In re Maryland Coal Co.

36 F. Supp. 142, 29 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 586, 1941 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3846
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. West Virginia
DecidedJanuary 3, 1941
DocketNo. 3449-E
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 36 F. Supp. 142 (In re Maryland Coal Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Maryland Coal Co., 36 F. Supp. 142, 29 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 586, 1941 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3846 (N.D.W. Va. 1941).

Opinion

BAKER, District Judge.

Findings of Fact.

Maryland Coal Company of West Virginia was adjudged bankrupt on the 15th day of May, 1940, and thereafter certain proceedings were taken in the regular course of the administration of the estate of the bankrupt, and by order entered on the 12th day of July, 1940, the bankrupt’s real estate and mining plant and equipment were directed to be sold by the trustee free of liens, and by such order- all liens were transferred to the proceeds arising from the sale; under said order and a subsequent order entered on the 16th day of September, 1940, the trustee was authorized to accept an offer made to him by Gordon E. Bailey to buy said real estate and mining plant and equipment, free of liens and incumbrances, at private sale for the sum of $37,500, of which one-third was to be paid in-cash and the residue in equal installments to be paid on or before one and two years. Said trustee accepted said offer and consummated the sale to Gordon E. Bailey, and accordingly reported such sale to the bankruptcy court, and by order entered in the proceeding on the 19th day of September, 1940, said sale was confirmed.

The costs thus far allowed and paid in the bankruptcy proceeding and the prior reorganization proceeding amount to $33,-212.69, and other claims for costs in the amount of about $500 are pending. .

Claims for wages having priority over taxes have been filed in the total amount of $6,855.19.

Tax claims have been filed by the United States Government and by the State of West Virginia and the Sheriff of Taylor County in the total amount of $42,321.22. Notice was given in the bankruptcy proceeding to the Sheriff of Taylor County, along with all other lienors, of the hearing of the trustee’s petition to sell said property free of liens and incumbrances. On the 4th day of December, 1940, Herbert Evans, Sheriff of Taylor County, filed before the Referee a claim in the amount of $12,645.37 for taxes assessed against the [144]*144property sold in this proceeding to Gordon E. Bailey for the years 1939 and 1940. The said Sheriff of Taylor County advertised for sale for delinquent taxes for the year 1939 the aforesaid real estate sold in the bankruptcy proceeding to Gordon E. Bailey, and thereupon the said Gordon E. Bailey made application to this Court for an order restraining the making of said sale and such restraining order was accordingly issued.

Gordon E. Bailey, petitioner in this matter, claims that his purchase of said real estate free of liens and incumbrances released such property from liability for all taxes owing at the date of his purchase, and that all tax claimants must look to the proceeds of sale for payment.

The said Sheriff has appeared specially to the application for the injunction and has moved to dismiss the petition on the ground that this court is without jurisdiction.

Conclusions of Law.

By the United States Constitution Congress has power to establish uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States, and it is well recognized that the Federal Courts have exclusive jurisdiction in bankruptcy matters. Article 1, Section 8, clause 4, United States Constitution. Congress has provided that the jurisdiction vested in the courts of the United States shall be exclusive of the courts of the several states in all matters and proceedings in bankruptcy. 28 U.S.C.A. § 371, Paragraph 6.

The Sheriff and Treasurer of Taylor County has taken the position that this proceeding does not arise in bankruptcy, and that the Federal court therefore has no jurisdiction of the matter. To ascertain the extent of the jurisdiction of the Federal court in matters arising out of bankruptcy, the bankruptcy statutes must be examined. The bankruptcy law makes it the duty of a governmental agency to prove and file its claims in the manner provided by the bankruptcy statutes.

“Except as otherwise provided in this title, all claims provable under this title, including all claims of the United States and of any State or subdivision thereof, shall be proved and filed in the manner provided in this section.” 11 U.S.C.A. § 93, sub. n.

It thus becomes the duty of the Sheriff of Taylor County to prove and file his tax claim in the bankruptcy proceeding. Can he observe the mandate of the bankruptcy law in that regard and submit himself to the jurisdiction of the court by filing his claim, as has been done, and at the same time seek to establish the legality of his tax claim and establish it as a preference by making sale of the property purchased by Gordon E. Bailey, free and acquit of liens and incumbrances for delinquent taxes thereon for the year 1939? I think not.

The bankruptcy law provides for the payment of taxes in their proper order, all tax claims sharing equally, and further provides that all questions arising as to the amount or legality of any taxes shall be determined by the court.

“Taxes legally due and owing by the bankrupt to the United States or any State or any subdivision thereof: Provided, That no order shall be made for the payment of a tax assessed against any property of the bankrupt in excess of the value of the interest of the bankrupt estate therein as determined by the court: And provided further, That, in case any question arises as to the amount or legality of any taxes, such question shall be heard and determined by the court.” 11 U.S.C.A. § 104, sub. a (4).

It would be futile for the court to sell property free of liens and incumbrances and transfer the liens to proceeds of sale, if lienors could thereafter pursue the property itself in an effort to subject it to sale in satisfaction of a lien or- liens. The purchaser of such property has a right to look to the court to carry out its order and obligation to transfer the property free from interference by those lienors of whom the court had jurisdiction and of whose liens the property was sold free.

Bankruptcy courts are (by statute) invested with such jurisdiction in law and in equity as will enable them to exercise original jurisdiction to “Make such orders, issue such process, and enter such judgments, in addition to those specifically provided for, as may be necessary for the enforcement of the provisions of this title: Provided, however, That an injunction to restrain a court may be issued by the judge only.” 11 U.S.C.A. § 11, sub. a (15).

The purchaser has no adequate remedy at law, and if the bankruptcy court does [145]*145not exercise jurisdiction to enjoin the sale of the real estate by the sheriff, the purchaser would have the right to look to the bankruptcy estate for reimbursement of loss, and thereby the bankruptcy estate would be so diverted as to result in a preference of state taxes, in violation of Section 104, sub. a (4) of Title 11 of U.S. C.A., and, furthermore, the wage earners to whom the money in the hands of the trustee should properly go would be deprived of payment of their labor liens, and taxes would thereby obtain a priority over wages in direct violation of the section of the bankruptcy act last mentioned which fixes the priority of claims, in part, as (1) costs, (2) wages, (3) certain other costs, and (4) taxes owing to the United States or any State or any subdivision thereof.

The bankruptcy court has sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the payment of provable claims against a bankruptcy estate, and, likewise, has exclusive jurisdiction in all matters concerning the amount and validity of taxes.

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Bluebook (online)
36 F. Supp. 142, 29 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 586, 1941 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3846, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-maryland-coal-co-wvnd-1941.