Lovell Clay Products Co. v. United States

167 F. Supp. 891, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2686
CourtDistrict Court, D. Wyoming
DecidedAugust 20, 1957
DocketCiv. A. No. 4073
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 167 F. Supp. 891 (Lovell Clay Products Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Wyoming primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lovell Clay Products Co. v. United States, 167 F. Supp. 891, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2686 (D. Wyo. 1957).

Opinion

KERR, District Judge.

This matter came on regularly for hearing before this Court on the 15th day of July, A. D. 1957, upon the Plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment and supporting affidavit and Defendant’s cross motion for summary judgment and supporting affidavit and the pleadings filed herein; the Court proceeded to hear and determine said matter and upon conclusion of argument by counsel for both parties, the Court being fully ad[892]*892vised in the premises, makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

First Cause of Action Findings of Fact.

I

That during all times mentioned herein the Plaintiff was a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the state of Wyoming, with its principal place of business at Lovell, Wyoming, and was authorized to do business at Billings, Montana. At both Lovell and Billings, the Plaintiff operated plants producing and selling brick and tile and sewer pipe.

II

Plaintiff has kept its books on the accrual basis method of accounting, on a calendar year basis, and within the time prescribed by law, Plaintiff made and filed its income tax return for the calendar year of 1951 showing an income tax liability of $61,356.69 and excess profits tax liability of $14,605.53, making a total of $75,962.22, which amount was duly paid to the Defendant. That on February 11, 1955, Plaintiff duly filed with the Defendant, at Cheyenne, Wyoming, a claim for refund of income tax for 1951 on the grounds that under section 114 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939, 26 U.S.C.A. § 114, Plaintiff was entitled to a percentage depletion deduction on its deposit of brick and tile clay computed on the selling price, f. o. b. plant, loaded for shipment, of burnt brick, tile, and sewer pipe which is produced from its deposits of clay. On September 26, 1955, the claim for refund made by the Plaintiff for the year 1951, filed on February 11, 1955, was denied and the Defendant mailed such notice of disallowance of claim for refund as required by law.

III

In 1951, Plaintiff owned and operated a clay pit located in Big Horn County, Wyoming, new Lovell, Wyoming, and was engaged in the business of mining clay from this pit and making brick, tile and sewer pipe from such clay in a plant at Lovell, Wyoming. That at Billings, Montana, Plaintiff owned a clay pit located in Yellowstone County, Montana, near Billings, Montana and was engaged in the business of mining clay from that pit and making brick and tile in the plant at Billings, Montana. That in 1951, Plaintiff’s receipts from the sale of brick, tile and sewer pipe which were produced from the clay pits at both locations was in the amount of $453,247.43. Five per cent (5%) of such amount, $22,-662.37, is less than fifty per cent (50%) of the net income from such sales and is the amount claimed by the Plaintiff as percentage depletion deduction. That if Plaintiff had been allowed such deduction for depletion it would have reduced the income tax payable by said Plaintiff in the amount of $18,299.86 for the year 1951. That Plaintiff’s suit for refund of taxes paid for the year 1951 was commenced within the time allowed by law.

IV

Plaintiff sells the clay which it mines only in the form of burnt brick, tile and sewer pipe, and there is no market for Plaintiff’s clay until it is put into the form of burnt brick or tile or sewer pipe. Of all the clay mined in the United States for the use in making brick, tile and kindred products, there is opportunity for the sale of only a negligible quantity before it is put in the form of burnt brick, tile or kindred products, and the owners and operators of clay pits in which clay is mined for use in making-brick, tile and other kindred products normally must process such clay into burnt brick, tile or kindred products, in order to obtain a product which they can market commercially.

V

That in the early part of 1956 the Plaintiff was contacted in regard to a nationwide sales survey being made by the Internal Revenue Service to determine the amount of brick and tile clay sold before it is processed into burnt clay products. The survey shows 5 purchasers and 9 sellers of such clay during the five year period, 1951-1955. The Bureau [893]*893of Mines of the United States Government has prepared figures showing the total quantity of brick and tile clay products in the United States for the years 1951 and 1952. The results of this survey in respect of said years is as follows:

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Related

Sparta Ceramic Company v. United States
168 F. Supp. 401 (N.D. Ohio, 1958)

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Bluebook (online)
167 F. Supp. 891, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lovell-clay-products-co-v-united-states-wyd-1957.