United States v. Harold (In re Harold)

588 B.R. 484
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedAugust 20, 2018
DocketCase No. 16-40659; Adversary Proceeding No. 16-5041-PJS
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 588 B.R. 484 (United States v. Harold (In re Harold)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Harold (In re Harold), 588 B.R. 484 (Mich. 2018).

Opinion

Phillip J. Shefferly, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Introduction

Patrice Lynette Harold ("Debtor") is a Chapter 7 bankruptcy debtor. The United States of America (hereafter, "IRS"), filed a complaint seeking a determination that the Debtor's federal income tax debts for the years 2004 through 2012, and 2014, are nondischargeable in her bankruptcy case. The IRS filed a motion for partial summary judgment regarding the taxes for 2008 and 2010. For the reasons set forth in this opinion, the Court will grant the motion and hold that the Debtor's federal *487income taxes for 2008 and 2010 are nondischargeable under § 523(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the Bankruptcy Code.

Jurisdiction

This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(I), over which the Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334(a) and 157(a).

Procedural History

The Debtor filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition on January 20, 2016. On November 15, 2016, the IRS filed a three count complaint under § 523(a)(1)(A), (B) and (C) of the Bankruptcy Code. On January 5, 2018, the IRS filed a motion for partial summary judgment ("Motion") (ECF No. 75) with respect to counts I and II of the complaint. The Motion is supported by lengthy transcripts of depositions, declarations and documents. At the joint request of the parties, the Court granted the Debtor an extended period of time to respond to the Motion, in part because of ongoing discovery and in part because of some related litigation pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

On April 9, 2018, the Debtor filed a response (ECF No. 97) to the Motion, also supported by lengthy transcripts of depositions, documents and declarations. In the response, the Debtor consents to summary judgment on count I but opposes summary judgment on count II.

On July 17, 2018, the IRS filed a reply (ECF No. 100) to the Debtor's response.1 On July 23, 2018, the Court heard the Motion and took it under advisement. The Court is now ready to rule.

Facts

From its review of the Motion, the response, the reply and the entire file, the Court finds that the following facts are not in dispute.

The Debtor is married to Thomas Barrow ("Barrow"). Historically, they have filed joint federal income tax returns. In March, 2009, Barrow hired Lothamer Tax Resolution, Inc. ("Lothamer") and gave it a power of attorney to help him and the Debtor try to resolve with the IRS their past due taxes going back to 2003. The person assigned to their file at Lothamer was Akono Gross ("Gross"). While Gross was working on helping Barrow and the Debtor address their past due taxes, the Debtor and Barrow obtained a six-month extension of the April 15, 2009 due date for their 2008 return.

On June 2, 2009, Gross sent a fax to Antoinette Cooley ("Cooley"), the IRS revenue officer assigned to the file for the Debtor and Barrows. The fax stated that the 2008 return for the Debtor and Barrows "was sent to the IRS for filing on June 1, 2009." Gross enclosed the first two pages of the return with the fax. The 2008 return had been prepared by Barrow, but Barrow says he gave the return to Gross to file. Gross does not remember if he mailed the return for filing, but says that it was ordinarily his practice to file returns by regular mail, sent to the IRS service center, and not to a revenue officer.

On June 16, 2009, Gross sent a second fax to Cooley to "formally request to set up a step up payment plan with the IRS to settle individual income taxes owed." The fax also stated "[p]lease find enclosed copy *488of the 2008 individual income tax return" for the Debtor and Barrow. Gross testified at his deposition that this was a "courtesy copy," not intended for filing.

On July 6, 2009, Gross sent a third fax to Cooley, enclosing a Form 433-D, Installment Agreement, for the Debtor and Barrow. The tax periods covered by the installment agreement were 2003 through 2008.

On July 10, 2009, Cooley sent a letter to the Debtor and Barrow, with a copy to Gross, that stated that the IRS "approved your request to pay your taxes in installments." The letter stated that "the amount you owe as of 07/09/09 is $132,526.04." On the second page, the letter stated that

This installment agreement includes taxes for the following forms and tax periods:
Form Tax Period Form Tax Period Form Tax Period 1040 200312 1040 200412 1040 200512 1040 200612 1040 200712

Unlike the installment agreement sent by Gross to Cooley just a few days earlier, the taxes and periods covered in the approval did not include or otherwise mention 2008. Neither Gross nor Cooley remember ever speaking about this discrepancy with each other. Gross testified at his deposition that there must have been some mistake by Cooley and the IRS in not including 2008. Cooley testified at her deposition that 2008 would not have been included if the 2008 return had not yet been filed at the time of the installment agreement. Once the IRS sent its July 10, 2009 approval, Gross and Lothamer did not do any further work for the Debtor or Barrow. Eventually, the Debtor and Barrow defaulted under the installment agreement.

The 2010 return for the Debtor and Barrow was due on April 15, 2011. The Debtor and Barrow obtained a six-month extension. Barrow testified at his deposition that he prepared the 2010 return and sent it directly to Cooley, at her express direction. Barrow testified that he sent the return by certified mail, but could not locate the mail receipt card.

Years later, IRS revenue officer Christopher Smith ("Smith") was assigned to the Debtor's and Barrow's file to collect their outstanding tax debt. One of Smith's duties was to "secure any delinquent tax returns." At some point, Smith became aware that the IRS had no record of the Debtor's and Barrow's 2008 and 2010 returns being filed. In January, 2016, he contacted Lothamer, which still had a power of attorney on file with the IRS, and requested copies of the 2008 and 2010 returns. On January 8, 2016, Bridgette Austin, senior case manager at Lothamer, sent an email to Smith that stated as follows:

Attached, please find copies of the signed 2008 and 2010 1040 for [the Debtor and Barrow]. Please note, the 2008 return was filed with [revenue officer] Antoinette Cooley on June 16, 2009. I have included the fax confirmation page of this return, along with the 433-D sent by [ ] Cooley, which included the 2008 tax year. The taxpayers are requesting the 2008 return be processed and that the filing date and any resulting interest and penalties be adjusted to reflect the original filing date.
Mr. Barrow is still looking for his signed certified slip for the original filing date of the 2010 return.

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Bluebook (online)
588 B.R. 484, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-harold-in-re-harold-mieb-2018.