Johnson v. Treasury Department

917 F. Supp. 813, 77 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 603, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19983, 1995 WL 807087
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedDecember 6, 1995
DocketCivil No. 1:95-cv-1971-JEC
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 917 F. Supp. 813 (Johnson v. Treasury Department) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Treasury Department, 917 F. Supp. 813, 77 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 603, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19983, 1995 WL 807087 (N.D. Ga. 1995).

Opinion

ORDER

CARNES, District Judge.

This case is presently before the Court on plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction [1], defendants’ Motion to Dismiss [8] and plaintiffs’ Motion to Substitute Parties [13].1 The Court has reviewed the record and the arguments of the parties and, for the reasons set out below, concludes that plaintiff’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction should be denied and defendant’s Motion to Dismiss should be granted. The Court also concludes that plaintiff’s Motion to Substitute Parties should be granted.

BACKGROUND

This case primarily involves a tax dispute. Individual plaintiff Don. W. Johnson admits that he owes federal employment and income taxes. (Affidavit of Don W. Johnson (herein[816]*816after “Johnson Aff.”) [3] at ¶ 2.) Defendant alleges that the amount owed is upwards of $260,000. (Def.Mot. to Dismiss [8] at 3.) In April of 1994, plaintiff made an offer in compromise to settle the dispute. (Def.Mot. to Dismiss [8] at 3^1; Pl.Resp. to Def.Mot. to Dismiss [12] at 2.) The offer was communicated to Internal Revenue Service (hereinafter “IRS”) Agent Gary Jenkins. Plaintiff claims that Agent Jenkins stated that he would present the offer to his superiors but failed to do so.

Defendant claims that the amount offered by plaintiff was a “small fraction” of the taxes owed. (Def.Mot. to Dismiss [8] at 4.) Defendant states that, in an attempt to verify individual plaintiffs ability to pay, it has requested “the names of clients, their case names, and an analysis of each case’s value.” (Def.Mot. to Dismiss [8] at 4.) Plaintiff Johnson has refused to turn over such information, claiming that the information is protected by the attorney-client privilege. Defendant states that negotiations between the parties have continued for approximately one year from that time. Plaintiff alleges that they did not hear from Agent Jenkins or any other IRS representative for approximately one year.

In April of 1995, the IRS filed Notices of Federal Tax Lien regarding plaintiffs liabilities and informed plaintiff of its intent to seize his assets, including furniture located at plaintiff law firm. Plaintiff has not denied this assertion. On August 4, 1995, the day after the IRS attempted to secure Plaintiff Johnson’s consent to enter his law office to seize his furniture, plaintiff filed this Motion for Preliminary Injunction requesting that this Court enjoin defendant from, inter alia, (1) seizing furniture from his law office and (2) procuring information which plaintiff Johnson claims is protected by the attorney-client privilege.

DISCUSSION

1. Substitution of parties to name proper defendant

In his original complaint, plaintiff named the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department as defendants. (Compl. at 1.) Naming the Internal Revenue Service as a defendant in this action is inappropriate. See Neary v. Internal Revenue Service, 1991 WL 341446 (N.D.Ga. June 28, 1991) at *3 (Tidwell, J.) (holding that “[designation of the Internal Revenue Service and/or the individual named government agents does not avoid the sovereign immunity issue.”) (citation omitted). Similarly, the Treasury Department is improperly designated as a defendant, as it has neither been constituted by Congress as a body corporate nor been authorized to be sued by its given name. Castleberry v. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Div. of Treasury Dep’t, 530 F.2d 672, 673 n. 3 (5th Cir.1976). Rather, “ ‘[i]f the relief sought requires payment of monies from the Federal Treasury, interferes with public administration, or compels or restrains the government, the action is deemed to be one against the United States as sovereign.’ ” Neary, 1991 WL 341446 at *3 (citing State of Fla., Dep’t of Business Regulation v. United States Dep’t of the Interior, 768 F.2d 1248 (11th Cir.1985) (citation omitted)).

As plaintiff seeks to restrain the IRS from discovering client information and levying on his furniture, this action is one against the United States. Realizing this, plaintiff subsequently filed a Motion to Substitute Parties naming the United States as defendant in lieu of the IRS and the Treasury Department. (Pl.Mot. to Substitute Parties [13].)

Despite the Court’s willingness to substitute parties, it is firmly established that the United States is immune from suit in the absence of express consent. United States v. Mitchell, 445 U.S. 535, 538, 100 S.Ct. 1349, 1351-52, 63 L.Ed.2d 607 (1980); Neary, 1991 WL 341446 at *4. Without statutory authority waiving immunity, therefore, the district court is powerless to adjudicate an action against the sovereign. Neary, 1991 WL 341446 at *4 (citing McGovern v. United States, 1988 U.S.Dist. LEXIS 16619 (N.D.Ga.1988) (citation omitted)). Thus, even where district courts have been granted general jurisdiction over a subject matter, there must be express consent to be sued.2 United [817]*817States v. Shaw, 309 U.S. 495, 60 S.Ct. 659, 84 L.Ed. 888 (1940). Moreover, “any request for injunctive relief will have to be maintainable without offending the Anti-Injunction Act....” Neary, 1991 WL 341446 at *4. After an examination of the record, the Court concludes that plaintiff has presented no valid basis to support the exercise of subject matter jurisdiction and will address each claim for relief in turn.

II. Plaintiff’s claims for injunctive relief

A Plaintiffs request for an injunction to prevent a levy on his furniture

Generally, where the assessment and collection of taxes are at issue, the Anti-Injunction Act precludes a district court from adjudicating the claim. 26 U.S.C. § 7421(a). The purpose of the Act “is to permit the United States to assess and collect taxes alleged to be due without judicial intervention, and to require that the legal right to the disputed sums be determined in a suit for refund. In this manner the United States is assured of prompt collection of its lawful revenue.” Enochs v. Williams Packing & Navigation Co., 370 U.S. 1, 7, 82 S.Ct. 1125, 1129, 8 L.Ed.2d 292 (1962) (footnote omitted). According to the statute, “no suit for the purpose of restraining the assessment or collection of any tax shall be maintained in any court by any person, whether or not such person is the person against whom such tax was assessed.” 26 U.S.C. § 7421(a). The statute provides for several limited exceptions to the general rule against judicial interference in the collection of taxes. For example, a suit may be brought (1) in the tax court for a redetermination of a deficiency pursuant to 26 U.S.C. §§ 6212

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917 F. Supp. 813, 77 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 603, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19983, 1995 WL 807087, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-treasury-department-gand-1995.