United States v. Miller

609 F.2d 336
Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit·Decided October 30, 1979·No. No. 79-1226·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

The Basic Bible Church of America (Church) and Lyle Miller, as director and trustee of the Church, appeal from an order of the district court1 directing them to comply with an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) summons. The appellants raise the following issues on appeal. (1) Did the district court lack personal jurisdiction over appellants? (2) Was the summons void because witness fees and mileage were not tendered to appellants? (3) Did the IRS comply with 26 U.S.C. § 7605(c)? (4) Did the district court improperly adopt the findings and recommendations of the federal magistrate? We affirm the order of the district court.

Between March and June 1977, the IRS made several unsuccessful attempts to obtain voluntary disclosure of information about the Basic Bible Church of America and its activities, for the purpose of reassessing the tax-exempt status of the Church under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3). On November 30, 1977, Revenue Agent John DeZelar served Lyle Miller, as director and trustee of the Church, with a summons directing him to appear and produce specified Church records and documents for IRS examination. Upon Miller’s failure to comply, the United States and DeZelar, on August 15, 1978, filed in the district court a petition for enforcement of the summons pursuant to 26 U.S.C. §§ 7402 and 7604. The district court issued an order to Miller and the Church to appear and show cause why they should not be compelled to testify and produce the requested records. The show cause order and petition to enforce the summons were served on Miller on September 19, 1978.

Miller responded by filing pro se a special appearance, motion to quash, and answer, in which he asserted that he had not been served with process as required by Fed.R. Civ.P. 3 and 4, and that the summons was null and void because he was not tendered witness fees. He further contended that the examination requested by the summons was unauthorized because the IRS did not assert a belief that the Church was engaged in unrelated business activity and that the proceedings were only for harassment purposes.

The case was referred to a federal magistrate for hearing. The government presented no witnesses but submitted to the court copies of the relevant correspondence between the IRS and the Church and Agent DeZelar’s statement that Miller and the Church had failed to comply with the agency’s request for information. The statement alleged that the information was necessary to determine the Church’s continuing eligibility for tax-exempt status and tax liability, if any, and that the information requested was not otherwise in the possession of the IRS. Miller appeared specially at the hearing and reiterated the objections made in his answer. He declined the opportunity to question Agent DeZelar and requested that the petition to enforce be dismissed.

The magistrate recommended that the summons be enforced. He concluded that the court had jurisdiction under 26 U.S.C. §§ 7402 and 7604 and that Miller had properly been served with a copy of the show cause order. He found that the documents requested in the summons were not in possession of the IRS2 and were necessary to determine the Church’s tax liability, if any, and exempt status for the years 1973-76, and that Miller, although duly served, had failed to comply with the summons. The magistrate also found that there had been no recommendation by the IRS to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution of Miller, and that Miller failed to demonstrate that the IRS had any improper motive in issuing the summons.

Miller filed objections to the magistrate’s report, incorporating by reference all of his prior objections and specifically contending the IRS failed to comply with the restrictions imposed on the examination of church records by 26 U.S.C. § 7605(c).

[338]*338By order entered February 1, 1979, “based upon the Findings and Recommendation” of the magistrate, the district court ordered compliance with the summons within thirty days.

Appellant Miller argues first that the district court lacked personal jurisdiction because no summons and no complaint were served upon him as prescribed by Fed. R.Civ.P. 3 and 4. The district court predicated personal jurisdiction on the service of the show cause order and the petition for enforcement on Miller. This is a proper basis for asserting personal jurisdiction. United States v. Gajewski, 419 F.2d 1088, 1092 (8th Cir. 1969), cert. denied, 397 U.S. 1040, 90 S.Ct. 1361, 25 L.Ed.2d 651 (1970). Accord, Donaldson v. United States, 400 U.S. 517, 529, 91 S.Ct. 534, 27 L.Ed.2d 580 (1971).

Appellant argues that he was prejudiced because he was not given the usual twenty days to answer; the show cause order directing him to respond within ten days. However, no prejudice is apparent from the record. Appellant contends he was prejudiced because the show cause order precluded discovery procedures. Nothing in the show cause order precluded discovery. Furthermore, at the hearing before the magistrate appellant Miller refused the opportunity to cross-examine Agent DeZelar. See United States v. Church of Scientology, 520 F.2d 818, 823-25 (9th Cir. 1975); United States v. National State Bank, 454 F.2d 1249, 1252 (7th Cir. 1972).

Miller next contends the summons was void and the court lacked jurisdiction to enter an enforcement order because witness fees and mileage were neither tendered to him nor made part of the enforcement order.

In Roberts v. United States, 397 F.2d 968 (5th Cir. 1968), the Fifth Circuit held that witnesses summoned pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 7602, including the taxpayer whose liability was under investigation, were entitled to witness fees under 5 U.S.C. § 503, which authorizes payment of witness fees to persons subpoenaed to appear at a hearing before an agency. In Rev.Rul. 68-645, 1968-2 C.B. 599, the IRS stated it would follow that decision and would, upon request, pay witness fees and mileage to witnesses appearing in compliance with formal summonses issued under 26 U.S.C.

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

United States v. Miller, 609 F.2d 336 (8th Cir. 1979).

609 F.2d 336 (United States v. Miller) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related