United States v. Estate of Claude Beresford Pearce

498 F.2d 847, 34 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 74
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit
DecidedMay 31, 1974
Docket73-1012
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 498 F.2d 847 (United States v. Estate of Claude Beresford Pearce) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Estate of Claude Beresford Pearce, 498 F.2d 847, 34 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 74 (3d Cir. 1974).

Opinions

OPINION OF THE COURT

GARTH, Circuit Judge.

The sole issue with which we deal here is: is the denial of a motion to quash a sequestration order (issued in accordance with 10 Del.C. § 3661) appealable [848]*848under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 2 as an appeal of a “final order” ? We hold that an order denying such relief is not final and accordingly dismiss the appeal and remand to the district court for further proceedings.

I.

Litigation giving rise to this appeal commenced with a complaint filed by the United States (Plaintiff-Appellee) seeking among other relief a judgment against the Estate of Pearce:

(a) for unpaid estate taxes and interest in the amount of $268,876.18;

(b) for a lien on all property of the estate, including some 27,200 shares of common stock of United States Steel Corporation (“U.S.S.”);

(c) for an order pursuant to 10 Del.C. § S66 authorizing sequestration and seizure of the Estate’s property in Delaware, (including the U.S.S. stock) and appointing a Sequestrator.

On April 30, 1971 the district court entered an order appointing a Sequestrator and ordering sequestration of the Estate’s property in Delaware, including the U.S.S. shares. Thereafter the Estate moved to quash the order of sequestration. That motion asserted, inter alia, that the stock was not subject to sequestration by reason of the proceedings in Canada; that both Canada and the Province of Ontario have interests in and claims upon the stock; that the defendant “Estate of Claude Beresford Pearce” is not a proper defendant; and that the sequestration was defective because the non-residence of the named defendant was not alleged in the complaint as required by the Delaware statute.

On September 14, 1972 the district court filed an opinion 3 and entered an order denying the Estate’s motion to quash the April 30, 1971 order of sequestration. Thereafter the Estate moved for an order of certification [interlocutory appeal] under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b), which motion was denied by the district court. This appeal by the Estate, asserting jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, followed.4

[849]*849II.

Under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 “finality” is a prerequisite to appeal. This general rule, however, has been subject to certain qualifications and limitations. See Forgay v. Conrad, 47 (6 How.) U.S. 201, 202-203, 12 L.Ed. 404 (1848); Cohen v. Beneficial Industrial Loan Corporation, 337 U.S. 541, 69 S.Ct. 1221, 93 L.Ed. 1528 (1949); 9 Moore’s Federal Practice fl 110.08.

Our analysis of the “final” quality of a Delaware sequestration order (sustaining sequestration) requires us to look at the similar provisional remedy of attachment, inasmuch as the Delaware courts have held that the Delaware sequestration remedy is analogous to foreign attachment at law. Sands v. Lefcourt Realty Company, 35 Del.Ch. 340, 117 A.2d 365 (1955); Greene v. Johnston, 99 A.2d 627, 34 Del.Ch. 115 (1953); Wife, J.B.G. v. Husband, P.J.G., 286 A.2d 256 (Del.Ch., 1971) aff’d sub nom. Garretson v. Garretson, 306 A.2d 737 (Del.S.Ct., 1973).

Orders granting or denying attachment are ordinarily interlocutory and non-appealable, 9 Moore’s Federal Practice U 110.13[5J. The Estate urges upon us, however, that Cohen v. Beneficial Industrial Loan Corporation, supra, which upheld the appealability in a diversity action of an order requiring a plaintiff to post security for costs as a predicate to maintaining a stockholders derivative action, imparts that degree of “finality” to the September 14, 1972 order as would permit jurisdiction to attach. We cannot agree.

Mr. Justice Frankfurter, in discussing Cohen, supra, contrasted appellate review of an order dissolving attachment with appellate review where attachment is upheld. “Appellate review of the order dissolving the attachment at a later date would be an empty rite after the vessel had been released and the restoration of the attachment only theoretically possible .... The situation is quite different where an attachment is upheld pending determination of the principal claim. Such was Cushing v. Laird, 107, U.S. 69, 2 S.Ct. 196, 27 L.Ed. 391, which is urged on us. In such a situation the rights of all the parties can be adequately protected while the litigation on the main claim proceeds.” Swift & Co. Packers v. Compania Colombiana del Caribe S.A., 339 U.S. 684 at 689, 70 S.Ct. 861 at 865, 94 L.Ed. 1206 (1950) (dictum). The Supreme Court in that ease found “finality” in the former instance (i. e., where the attachment was dissolved) and denied it in the latter (where the attachment was upheld).

In Borden Company v. Sylk, 410 F.2d 843 (3d Cir. 1969) (while admittedly dealing with matters of discovery held ultimately to be non-collateral), Judge Aldisert of this court had the occasion to comment on the Cohen doctrine as follows: “We have detected what appears to be an irresistible impulse on the part of appellants to invoke the ‘collateral order’ doctrine whenever the question of appealability arises. Were we to accept even a small percentage of these sometime exotic invocations, this court would undoubtedly find itself reviewing more ‘collateral’ than ‘final’ orders.” 410 F.2d at 845-846. Further, “every interlocutory order involves, to some degree, a potential loss. That risk, however, must be balanced against the need for efficient federal judicial administration as evidenced by the Congressional prohibition of piecemeal appellate litigation. . . .” 410 F.2d at 846.

Reference was had to these same principles in West v. Zurhorst, 425 F.2d 919 (2d Cir. 1970). Judge Friendly, writing for the Second Circuit, held that a lower court order refusing to vacate an attachment was not appealable as a final deci - sion. Finding no authority in 28 U.S.C. § 1291 for such an appeal, Judge Friendly went on to discuss the “. . . [non-] desirability of an expansive reading of Cohen [v. Beneficial [850]*850Industrial Loan Corporation, supra]. . While the grievance created by an improper attachment pendente lite is ‘important’, 337 U.S. at 546, 69 S.Ct. 1221, 93 L.Ed. 1528 it is not important enough to make the decision ‘final’.” 425 F.2d at 921.5

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United States v. Estate of Claude Beresford Pearce
498 F.2d 847 (Third Circuit, 1974)

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498 F.2d 847, 34 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 74, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-estate-of-claude-beresford-pearce-ca3-1974.