United States v. Globe Indemnity Co.

17 F. Supp. 838, 18 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1054, 1936 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1691
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedNovember 25, 1936
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 17 F. Supp. 838 (United States v. Globe Indemnity Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Globe Indemnity Co., 17 F. Supp. 838, 18 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1054, 1936 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1691 (S.D.N.Y. 1936).

Opinion

WOOLSEY, District Judge.

I shall very reluctantly direct a verdict for the plaintiff in this case.

I. This is an action brought by the government against the Globe Indemnity Company on a bond executed by that company in the sum of $75,000 as surety to secure disputed income taxes of J. A. Migel, Inc., for its fiscal year beginning December 1, 1918, and ending November 30, 1919.

The principal amount of the tax has all been paid and this suit is brought to recover interest only from November 15, 1920, the date on which the fourth installment payment became due, to wit :

(1) Interest on the sum of $40,000 from the 15th day of November, 1920, to the 24th day of April, 1929, when the said sum was paid.

(2) Interest on the sum of $195.65 from November 15,1920, to October 5,1929, when that sum was paid. This amounts to $103.69.

This makes a total amount demanded by the government in this case for unpaid interest on delayed tax payments of $20,356.39.

II. The statement of facts has been agreed, and, so far as here relevant, is as follows:

• The plaintiff is a corporation sovereign and body politic.

The defendant, Globe Indemnity Company, is, and at all the times hereinafter mentioned was, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the state of New York, with its principal office and place of business at 150 William street, New York City, in the state and Southern judicial district of New York within the jurisdiction of this court.

J. A. Migel, Inc., on March 1, 1920, and thereafter, was a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the state of New Jersey and authorized to engage in business in the state of New York and had offices in the county and state of New York within the jurisdiction of this court.

At the time of the service of the summons and complaint in this action, J. A. Migel, Inc., had ceased its corporate activity, was formally dissolved, and had no funds or property wherewith to satisfy any judgment that might be entered in this ac[840]*840tion and no offices at which or officers upon whom service of process might be made.

This is an action at law founded on contract arising out of the laws of the United States providing for the internal revenue duly authorized by the Attorney General of the United States at the request of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue.

During the fiscal year, December 1, 1918, to November 30, 1919, both inclusive, J. A. Migel, Inc., received income and profits while engaged in business in the city of New York, state of New York, and in the Second United States Internal Revenue Collection District in New York, whereby it became liable to the United States government for income and profits taxes.

On or about March 1, 1920, J. A. Migel, Inc., filed with the collector of internal revenue for the Second United States Internal Revenue Collection District of New York its corporation income and profits tax return for its fiscal year, disclosing a tax due the plaintiff in the amount of $344,724.13, which amount was duly assessed on the March, 1920, list of income tax assessments for the Internal Revenue District as account No. 401080, and then became due and was to be paid in four equal installments on February 15, 1920, May 15, 1920, August 15, 1920, and November 15, 1920.

Prior to November 15, 1920, payments were made as follows: March 1, 1920, $86,181.03; May 17, 1920, $86,181.03; August 23, 1920, $86,181.03; and there .remained unpaid and unsatisfied on said assessment $86,181.04.

On November 15, 1920, J. A. Migel, Inc., filed with the collector of internal revenue a claim for the abatement of the full amount of the balance remaining unpaid on said assessment.

On March 12, 1923, J. A. Migel, Inc., as principal, and the defendant, Globe Indemnity Company, as surety, filed with the collector for the Second United States Internal Revenue District of New York, a bond in the amount of $100,000 to stay the collection of said unpaid balance of $86,181.04, pending decision on said claim of J. A. Migel, Inc., for abatement of $86,181.04.

Thereafter the Commissioner of Internal Revenue duly considered the claim in abatement above mentioned, and on* December 11, 1926, allowed the same in the amount of $40,351.77, and rejected it in .the amount of $45,829.27, of which action he notified J. A. Migel, Inc., by letter of that date sent by mail to its then address, 422 Fourth avenue, New York City, and, thereafter, on or about February 7, 1927, an overassessment of $40,351.77 was duly scheduled, and of the amount originally assessed $45,829.27 remained due, unpaid, and unabated.

On or about February 8, 1927, J. A. Migel, Inc., filed its petition with the United States Board of Tax Appeals for a redetermination of its tax as set forth in the aforesaid notice of December 11, 1926, which petition was duly docketed as J. A. Migel, Incorporation, Petitioner, v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Respondent, No. 23891.

While the above cause was so pending, and on April 21, 1927, at the city of New York, in the state and Southern district of New York, J. A. Migel, Inc., as principal, and the defendant, as surety, executed and delivered to the plaintiff at the hands of the aforesaid collector of internal revenue, a bond in the sum of $75,000 to stay the collection of said sum of $45,829.27 pending the decision of the petition by the United States Board of Tax Appeals, and secured in exchange for this bond the' release and surrender of the bond hereinbefore referred to, which was in the amount of $100,000.

Induced thereby and in reliance on. the above-mentioned bond in the amount of $75,000, the plaintiff accepted the same and released the first bond in the sum of $100,000 and surrendered it to J. A. Migel, Inc., and the Globe Indemnity Company.

Thereafter and on or about September 24, 1929, J. Marvin Haynes, counsel for J. A. Migel, Inc., petitioner, in the appeal before the United States Board of Tax Appeals, and C. N. Charest, general counsel for the Bureau of Internal Revenue, entered into and filed with the United States Board of Tax Appeals, in the matter of the appeal of J. A. Migel, Inc., Petitioner v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Respondent, the following stipulation:

“It is agreed and stipulated by and between J. Marvin Haynes, counsel for the petitioner in .the above-entitled appeal, and C. N. Charest, General Counsel, Bureau of Internal Revenue, that the following represents the correct tax liability of the [841]*841petitioner for the fiscal year ended November 30, 1919:
“Total tax assessed $344,724.13
Less: Tax abated
(Sch. No. 23819) 40,351.77
Net tax assessed $304,372.36
Total tax paid 298,543.09
Correct tax liability 298,738.74
Deficiency in payment 195.65
Unpaid taxes to be abated 5,633.62
“It is further agreed that the Board of Tax Appeals may enter a final order of redetermination in accordance with this stipulation.

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Bluebook (online)
17 F. Supp. 838, 18 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1054, 1936 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1691, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-globe-indemnity-co-nysd-1936.