Phipps v. United States

22 C.C.P.A. 595, 1935 CCPA LEXIS 19
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedFebruary 25, 1935
DocketNo. 3838; No. 3841
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 22 C.C.P.A. 595 (Phipps v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Phipps v. United States, 22 C.C.P.A. 595, 1935 CCPA LEXIS 19 (ccpa 1935).

Opinion

Lenroot, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

These are cross appeals in a reappraisement proceeding wherein the United States Customs Court, Third Division, reversed a judgment of the single judge sitting in reappraisement, the appellate division holding that appellant’s appeal to reappraisement should have been dismissed “as having been filed too late.” The importer will hereinafter be referred to as “appellant” as we find it unnecessary to consider the Government’s cross appeal.

From the judgment so rendered by said Third Division appellant filed a petition for review by this court, assigning 38 errors. The United States cross-appealed, assigning 7 errors, for the purpose of presenting an alternative claim that, if this court should hold that appellant’s appeal was timely, the single judge and the appellate division lacked jurisdiction of appellant’s appeal to reappraisement by reason of the fact, claimed by the Government, that appellant had failed to comply with statutory provisions in making his entry, precluding any right to appeal to reappraisement by him.

This proceeding arises out of the importation of a diamond and emerald necklace purchased in England by appellant and imported by him as a part of his personal baggage at the port of New York on June 21, 1930.

[597]*597Tbe conceded facts shown by tbe record are that, upon bis arrival at tbe port of New York, appellant presented to tbe customs examiner a “Baggage Declaration and Entry” which bad been previously prepared by him, and in which be bad listed all tbe articles purchased by him in England, stating tbe value of each, with tbe exception of tbe necklace here involved; as to this necklace, be stated to tbe ■examiner on tbe dock that be purchased tbe necklace as an antique for which be paid £6000 Sterbng, and claimed tbe article to be free ■of duty as an antique; at tbe same time be produced a consular invoice •showing a purchase price of £6000 for said necklace. His claim of antiquity was not approved by tbe examiner at tbe dock, who, after ■converting tbe stated purchase price of £6000 into dollars, amounting to $29,100, wrote said last named sum in red ink upon tbe face of tbe baggage declaration immediately over tbe words “One antique ■necklace,” and in red ink tbe figures £6000 immediately after tbe word “necklace;” said red ink notations were made after appellant bad completed, signed, and presented bis baggage declaration; tbe ■examiner at tbe dock then sent tbe necklace to tbe pubbc stores for re-examination, and upon such re-examination it was held not to be an antique. Thereafter tbe Treasury Department, while tbe necklace was still in customs custody, permitted tbe plaintiff to manipulate it by removing the precious stones therefrom under color of section 562 of tbe Tariff Act of 1930. As a result of this action tbe necklace, which in its imported condition was subject to classification for duty as jewelry, was advisorily returned as precious stones and a mounting, tbe precious stones being appraised at $21,000, as shown by red ink notations upon a memorandum in evidence attached to tbe baggage declaration, and tbe mounting as jewelry valued at $20. Tbe appraiser’s red ink notations further ..show that be described tbe precious stones as dutiable at 10 per centum, and tbe mounting at 80 per centum. The record fairly indicates that, bad this manipulation and segregation of tbe precious stones not been permitted, appellant would have returned tbe necklace to tbe seller in England rather than pay duty upon tbe value thereof as jewelry at tbe rate of 80 per centum ad valorem.

It appears from said memorandum that duty was assessed upon tbe stones and mountings in tbe sum of $2,116.00, and on August 28, 1930, this sum was paid by appellant to tbe collector and tbe necklace, as manipulated, was released from customs custody to appellant. We find no liquidation stamp upon any of tbe entry papers other than one dated July 27, 1931, but there does appear on said memorandum two “Paid” stamps, one bearing date August 28, 1930, and tbe other, by tbe Comptroller of Customs, bearing date August 29, 1930. Apparently tbe entry of said necklace was liquidated by tbe collector on August 28, 1930.

[598]*598Upon tbe back of the baggage declaration there are certain red ink notations, the first of which are partly illegible, but they indicate that they were intended to record the original appraisement of $21,000 for precious stones and $20 for the mounting. In these notations the red figures “$21,000 ” have been crossed out in red ink, and the figures “$29,200” written above the same.

Below the above-mentioned notations there appears in red ink the following:

Collr
Please note above for the consideration of this_(illegible) Appraised value $29200 or
the equivalent of £6000.0.0 price paid by importer

Upon the face of the aforesaid memorandum attached to the baggage declaration there appears in red ink the following, under the heading “Appraiser's Return:”

1 mounting — jewelry $20 used
broken
reconsidered value of precious stones $29,180

Below this notation appears the date 9/29/30. It thus appears that on September 29, 1930, the necklace, as manipulated, was again appraised. The following day, September 30, 1930, the Collector of Customs wrote appellant a letter which reads as follows:

Reference is made to the Baggage Declaration made by you on arrival per steamship Berengaria, June 21, 1930, and particularly to a diamond and emerald necklace, brought,in by you. Manipulation of the article was permitted by the Treasury Department under the provisions of Section 562 of the Tariff Act of 1930.
In assessing duty the officer returned “Jewelry $20.00 at 80 per cent, duty $16.00” and “Precious stones $21,000.00 at 10 per cent, duty $2,100.00.” As Section 562 provides for the collection of duty on the entered value of an article, and as the entered value of the article was $30,000.00, there is a balance of dutiable value of $8,180.00 of precious stones at 10 per cent.
There is, therefore, due the Government an additional sum of $818.00, which I will thank you to forward to the Entry Division, Custom House, New York, in the form of a certified check drawn to the order of the Collector of Customs, New York. This office regrets any inconvenience the error may cause you.

Thereafter considerable correspondence took place between appellant’s attorneys and customs officers of the Government, only a portion of which was introduced in evidence.

[599]*599On May 21, 1931, tbe Assistant Collector of Customs at New York wrote appellant’s attorney a letter which reads as follows:

Reference is made to your communication of the 18th instant, which again refers to a diamond and emerald necklace brought in by Mr. John S. Phipps, a passenger on the S/S Berengaria, arrival of June 21,1930.

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Bluebook (online)
22 C.C.P.A. 595, 1935 CCPA LEXIS 19, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/phipps-v-united-states-ccpa-1935.