Pratt v. United States

50 Fed. Cl. 469, 88 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 7153, 2001 U.S. Claims LEXIS 256, 2001 WL 1134513
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedSeptember 25, 2001
DocketNo. 00-674C
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 50 Fed. Cl. 469 (Pratt v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pratt v. United States, 50 Fed. Cl. 469, 88 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 7153, 2001 U.S. Claims LEXIS 256, 2001 WL 1134513 (uscfc 2001).

Opinion

OPINION

MILLER, Judge.

This case is before the court on defendant’s motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, for summary judgment. The issue for decision is whether disclaimers in a tax sale contract preclude the purchaser’s claims for breach when the IRS allegedly failed to properly levy and seize the property and when the tax sale contract also contained language, that notice had been given according to legal requirements. Argument is deemed unnecessary.

FACTS

Except where noted, the following facts are undisputed. Bruce C. Pratt (“plaintiff’) is a real estate agent residing in San Francisco, CA. On June 16, 1992, plaintiff purchased real property located at 1547 28th Ave., San Francisco (the “property”), at a tax hen sale conducted by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”).

1. The seizure and sale of the property

The levy and seizure process began when the property’s original owner, Dennis J. Te-jada, failed to pay properly assessed federal income taxes on the property for calendar years 1982 and 1983. On February 16,1988, the IRS filed a Notice of Federal Tax Lien against Mr. Tejada. Before the IRS took further action, Mr. Tejada recorded a grant deed purporting to transfer title of the property to the Dolphin Business Trust (“Dolphin”) on November 8, 1991. At that time Mr. Tejada and Linda Caswell were Dolphin’s co-trustees. The IRS served a Notice of Levy and a Notice of Seizure on Mr. Tejada four days later. On or about December 2, 1991, Mr. Tejada departed Dolphin, leaving Ms. CasweU as sole trustee. On December 26, 1991, the IRS recorded a Corrected Notice of Tax Lien on the property.1 [473]*473None of these documents was mailed to or personally served on Ms. Caswell or Dolphin.

On February 5, 1992, the IRS discovered the grant deed from Mr. Tejada to Dolphin. The IRS took no steps to amend the Notices of Levy and Seizure.

On or about May 20, 1992, the IRS mailed to Mr. Tejada a Notice of Public Auction of the property. The notice recited that the property would be sold at public auction pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. (I.R.C.) § 6335 (1994 & Supp. V 1999). The IRS published notice of the auction, informing purchasers that

[ojnly the interest of Dennis J. Tejada in and to the property will be offered for sale. If requested, the [IRS] will furnish information about possible encumbrances, which may be useful in determining the value of the interest being sold (See the back of this form for further details.).

The IRS also published a Notice of Encumbrances Against or Interests in Property Offered for Sale (the “Notice of Encumbrances”). The Notice of Encumbrances listed a private California bank and the federal tax lien as senior lienholders and the state of California and Dolphin as junior lienholders. Dolphin was identified as having a “grant deed” interest. The information contained within the Notice of Encumbrances was identical to that available by a title search of public records.

Of significance to this case, the bottom of the Notice of Encumbrances contained a disclaimer that recited:

The [IRS] does not warrant the correctness or completeness of the above information, and provides the information solely to help the prospective bidders determine the value of the interest being sold. Bidders should, therefore, verify for themselves the validity, priority, and amount of encumbrances against the property offered for sale. Each party listed above was mailed a notice of sale on or before May 21, 1992.

The Public Auction Notice explained the interests of the senior lienholders:

[T]he property is offered for sale subject to any prior valid outstanding mortgages, encumbrances, or other liens in favor of third parties against the taxpayer that are superior to the lien of the United States.

(Emphasis in original.) As to the junior lienholders, it advised:

A certificate of sale of personal property given or a deed to real property executed pursuant to section 6338 [governing issuance of such documents] shall discharge such property from all liens, encumbrances, and titles over which the lien of the United States with respect to which the levy was made had priority.

The terms of sale included a general disclaimer:

All property is offered for sale “where is” and “as is” and without recourse against the United States. No guaranty or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the validity of the title, quality, quantity, weight, size, or condition of any of the property, or its fitness for any use or purpose. No claim will be considered for allowance or adjustment or for rescission of the sale based on failure of the property to conform with any expressed or implied representation.

An identical disclaimer appeared on the Notice of Encumbrances. Yet, following this disclaimer, the Notice of Encumbrances represented: “Notice of sale has been given in accordance with legal requirements.”

The property was offered at auction on June 16, 1992. The IRS orally informed potential bidders that a grant deed to the property had been recorded in favor of Ms. Caswell as Dolphin’s trustee, but that the grant deed had been recorded after the Notice of Federal Tax Lien had been filed. Plaintiff successfully bid on the property, paying $107,000.00. He subsequently received a Certificate of Sale of Real Property, which stated, inter alia, that the deed to the property “will convey the right, title, and interest of the taxpayer to the real property.” The deed was issued on December 17, 1992.

2. The legal proceedings

Following the sale, Ms. Caswell informed plaintiff of Dolphin’s position that the seizure and sale of the property had been improper. On February 19, 1993, plaintiff filed a quiet [474]*474title action against Ms. Caswell, Dolphin, and the United States in the United States District Court, Northern District of California. The United States answered and filed a Notice of Disclaimer denying any right, title, or interest in the property. At no time did the United States report or allege the sale was defective. Ms. Caswell and Dolphin then successfully moved to dismiss the ease for lack of federal jurisdiction.

On April 27, 1994, Dolphin filed a quiet title action against plaintiff, alleging that improprieties in the seizure of the property rendered plaintiffs title defective. Dolphin served the IRS with a subpoena duces tecum requesting documents related to the levy and seizure of the property. The IRS informed Dolphin that it was unable to locate the relevant files. On August 17, 1995, the IRS located certain trust documents responsive to the subpoena.2 The Superior Court for the State of California, County of San Francisco, granted title to plaintiff and awarded him damages proximately flowing from the decision as to title.

On the last day available for appeal, plaintiff sold the property to a third party for $230,000.00. That decision proved premature when Ms. Caswell appealed on the same day. On March 6,1998, the Court of Appeal of the State of California, First Appellate District, reversed the San Francisco superior court, holding that service on Mr. Tejada was insufficient to serve Dolphin with notice of the tax sale and thus negated the sale. Ms.

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

Related

Chisum v. United States
Federal Claims, 2021
Henderson v. United States
Federal Claims, 2021
Lake Borgne Basin Levee District v. United States
127 Fed. Cl. 321 (Federal Claims, 2016)
Sgs-92-X003 v. United States
118 Fed. Cl. 492 (Federal Claims, 2014)
Dobyns v. United States
118 Fed. Cl. 289 (Federal Claims, 2014)
Mata v. United States
114 Fed. Cl. 736 (Federal Claims, 2014)
White Buffalo Construction, Inc. v. United States
546 F. App'x 952 (Federal Circuit, 2013)
SUFI Network Services, Inc. v. United States
105 Fed. Cl. 184 (Federal Claims, 2012)
White Buffalo Construction, Inc. v. United States
101 Fed. Cl. 1 (Federal Claims, 2011)
Fernandez de Iglesias v. United States
96 Fed. Cl. 352 (Federal Claims, 2010)
Mastrolia v. United States
91 Fed. Cl. 369 (Federal Claims, 2010)
Elk v. United States
87 Fed. Cl. 70 (Federal Claims, 2009)
Cook v. United States
85 Fed. Cl. 820 (Federal Claims, 2009)
Black v. United States
84 Fed. Cl. 439 (Federal Claims, 2008)
Kenney Orthopedic, LLC v. United States
83 Fed. Cl. 35 (Federal Claims, 2008)
Agredano v. United States
82 Fed. Cl. 416 (Federal Claims, 2008)
Bannum, Inc. v. United States
80 Fed. Cl. 239 (Federal Claims, 2008)
Flowers v. United States
80 Fed. Cl. 201 (Federal Claims, 2008)
Ancman v. United States
77 Fed. Cl. 368 (Federal Claims, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
50 Fed. Cl. 469, 88 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 7153, 2001 U.S. Claims LEXIS 256, 2001 WL 1134513, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pratt-v-united-states-uscfc-2001.