In re the City of New York

11 A.D.2d 240, 205 N.Y.S.2d 125, 6 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5516, 1960 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8653
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York·Decided July 5, 1960·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinion

Christ, J.

The condemnee whose damage award is involved here was Capri Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria, Inc., a lessee of store premises in a building which was included in the acquisition of property in this proceeding. The award, which was for trade fixture damage, was for $10,000. Capri had many creditors, some of whom claimed liens on the award. In addition, Capri had made several assignments of various portions of the award. The total amount of the claims of these creditors, lienors and assignees exceeded the amount of the award. The order under review determined the propriety and amounts of the various claims, at least so far as necessary, and the order of priority of disbursement of the award among the claimants. The order granted priority of payment in full to certain of the claimants, not including the United States of America. It also granted priority to 10 other claimants, including the United States, as against the remaining claimants in the distribution of the balance of the award. However, since the balance was not sufficient to. pay this group of 10 claimants in full, the order directed distribution to them of the entire balance in respective prorated amounts.

[244]*244The only appellant is the United States; Its claim is based on various assessments made by the Secretary of the Treasury for taxes that Capri had withheld from salaries of its employees.

The claimants who were given priority over the United States are respondents Diamond and Polito, who held chattel mortgages on the fixtures, respondents Coblentz and Eusso, who had represented Capri as attorneys in this proceeding and whose written retainer contained an assignment of part of the award for their services, respondent City of New York, for sales and business taxés, and respondent New York City Transit Authority, which claimed to be entitled to part of the award as payment for the reasonable value of Capri’s use and occupancy of the store premises after the date of the vesting of title. The nine claimants who were granted equal status and prorata distribution with the United States are respondents Schifrin, Gfreneman, A j ello and Deceo Heating Co., who hold assignments from Capri, respondents Industrial Commissioner of the State of New York and Eusso, who are judgment creditors of Capri, respondents Hoffman Beverages and Vassalo, who are both assignees and judgment creditors of Capri, and respondent Caramanica, who may be termed a general creditor. Bespondent Eusso, the judgment creditor, is the same claimant who, with respondent Coblentz, holds an assignment. However, his judgment is for services unrelated to this proceeding. The United States does not question the granting of priority over it to Diamond and Polito.

The governing Federal statutes as to creation of the liens of the United States for the withholding taxes in question are sections 3670, 3671 and 3672 of the Internal Eevenue Code of 1939 (in effect until Jan. 1, 1955), and their counterparts, sections 6321, 6322 and 6323 of the Internal Eevenue Code of 1954 (in effect as of Jan. 1, 1955) (U. S. Code, tit. 26, § 7861, subd. [a], par. [6]). Sections 3670 and 6321 identically provide that, if a person neglect or refuse to pay any tax owing by him, the amount of the tax, including interest, “ shall be a lien in favor of the United States upon all property and rights to property, whether real or personal, belonging to such person.” The time when any such lien shall have arisen is stated in section 3671 to have been when 11 the assessment list was received by the collector” and in section 6322 when “ the assessment is made ”. However, in sections 3672 and 6323 it was provided that the lien “ shall not be valid as against any mortgagee, pledgee, purchaser or judgment creditor until notice thereof has been filed” in the appropriate public office therefor. If the [245]*245subject property be situated in a State which has designated the office for that purpose, the latter séctions state that that is the office for such filing. Here the office for the filing of the notices was that ‘ ‘ of the city register in the county of Kings ’ ’ (Lien Law, § 240, subd. 2; § 245).

The governing statute as to the sales tax of the City of New York, liens therefore and enforcement thereof, is title N of chapter 41 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York (see § N41-2.0 thereof). Section N41-7.0 thereof authorizes the Comptroller of the City of New York to determine the amount owing by any person for sales tax for any tax period for which such person shall have failed to file a sales tax return. It further provides that notice of the determination is to be given to 'the person against whom the assessment is thus made and affords him the remedies of a hearing before the Comptroller and also a judicial review in a proceeding pursuant to article 78 of the Civil Practice Act. Under this section the assessment is final and irrevocable unless application for a hearing before the Comptroller is made within 30 days after the notification of the assessment determination, or unless the Comptroller on his own motion redetermines the same. Subdivision b of section N41-11.0 authorizes the Treasurer of the City of New York to issue a warrant to the City Sheriff or to any officer or employee of the city’s Department of Finance commanding such official or employee to levy upon and sell the property of the person liable for the tax. It further provides that a copy of the warrant shall be filed with the County Clerk within five days after issuance of the warrant, that the County Clerk shall enter the name of such person, the amount for which the warrant was issued, and the date of the filing “ in the judgment docket ” and that thereupon “the amount * * * so docketed shall become a lien upon the title to the interest in real and personal property of the person against whom the warrant is issued.” The subdivision continues that the official or employee to whom the warrant was issued “ shall then proceed upon the warrant in the same manner, and with like effect, as that provided by law in respect to executions issued against property upon judgments of a court of record ”.

The governing statute as to the business tax of the City of New York for the tax periods here in question, liens therefor and enforcement thereof, is title B of chapter 46 of the Administrative Code (see § B46-2.0 thereof). Section B46-6.0 and subdivision b of section B46-10.0 thereof contain the same provisions as to tax assessments, determinations and review, [246]*246creation of liens for the tax, and enforcement, as do the sections above mentioned with respect to the sales tax, except that here the provisions apply to the stated business tax.

With respect to the claimed judgment of the Industrial Commissioner, State statute makes similar or comparable provision as to determination of liability and amount owing, review of such determination, finality of determination, and enforcement of liability, including the subject of execution of warrants (issuable by the Commissioner), except that entry in a County Clerk’s judgment docket renders the amount of the warrant a lien only on real property (see Labor Law, §§ 571-573, 620-626).

The governing statutes with respect to the claim of the Transit Authority are subdivision b of section B15-37.0 of the Administrative Code and title 9 of article 5 of the Public Authorities Law.

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In re the City of New York, 11 A.D.2d 240, 205 N.Y.S.2d 125, 6 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5516, 1960 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8653 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1960).

11 A.D.2d 240 (In re the City of New York) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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