United States v. Maddas

109 F. Supp. 607, 43 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 324, 1953 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3232
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 15, 1953
DocketCiv. A. 6432
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 109 F. Supp. 607 (United States v. Maddas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Maddas, 109 F. Supp. 607, 43 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 324, 1953 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3232 (W.D. Pa. 1953).

Opinion

GOURLEY, Chief Judge.

This is a proceeding by the United States of America to enforce and foreclose certain tax liens against Frank A. Maddas, taxpayer, and those who claim a proprietary interest in the property of the debtor, pursuant to Section 3678 of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C.A. § 3678.

The defendants, Frank A. Maddas, Laura C. Maddas, his wife, Nick J. Gentile and First Jeannette Bank and Trust Company, have not appeared or filed answers to the complaint and the United States of America is entitled to the relief prayed for in the complaint.

The defendants who contest the claim of the United States of America are:

(1) County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania.

(2) City of Jeannette, Pennsylvania.

(3) School District of Jeannette, Pennsylvania.

[609]*609Each of said defendants is a local taxing unit of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania within the jurisdiction of the court, which assert tax liens against the real estate interests of the debtor, Frank A. Maddas, and which maintain that said tax liens have priority over the tax liens of the United States of America.

Action was instituted on April 15, 1947 and the facts are not in dispute, so that the determination herein must relate itself solely to the law.

The taxpayer filed income tax returns for the years 1920, 1921 and 1922, which were false and fraudulent and filed with the intention to evade federal taxes.

On August 10, 1935, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue made jeopardy assessments of income taxes for 1920 to 1922, inclusive, in the total amount of $2,570,663.-70, including penalties and assessed interest. The assessment list was signed by the Commissioner and was scheduled to and received by the Collector at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on August 12, 1935. Notice and demand were made on August 13, August 24 and September 4, 1935. Notices of tax liens were duly filed by the collector with the clerk of the United States District Court for this District and the Prothonotary of Westmoreland County, on or about July 27 and July 29, 1939.

Prior to July 27 and July 29, 1939, the County of Westmoreland, City of Jeannette and School District of Jeannette levied and assessed real estate taxes for 1939 against the property of the taxpayer in the following face amounts:

These taxes became liens against the real estate of taxpayer on the following dates:

The above mentioned local taxes remaining unpaid were returned by the City Treasurer of the City of Jeannette and ex-officio tax collector for taxes assessed on property lying therein unto the County Treasurer of Westmoreland County and the same remaining unpaid, the property of the taxpayer was exposed to sale by the Treasurer of Westmoreland County on April 23, 1942, and was at that sale purchased by the County Commissioners of Westmoreland County as trustees for the various taxing authorities herein named, and the properties have never been redeemed by the payment of these taxes.

The commissioner duly mailed to the taxpayer a 90-day notice of the assessments of federal taxes referred to above on or about September 17, 1935. These taxes were subsequently reduced by payment and abatements leaving outstanding unpaid taxes, penalties and interest as follows:

The taxpayer appealed to the Board of Tax Appeals (now the United States Tax Court) which sustained the validity of the Commissioner’s assessments, 40 B.T.A. 572, and upon appeal the decision of the Board of Tax Appeals was affirmed. Maddas v. Commissioner, 3 Cir., 114 F.2d 548.

In its decision the Board of Tax Appeals determined total deficiencies and penalties of $877,789.02. No part of this amount has been paid and the-re is now due and owing that amount plus ássessed interest of $378,-894.51, a total of $1,256,683.53, together with accrued interest as provided by law thereon from the dates of assessment.

On September 29, 1940, the Board of Tax Appeals (now the United States Tax Court) entered an order determining a deficiency in income taxes against the taxpayer for 1936, in the amount of $7,420.56. The taxpayer took no appeal from this decision.

On January 3, 1941, the commissioner assessed a deficiency in tax for 1936 of $7,-420.56, plus interest of $1,707.16, or a total of $9,127.72. The commissioner’s assessment list signed by him was scheduled to and received by the Collector of Internal [610]*610Revenue at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on or about January 5, 1941. Notice and demand for payment were made upon the taxpayer by the collector on or about January 5, 1941, but no part thereof has been paid.

The taxpayer submitted a written offer in compromise of deficiencies, taxes, penalties and interest assessed for the years 1920, 1921, and 1922, dated July 12, 1937, which was received by the Collector of Internal Revenue at Pittsburgh, on the same date. Amended offers for the same years were submitted in writing by the taxpayer on May 6 and May 9, 1938, and were rejected by the commissioner on September 6, 1938.

The taxpayer also submitted a written offer in compromise for these same taxes dated September 23, 1940, which was received by the Collector at Pittsburgh on or about September 27, 1940, and was withdrawn by the taxpayer by letter dated October 31, 1941.

The taxpayer also submitted a written offer in compromise for income tax liabilities for the years 1920, 1921, 1922 and 1936, dated May 7, 1945, which was received by the Collector at Pittsburgh on May 11, 1945. A corrected amended offer including the tax liabilities of the taxpayer for 1939 dated May 7, 1945, was received by the collector on October 31, 1946, and was rejected by the United States Attorney General on January 21, 1947.

In making each of the above offers and amended offers the taxpayer expressly agreed in writing as part of each of the offers and amended offers to waive the benefit of any statute of limitations applicable to the assessments and/or collection of the liabilities sought to be compromised and agreed to the suspension of the running of the statutory period of limitations on assessments and/or collections during the period which these offers were pending or during which any installment remained unpaid and for one year thereafter which waivers were duly accepted for and on behalf of the commissioner by the Collector of Pittsburgh.

The waivers mentioned above were not recorded in Westmoreland County, and neither the County, City nor School District was notified of the same.

The taxpayer was at all times from and long prior to August 12, 1935, down and subsequent to July 29, 1939, and until April 23, 1942, the date of the sale to1 the County Commissioners, the owner of the real estate described.

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Bluebook (online)
109 F. Supp. 607, 43 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 324, 1953 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3232, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-maddas-pawd-1953.