Mercantile Bank v. United States

860 F. Supp. 1396, 74 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6021, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11557, 1994 WL 462348
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Missouri
DecidedAugust 11, 1994
DocketNo. 90-0781-CV-W-9
StatusPublished

This text of 860 F. Supp. 1396 (Mercantile Bank v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mercantile Bank v. United States, 860 F. Supp. 1396, 74 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6021, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11557, 1994 WL 462348 (W.D. Mo. 1994).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND GRANTING DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

BARTLETT, District Judge.

Plaintiffs, Mercantile Bank of Kansas City, James P. Goetz and William P. Messer, moved for summary judgment on their Complaint and on Counts I and II of defendant’s Counterclaim. Defendant moved for partial summary judgment on plaintiffs’ Complaint, and Counts I and II of the Counterclaim. On June 21,1994,1 issued an order granting plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment on their Complaint and on Count I of defendant’s Counterclaim. The cross-Motions for Summary Judgment on Count II of the Counterclaim are now ready to be ruled.

In Count II of the Counterclaim, defendant seeks a judgment under 26 U.S.C. § 3505(b) against plaintiffs for supplying funds to pay wages knowing that federal employment taxes were not going to be paid.

In its motion for partial summary judgment on Count II, defendant seeks to establish that as a matter of law the bank’s practice of permitting Manley use of uncollected funds, otherwise known as same day availability of deposits, is “supplying funds” within the meaning of 26 U.S.C. § 3505(b).

Plaintiffs contend that the practice of permitting same day availability of deposits is not supplying funds within the meaning of 26 U.S.C. § 3505(b) because: 1) as a matter of commercial law and practice drawing against uncollected funds is not considered to be equivalent to a loan; 2) the legislative history and regulations to § 3505 make it clear that the section was aimed at lenders, sureties or similar persons with no suggestion that the statute was intended to cover banks who allow their customers same day availability; and 3) the government’s position that the term “supplies funds” includes same day availability raises serious conflicts with the stated goals and objectives of Congress in passing the Expedited Funds Availability Act of 1987.

I. Undisputed Facts

For the purposes of this summary judgment motion, the parties have agreed to the following facts:

Manley Truck Lines, Inc. was a Kansas City based trucking firm that operated throughout the midwest and southwest and employed several hundred people. Manley was part of a group of companies whose parent company was Overland Enterprises, Inc. Both Manley and Overland were owned and controlled by Gene Scott, who died in 1989.

In 1986 and 1987, due to financial difficulties, Manley often failed to remit withheld payroll taxes to the United States as required by law. The Internal Revenue Service intervened in mid-1986 and some unpaid taxes were collected, but a deficiency of over $1,000,000 remains.

Mercantile Bank and the Overland Companies had a bank/customer relationship from the late 1970’s or early 1980’s. Manley maintained a demand deposit (checking) account at Mercantile, as did each of the Overland subsidiaries. • Manley’s checking account at Mercantile was a commercial checking account. All of Manley’s payroll checks were issued from this account.

[1398]*1398Goetz was the loan officer at Mercantile who had day to day responsibility for reviewing the various bank accounts of the Overland companies. Goetz was supervised by Messer who was a senior vice-president at Mercantile.

Mercantile gave Manley “same day availability,” or instant credit on checks deposited in the commercial checking account. “Same day availability” is sometimes described as drawing against uncollected funds, because the bank is giving credit for a deposited item for which the bank has not yet collected funds through the various inter-bank clearing houses. Mercantile charged Manley a service charge for the same day availability of uncollected funds. The service charge was calculated on the basis of a floating interest rate.

In the fall of 1986, Manley had cash flow problems. Mercantile learned that checks drawn on Manley’s accounts at other banks which had been deposited in Manley’s Mercantile account were bouncing on occasion. Mercantile threatened to discontinue same day availability. The bank did not follow through on the threat, due to fear of a lender-liability suit.

The parties agree that the precise issue raised by the cross motions for summary judgment on the § 3505(b) claim is whether the term “supplies funds” as used in the statute includes Mercantile’s practice of allowing Manley same day availability to deposits in its checking account. See Plaintiff’s Response and Reply Brief filed June 28, 1993. Document Number 83, p. 13.

II. Standard for Summary Judgment

Rule 56(c), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, provides that summary judgment shall be rendered if the “pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” In ruling on a motion for summary judgment, it is the court’s obligation to view the facts in the light most favorable to the adverse party and to allow the adverse party the benefit of all reasonable inferences to be drawn from the evidence. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 1608, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970); Inland Oil and Transport Co. v. United States, 600 F.2d 725, 727-28 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 991, 100 S.Ct. 522, 62 L.Ed.2d 420 (1979).

If there is no genuine issue about any material fact, summary judgment is proper because it avoids needless and costly litigation and promotes judicial efficiency. Roberts v. Browning, 610 F.2d 528, 531 (8th Cir.1979); United States v. Porter, 581 F.2d 698, 703 (8th Cir.1978). The summary judgment procedure is not a “disfavored procedural shortcut.” Rather, it is “an integral part of the Federal Rules as a whole.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 327, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2555, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); see also City of Mt. Pleasant v. Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc., 838 F.2d 268, 273 (8th Cir.1988). Summary judgment is appropriate against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish that there is a genuine issue for trial about an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553.

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Related

Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co.
398 U.S. 144 (Supreme Court, 1970)
Garcia v. United States
469 U.S. 70 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Smith v. United States
508 U.S. 223 (Supreme Court, 1993)
Inland Oil And Transport Co. v. United States
600 F.2d 725 (Eighth Circuit, 1979)

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860 F. Supp. 1396, 74 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6021, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11557, 1994 WL 462348, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mercantile-bank-v-united-states-mowd-1994.