Greenberg v. Doran

42 F.2d 507, 1930 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1169
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedJune 23, 1930
DocketNo. 4914
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 42 F.2d 507 (Greenberg v. Doran) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Greenberg v. Doran, 42 F.2d 507, 1930 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1169 (E.D.N.Y. 1930).

Opinion

CAMPBELL, District Judge.

This is an action, brought under section 6 of title 2 of the National Prohibition Act (title 27 U. S. Code § 16 [27 USCA § 16]), to review a- refusal of the Prohibition Administrator to issue to the plaintiff a so-called “renewal” permit for the year 1930 to use 2,200 wine gallons of specially denatured alcohol of the formula known as 39-B during each thirty-day period.

The plaintiff’s .original basic permit was issued on November 9,1923, to Harry Green-berg as the Dean Manufacturing Company, whose address is given in the permit as 111 South Sixth street, Brooklyn, to use specially denatured alcohol, in an amount not stated on the permit, of the formulae 36, 39-A, and 39-B.

The permit by its terms was to remain in force “until surrendered by the holder or can-celled by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue for violation of the provisions of Title III of the National Prohibition Act or the regulations made pursuant thereto.”

On 'November 14, 1925, Treasury Decision 3773 was issued, providing that all permits issued under titles 2 and 3 of the National Prohibition Act (27 USCA § 4 et seq.) should expire December 31, 1925.

This regulation was declared invalid by the Circuit Court of Appeals of this circuit, in Higgins v. Foster, 12 F.(2d) 646, originally decided April 5, 1926, and on rehearing June 1, 1926.

On November 19,1925, Treasury Decision 3774 was issued providing in part; “In order better to effectuate the purposes of T. D. 3773, approved November 14, 1925, all outstanding permits for sale or use of denatured alcohol shall, unless sooner revoked, or the application therefor acted upon before that time, continue in effect until the 31st day of March, 1926.”

On March 31, 1926, a permit was issued to the plaintiff under T. D. 3774 to use 2,200 wine gallons of specially denatured alcohol, of the formulae 36, 39-A, and 39-B, which permit was by its terms to expire on December 31, 1926, but before that date was reached, that is, on September 1, 1926, obviously in view of the decision in Higgins v. Foster; supra, T. D. 3925 was issued providing that permits to use specially denatured alcohol were to continue until surrendered or revoked or bond given in support thereof canceled.

Any contention that the plaintiff had any rights under the original 1923 permit seems to have been abandoned, and both the plaintiff and the Prohibition Bureau by their actions show that they considered that the 1926 permit was the one under which the plaintiff was empowered to act, as that permit carries on its reverse side the notations of three amendments, to wit, on June 10, 1926, “as to address”; on January 30, 1927, “for additional preparations”; and on June 6,1928, “for change of address.”

On October 1, 1927, Regulations 3 went into effect. Article 113 of Regulations 3 provided that permits to use specially desnatured alcohol will expire on December 31, 1928, unless renewed sooner.

Referring to the last notation on the back of plaintiff’s 1926 permit, we find that it was amended on June 6,1928, “for change of address,” and this technically brought the plaintiff’s permit under article 113 of Regulations 3, because under the permit as it then existed the permit was good only to use it on the premises to which the address had been [509]*509changed on June 10, 1926. American Denaturing Corporation v. Campbell (C. C. A.) 34 F.(2d) 648.

If, however, such reasoning be considered too technical, we find that plaintiff on August 2, 1928, in conformity with article 313 of Regulations 3, made application for a so-called renewal of his permit. The language of the application stated that the said application “is submitted with the understanding that the permit, * * * must be renewed annually.” Thereafter the Prohibition Bureau tendered the plaintiff-applicant a hearing at which, on December 4,1928, he agreed to accept a permit containing certain special conditions to be written therein.

On December 31, 1928, in .conformance with such agreement on the part of the plaintiff, a permit issued to the plaintiff for the year 1929, containing two conditions typewritten on the back thereof to the following effect: One, that he would make twelve specified producto as per certain submitted and approved formulae; and, two, that he would sell all his products to barber shops and other ultimate consumers. Which conditions were certainly comprehended in the consent expressed by the plaintiff at the hearing on December 4, 1928.

Having succeeded in securing the permit by agreeing to the conditions imposed, instead of standing on the rights he now claims and appealing to the courts if the permit was refused, the plaintiff subsequent to the issuance cf said permit, and on January 10,1929, acknowledged receipt thereof by a letter to the Prohibition Administrator, and at the same- time advising him that the “company does not surrender any of its rights granted under the original permit No. 12,205, dated November 9, 1923.”

On receipt of this notification, the Administrator took the position that the plaintiff had repudiated the terms of his permit, and that the permit was thereby terminated.

On January 18,1929, action,was begun in this court to restrain the Prohibition Administrator from interfering with the permit operations of the plaintiff under this conditional permit, and on March 22,1929, Judge Inch handed down an opinion denying temporary relief and holding, on the authority of Kernan v. Campbell (D. C.) 36 F.(2d) 778, decided the same day, that the plaintiff had voluntarily consented to the surrender of all rights granted in the permit issued in 1923. On an appeal taken by plaintiff the Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Judge Inch's order Greenberg v. Campbell, 37 F.(2d) 1011, having previously affirmed Judge Inch’s order in Kernan v. Campbell (C. C. A.) 36 F.(2d) 779.

On the appeal being taken, the defendants were stayed from enforcing the restrictions pending the appeal.

On August 27,1929, during the pendency of the case on appeal plaintiff made application for a 1930 permit.

The application stated that it was “submitted with the understanding that the permit applied for must be renewed annually,” and, further,, “all data, submitted in support thereof, shall be deemed part of the application.”

The application was disapproved and a letter was sent by the Administrator to the plaintiff on February 11, 1930, stating that the plaintiff’s application for 1930 permit was denied for two reasons: One, that in making his application for a 1930 permit, plaintiff included thereon typewritten at the head of the sheet these words: “This,application is filed without prejudice to any rights under the original permit granted November 9, 1923 and without surrendering any rights thereunder”; and two, that the plaintiff procured his 1929 permit by “fraud and misrepresentation and deceit, in that you fraudulently and in bad faith agreed to accept a 1929 permit with certain restrictions incorporated therein, and following the issuance of the said permit, you did in bad faith, fail to abide by the terms thereof.”

The decision of Judge Inch was the law at the time said application was made, even if it had been appealed, and therefore the attempted reservation by plaintiff of plaintiff’s rights under the 1923 permit could not be made a part of the application, as it had been held that plaintiff had no such rights.

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Bluebook (online)
42 F.2d 507, 1930 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/greenberg-v-doran-nyed-1930.