Murphy Management Co. v. United States

302 F. Supp. 46, 23 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1633, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12779
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedMay 5, 1969
DocketNo. 4-67 Civ. 100
StatusPublished

This text of 302 F. Supp. 46 (Murphy Management Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Murphy Management Co. v. United States, 302 F. Supp. 46, 23 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1633, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12779 (mnd 1969).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

NORDBYE, Senior District Judge.

In this proceeding, plaintiff, a Minnesota corporation, seeks to recover certain federal income taxes disallowed by the Internal Revenue Service which were paid for the fiscal years ending July 31, 1962, 1963 and 1964, in the amount of $2,450 for each of these fiscal years as the annual amortization of the cost of the acquisition of a ten-year management contract with the Union Mutual Insurance Company, together with statutory interest thereon.

A recital of some of the facts as disclosed by the evidence seems necessary. The Union Mutual Insurance Company was formed in 1936. This company was organized as a mutual insurance company, under the laws of the State of Minnesota by Carl L. Forsberg and his wife, Lorraine E. Forsberg. Apparently there were three organizers in all, but the third organizer, a nominee of the Forsbergs, resigned or at least became inactive shortly thereafter, so to all intent and purposes this was a mutual insurance company owned and operated by the Forsbergs, with only two directors —the Forsbergs. Up until about the year 1953, the company was dormant and did no insurance business whatsoever. It commenced writing some insurance in 1953 with premiums totaling some $20,000. In 1954 the premiums totaled some $30,000, and in 1955 $50,000.

On or about December 15, 1955, to become effective January 1, 1956, the Forsbergs, who remained in sole control of the'company as directors, entered into a contract in behalf of the company whereby they appointed themselves as general managers of “its home office functions,” and as such were clothed with all of the duties necessary to operate the business of a mutual insurance company. A copy of the management contract is attached to the complaint herein and marked Exhibit A. The duties which devolved upon the Forsbergs under that contract are set forth in Paragraphs 1 and 2, reading,

“1. The Company hereby appoints C. L. Forsberg and L. E. Forsberg, jointly and severally, as general managers of its home office functions. As such they shall oversee and direct the following operations, with authority to exercise such authority as they deem necessary to accomplish proper results:
“(a) To prepare policies and other forms and premium rate schedules including changes as required; obtaining approval thereof and filing of same with the State Insurance Department.
“(b) To supervise all underwriting functions, including review of applications, calculation of premium, preparation and issuance of policies and endorsements thereon, and handling of cancellations.
“(c) To supervise all accounting work, including preparation of agents’ accounts, payment of commissions, billing and collection of premiums, recording of all receipts and disbursements, and maintenance of policy expiration records.
“(d) To supervise preparation of statistical data necessary for analysis of earned premium, loss and expense ratios.
[48]*48“(e) To supervise making of financial statements for the Board of Directors, required reports for the State Insurance Department and tax returns.
“(f) To oversee the investigation and adjustment of claims.
“(g) To oversee the handling of company correspondences, procurement of necessary supplies, and incidental, routine office matters.
“2. The Company also hereby appoints C. L. Forsberg and L. E. Forsberg, jointly, severally and exclusively as general agents for the maintenance of present business and procurement of new business. As such they shall oversee and direct the activities of the Company’s local agents with respect to the following, exercising such authority as they deem necessary for proper results.
“(a) To appoint agents on behalf of the Company throughout its territory.
“(b) To acquaint such agents with the Company’s lines of insurance and underwriting rules; to see to it that they are adequately supplied.
“(c) To fix commission schedules payable to agents, to determine the amount of credit to be extended to them, and to execute agency contracts on behalf of the Company.
“(d) To handle advertising and promotion work; to assist local agents in the procurement of business.”

Paragraph 6 reads,

“6. As combined compensation and overwrite commission for performing the executive functions listed in paragraph 1 and for acting as general agent as stated in paragraph 2, the Managing Agents, or the survivor of them or the corporation to which their rights herein are assigned, as the case may be, shall be paid by the Company a sum equal to ten per cent of the written, less return, premium, payable semi-monthly on an estimated basis and adjusted quarterly on an actual basis.”

Paragraph 9 provides,

“This agreement shall be perpetual.”

On July 30, 1959, an amended agreement was entered into between the Forsbergs as the two directors and the two Forsbergs as Managing Agents, apparently in anticipation of Murphy’s taking over Union, whereby the terms of the management contract of the Forsbergs of December 15, 1955, was amended so that the period thereof was for a period of ten years and authorizing the then present management agents to transfer and assign said management contract as amended, a copy of which is attached to the complaint herein marked Exhibit B. The amended contract further provided,

“3. In the event that the Managing Agents shall transfer and assign said Employment Contract as hereby amended, in consideration of past services to the Company, and in consideration of such further services by way of advice or consultation as shall be requested or required of them with respect to the management and operation of the Company, the Company agrees as follows:
“(a) To designate and appoint the Managing Agents, and the survivor of them, as general agents of the Company, but not on an exclusive basis, with the usual rights and obligations applicable to general agents, with authority to write fire, windstorm, extended coverage and homeowners package policy insurance of the sort and kind presently being written by the Company through lending institutions.
“(b) To pay to the Managing Agents, and the survivors of them, on all of the Company’s business, one per cent of the gross written, less return, premiums, not to exceed the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) in any one (1) fiscal year, payable for the preceding year on March 15 of the [49]*49following year, said payments to be made for the term of ten (10) years from the 1st day of August, 1959, provided that, in the event of the death of both Managing Agents, such payments shall cease upon the death of the latter.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
302 F. Supp. 46, 23 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1633, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12779, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/murphy-management-co-v-united-states-mnd-1969.