertisement. This was done pursuant to Rule of Civil Procedure 3129 (c) and Rule of Civil Procedure 3136(a).

The proposed schedule of distribution as prepared by the sheriff was as follows:

“Amount realized from sale $53,100.00
Sheriff’s Costs & Printing $164.40
Sheriff’s Commission 280.50
Federal Stamps for Deed 58.85 503.75
To: Edward P. Zolnerowicz, Rec. of Deeds, 1% State Realty Tr. Tax 531.00 1,034.75
To: Forty Fort State Bank
On Execution
17 Jan. Term 1961
On Judgment
149 Jan. Term 1961
On Bond
dated Nov. 17, 1955
On Mortgage
dated Nov. 17, 1955
Recorded Nov. 19, 1955 in Mortgage Book No. 689 Page 452
Debt 42,677.41
Interest from 7/10/60 to Jan. 13, 1961 1,311.32
Atty. Commission 10% 4,267.74
Face Costs 15.00 48,271.47
To: Pagnotti Coal Co.
Mortgage dated
April 17,1958
Recorded April 17, 1958 in Mortgage Book
No. 755 Page 645
(To secure 10,000.00)
10,000.00
Balance to apply thereon 3,793.78
Total $53,100.00”

[343]*343The purpose of this preparation of a proposed schedule of distribution and advertisement thereof is to give interested parties an opportunity to enter exceptions to the proposed distribution. The last day upon which exceptions might normally have been entered was January 30, 1961, since January 28, 1961, the tenth day after the advertisement, fell on a Saturday. See Statutory Construction Act of May 28, 1937, P. L. 1019, sec. 38, as amended by the Act of August 11, 1959, P. L. 691, sec. 1, 46 PS §538.

No exceptions were filed during this period of time. However, on February 3, 1961, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by order of this court, signed by the late Judge Aponick, was allowed to enter exception to the proposed distribution herein, nunc pro tunc, January 30, 1961.

The Commonwealth’s exception relates to one judgment in favor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania against defendant Joseph T. Grace, filed to no. 122 March term, 1960, in the court of common pleas of this county, dated October 5, 1960, in the docketed amount of $15,389.78, and another such judgment filed in this court to no. 243 July term, 1960, dated May 10, 1960, in the docketed amount of $1,060. These judgments arise out of defendant’s nonpayment of Pennsylvania sales tax on items sold by him in his business.

Plaintiff, Forty Fort State Bank, answered the petition of the Commonwealth for allowance of the petition for permission to file exceptions to the sheriff’s schedule of proposed distribution on February 15,1961, and set forth numerous facts relating to that aspect of the matter. On February 16,1961, plaintiff filed a petition to strike the exception and requesting that the sheriff be directed to make distribution of the proceeds of the sale then in his possession according to his schedule set out above.

[344]*344The proposition upon which plaintiff’s petition is based is that the mortgage of plaintiff and the Pagnotti Coal Company both antedate the judgment liens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and that, therefore, they are entitled to priority in distribution of the proceeds of the sale herein.

The further question raised is whether this court could grant to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the right to file its exception nunc pro tunc after the time for so filing had expired.

There is no question that historically, the sovereign is entitled to recover taxes out of the proceeds of a judicial sale before any judgment mortgagor or other claim or lien: Fiscal Code of April 9, 1929, P. L. 343, art. XIV, sec. 1401, 72 PS §1401. However, it is also true that the legislature of this Commonwealth may limit this right: Pittsburgh Petition, 376 Pa. 447.

Plaintiff contends that the legislature has subordinated this priority by the very terms of the act creating the Selective Sales and Use Tax Act of March 6, 1956, P. L. (1955) 1228, art. V, sec. 548, as amended, 72 PS §3403-548.

The following portion of the act is relied upon by plaintiff to support its contention:

“(b) Priority and Effect of Lien on Judicial Sale. All such liens [for unpaid sales taxes] shall have priority to, and be fully paid and satisfied out of, the judicial sale before any other obligation, judgment, claim, lien or estate with which the property may subsequently become charged or for which it may subsequently become liable; subject, however, to mortgage or other liens existing and duly recorded at the time the tax lien is recorded . . .” (Italics supplied.)

It is also significant to note

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Related

Pittsburgh Petition
103 A.2d 721 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1954)

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Bluebook (online)
30 Pa. D. & C.2d 340, 1962 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 11, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/forty-fort-state-bank-v-grace-pactcomplluzern-1962.