Louisiana v. Atlas Pipeline Corp.

33 F. Supp. 160, 1940 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3042
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 2, 1940
DocketNo. 6203
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 33 F. Supp. 160 (Louisiana v. Atlas Pipeline Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Louisiana v. Atlas Pipeline Corp., 33 F. Supp. 160, 1940 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3042 (W.D. La. 1940).

Opinion

DAWKINS, District Judge.

The Atlas Pipeline Corporation is in the process of reorganization under Chapter 10 of the Bankruptcy Law (11 U.S.C.A. § 501 et seq.), commonly referred to as the Chandler Act. On November 24, 1939, an open court hearing was had upon many matters, some of which were disposed of at the time and others were submitted upon the record and briefs subsequently to be filed. The questions to be decided at this time are as follows:

(1) Motion to dismiss the petition of the Collector of Revenue for the State of Louisiana, filed November 22, 1939;

(2) Whether the State of Louisiana has a lien supporting its claim for gasoline taxes which had accrued, and as it alleges were collected from other persons by the debtor before any proceedings in this court were had;

(3) Whether what is referred to as the Gilark-Cotton Valley ten mile six-inch [162]*162pipeline is covered by the general first and second mortgages upon the property of the debtor.

1. As to the motion to dismiss, the State first filed its proof of claim, asserting a lien, and subsequently a formal petition, setting up the nature of its claim at length, amounting to $141,775.08, with attached exhibits, showing a recordation of the alleged lien in the mortgage records and praying for its recognition as superior “to the claims of all other creditors, including holders of claims secured by mortgage on. any of the assets of the corporation.” In the alternative, it asked for an accounting of the monies collected as taxes, and further alternatively, that it be paid the sum of $15,000 as having been “erroneously taken into the account of the receivership” in this court. The reorganization trustee, the trustee for the first mortgage bondholders and the attorney for ordinary creditors have all moved to dismiss this petition upon the following grounds :

“1. The relief sought and the procedure of its seeking are not authorized by Chapter X of the Act of Congress relating to Bankruptcy.
“2. Substantially all of the issues raised in said petition are now before this court on the proof of claim filed on behalf of the State of Louisiana, and the opposition filed thereto by the movers herein.”

While it is true that claims in proceedings of this kind, similarly to those in ordinary bankruptcy are proven to forms in bankruptcy or as the court may prescribe, I see no reason why, in view of the character of the State’s claim, it should, not be permitted to file its pleading setting up fully the nature thereof and the basis upon which it asserts a lien. I do not believe it has affected the rights of anyone connected with the matter, and that the is-' sue which the court must determine, primarily, is the one of whether the State has a lien, and if so, the assets upon which it operates, as well as its effect as to prior mortgage creditors. There is no occasion to try the matter as a separate proceeding. In fact, stipulations have been filed as to all the facts affecting this claim, and the court will now proceed to dispose of it. For these reasons, I think the motion to strike should be denied.

2. The facts with respect to the claim of the State for gasoline taxes have been stipulated and are quoted so far as necessary, as follows:

“3. That the property of said Atlas Pipeline Corporation, situated within the Parish of Caddo, State of Louisiana, consists mainly of a refinery, cracking plant, and equipment located on approximately 168 acres of land, together with that part of the pipeline, telegraph and telephone lines and equipment which begins at the refinery site and extends through the Parish of Caddo into the states of Texas and Arkansas; that the offices of the Atlas Pipeline Corporation are likewise maintained in the City of Shreveport, Parish of Caddo, State of Louisiana.
“4. That the said Atlas Pipeline Corporation from December 1, 1938, and prior thereto, and at the present time is a dealer in gasoline and kerosene within the meaning of the provisions of Act 6 of the Extra Session of the Legislature of Louisiana for 1928, as amended by Act 8 of 1930, as amended by Act 16 of 1932, as amended by Act No. 34 of 1934; that it is also a dealer within the meaning of Act No. 1 of the Extra Session of the Legislature of Louisiana for the year 1930, and Act No. 87 of the Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana for the year 1936; that it is a dealer within the meaning of the provisions of Act No. 14 of 1932.
“5. That the said Atlas Pipeline Corporation is engaged in business in Louisiana, particularly Caddo Parish, of manufacturing gasoline and other products of crude petroleum, which gasoline and kerosene it sells, handles and distributes in the State of Louisiana.
■ “6. That in making sales of gasoline and kerosene manufactured by it in the- State of Louisiana, the said Atlas Pipeline Corporation issues invoices to its vendees for said gasoline and kerosene, and photostats of typical invoices are attached hereto and made part hereof. It is admitted that said photostats are true and correct and ate typical of all other invoices issued by said corporation during said period, namely December 1, 1938 to and including May 26, 1939, when gasoline and kerosene have been sold.
“7. That all invoices issued to all vendees by said corporation, where sales of gasoline and kerosene were involved during said period, listed and itemized on said invoices the prices of said gasoline and kerosene, and as a separate item showed the taxes due the State of Louisiana and other Governmental agencies, as shown by [163]*163the photostats attached hereto and made part hereof.
“8. It is further admitted that during the period hereinabove set out, namely December 1, 1938, to and including May 26, 1939, the Atlas Pipeline Corporation collected the full amount of all of its invoices, representing the sale of gasoline and kerosene, and collected all of the amounts shown on said invoices as taxes; that said amounts collected and 'shown as taxes on said invoices, were deposited to the general fund of the corporation in banks in the City of Shreveport, Louisiana.
“9. That the said Atlas Pipeline Corporation, during the period from December 1, 1938, to May 26, 1939, collected on its invoices listed as taxes, the sum of One hundred forty-one thousand, seven hundred seventy-five thousand dollars and eight cents ($141,775.08), and did not remit same to the State of Louisiana but deposited same in its general fund in the banks in Shreveport, and used same in the operation of its business, paying obligations of said corporation with said funds.
“10. That the Atlas Pipeline Corporation was placed in receivership by this Court on May 26, 1939, on petition of the First Trust Company of Philadelphia for the purpose of foreclosing a mortgage held by that company.
“11. That immediately prior to May 26, 1939, the corporation had issued three checks payable to the order of the Collector of Revenue of the State of Louisiana for $5,000.00 each, and said checks were in the process of collection at the time said corporation was placed in Federal receivership;.

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Bluebook (online)
33 F. Supp. 160, 1940 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3042, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/louisiana-v-atlas-pipeline-corp-lawd-1940.