Peavy-Byrnes Lumber Co. v. Commissioner

31 B.T.A. 985, 1935 BTA LEXIS 1038
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedJanuary 3, 1935
DocketDocket No. 16354.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 31 B.T.A. 985 (Peavy-Byrnes Lumber Co. v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Board of Tax Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Peavy-Byrnes Lumber Co. v. Commissioner, 31 B.T.A. 985, 1935 BTA LEXIS 1038 (bta 1935).

Opinion

OPINION.

Trammell :

This case is now before us on a mandate of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in connection with which petitioner has presented a motion for leave to raise new issues by way of amendment to its pleadings, and to offer additional evidence in support thereof.

The Board’s original report was promulgated December 7, 1928 (14 B. T. A. 625), and pursuant thereto judgment was entered September 12, 1929. This proceeding, together with consolidated companion cases,- was taken on appeal to the Circuit Court, which, on J une 30,1931, affirmed the Board’s decision on the issues of affiliation and denial of deductions for dividends, but reversed it on the issues of invested capital and depletion under the Krause-Managan contract, and remanded the cause for further proceedings not inconsistent with the court’s opinion (51 Fed. (2d) 163).

Pursuant to the mandate, further proceedings were had at which petitioner offered additional evidence with respect to valuations [986]*986under the Krause-Managan contract, and on January 18, 1932, the Board promulgated a supplemental report at 25 B. T. A. 223.

Subsequently, on application of the respondent, the Supreme Court granted certiorari to the Circuit Court on the issue of affiliation, and on April 18,1932, reversed the decision of the Circuit Court and of the Board on that issue, and remanded the cause for further proceedings (286 U. S. 524).

On November 10, 1932, the Board entered its decision in accordance with its interpretation of the decisions and mandates of the Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. Petitioner again appealed, and on March 17, 1934, the Circuit Court reversed the Board’s decision and remanded the case “ with directions to redetermine petitioner’s tax liability in accordance with its finding of $065,000 as the fair value of the stock, the cost of the timber, as of July 28,1913, when the exchange was made.” (69 Fed. (2d) 712.)

On April 16, 1934, the Board of its own motion set the case doAvn for hearing on final decision in accordance with the views expressed in the opinion of the Circuit Court rendered March 17, 1934, and directed that prior to such hearing the parties file recomputations of the tax in accordance with the court’s mandate.

The recomputations were duly filed and the parties are in agreement as to the tax liability thereunder, but at the hearing petitioner lodged with the Board a motion for leave further to amend its petition so as to claim deductions for depletion in excess of the amounts allowed by the respondent on timber cut by petitioner during the years 1916, 1917, and 1918, in addition to the timber acquired under the Krause-Managan contract.

The parties filed at the hearing a written agreement which sets forth the number of feet of timber, outside of the Krause-Managan contract, cut by the petitioner during said years, and further stipulates that petitioner’s correct tax liability for the years 1916, 1917, and 1918 is as shown in the computation filed by respondent on May 15, 1934, subject to a further allowance for depletion on the timber cut outside of the Krause-Managan contract in said years, “if the Board now has the right to adjudicate the matter of a further allowance for such depletion.”

The petitioner also seeks to set up a claim and have the Board determine its right to certain credits to which petitioner asserts it is entitled in respect of payments alleged to have been made to the collector of internal revenue which respondent has not reflected in computing the unpaid balance of the tax liability.

Petitioner’s motion was taken under advisement, ruling on the amendment being' reserved, but, in order to expedite decision of the case, the parties were permitted to tender and record evidence inspecting the cost basis of the timber on which additional depletion is [987]*987claimed by the petitioner, as well as the matter of additional credits claimed by petitioner, subject to our decision on the question of our power or jurisdiction at this time to adjudicate these matters.

Eespondent vigorously resists petitioner’s motion on the ground that we have no power in the present circumstances to grant the same or to take any action not clearly within the purview of the Circuit Court’s mandate, while petitioner contends that we have such jurisdiction.

Thus the. question is squarely presented whether we now have authority to take effective action on petitioner’s motion, and, if so, whether within our sound discretion it should be granted.

This proceeding is before us on the mandate of the Circuit Court, which specifically directs us to redetermine the petitioner’s tax liability in accordance with our prior finding of $665,000 as the fair value of the stock, which represents the cost of the timber when it was exchanged for the stock as of July 28, 1918. May we, then, go beyond the express directions of the mandate and permit the petitioner at this time to amend its pleadings so as to set up wholly new issues not heretofore raised and considered by us or the Court of Appeals and in respect of which it would be necessary to allow introduction of additional evidence? Solely for the convenience of the parties such additional proof has been recorded, but has not yet been received for consideration.

The rule seems to be well settled by the weight of authority that an inferior tribunal, upon remand of a cause by an appellate court, can not take any action not reasonably within the express or implied directions of the reviewing court. Upon entry of our decision on November 10, 1932, the proceeding was fully and finally disposed of so far as concerned this Board, and upon appeal to the Circuit Court our general jurisdiction over the case then and there was ended. When our decision was reversed and the case remanded our jurisdiction was restored only to the extent necessary to carry out the court’s directions. The case of In re Sanford Fork & Tool Co., 160 U. S. 247, 255, clearly states the rule as follows:

When a case has been once decided by this court on appeal, and remanded to the Circuit Court, whatever was before this court, and disposed of by its decree, is considered as finally settled. The Circuit Court is bound by the decree as the law of the case; and must carry it into execution, according to the mandate. The court can not vary it, or examine it for any other purpose than execution; or give any other or further relief; or review it, even for apparent error, upon any matter decided on appeal; or intermeddle with it, further than to settle so much as has been remanded.

To the same effect see also In re Potts, 166 U.S. 263; D'Arcy v. Jackson, etc., Co., 212 Fed. 889; Goldwyn Pictures Corporation v. Howels Sales Co., 287 Fed. 100.

[988]*988It is obvious, we tliiuk, that petitioner is hero seeking for the first time “ other and further relief ” not accorded by the decision of the Circuit Court, and this, the Supreme Court plainly says, can not be given by the trial court, Avhich is bound to carry the decree of the reviewing court into execution, according to the mandate.

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Related

Pollei v. Commissioner
94 T.C. No. 35 (U.S. Tax Court, 1990)
Peavy-Byrnes Lumber Co. v. Commissioner
31 B.T.A. 985 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1935)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
31 B.T.A. 985, 1935 BTA LEXIS 1038, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/peavy-byrnes-lumber-co-v-commissioner-bta-1935.