United States v. Welsh

305 F. Supp. 456, 25 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 721, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12515
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedOctober 15, 1969
DocketCiv. A. No. 66-797
StatusPublished

This text of 305 F. Supp. 456 (United States v. Welsh) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Welsh, 305 F. Supp. 456, 25 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 721, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12515 (D. Mass. 1969).

Opinion

OPINION

JULIAN, District Judge.

This is a civil action in which the United States, plaintiff, seeks to reduce [457]*457to judgment certain federal tax liabilities assessed against the defendant Robert J. Welsh, and to foreclose federal tax liens against certain brokerage commissions owed to the defendant Welsh by the defendant Springfield Freight Lines, Inc. (“Springfield”) and the defendant Hennis Freight Lines, Inc. (“Hennis”).

The action is brought pursuant to Sections 7401 and 7403 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, 26 U.S.C. §§ 7401 and 7403.

This Court has jurisdiction under the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 1340 and 26 U.S.C. § 7402(a).

The defendant Joseph R. Savoy lays claim to the same commissions by virtue of two assignments made to him by the defendant Welsh.

The defendant Hennis and its attorney, the defendant Arthur M. Marshall, assert a lien for costs and counsel fees in a fund of $6,000 now in the possession of Marshall constituting the commission owed by Hennis to Welsh.

The defendant Leonard S. Mich.lman, formerly counsel for Savoy, claims al. torney’s liens in the fund of $6,000 held by Marshall, and in the fund of $7,000, now in the hands of Savoy, which constitutes the commission owed by Springfield to Welsh.

The case was tried to the Court sitting without a jury.

On the basis of the evidence and of the stipulation of facts (Exh. 1) filed by the parties, I find the following facts:

On November 3, 1958, pursuant to Section 6672 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, 26 U.S.C. § 6672,1 a delegate of the Secretary of the Treasury made assessments in the total sum of $14,366.53 2 against the defendant Welsh as the responsible officer of Thru-Way Express, Inc., for willfully failing to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over to the plaintiff certain withholding and transportation excise taxes owed by Thru-Way Express, Inc., to the plaintiff. On the same date notice of the assessments was given to Welsh and demand made upon him for payment. The sum of $416.70 has been paid or credited on the assessments, leaving an unpaid balance of $13,949.83.

On June 2, 1960, notices of federal tax liens covering the assessments were filed with the Town Clerk of Longmeadow, Massachusetts — where Welsh has resided at all times pertinent to the issues in this case — and with the Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, the county in which Longmeadow is situated.

During 1963 and 1964 the defendant Welsh engaged in the business of finding sellers and buyers of trucking companies that held ICC certificates of public convenience and necessity. While so engaged he earned broker’s commissions in two unrelated transactions involving, respectively, the defendant Springfield Freight Lines, Inc., and the defendant Hennis Freight Lines, Inc. The commissions did not become due until the ICC approved the transfer of the certificates.

On April 15, 1963, Welsh assigned to the defendant Savoy his right to the broker’s commission from Springfield. This commission, however, did not come into existence until some unspecified time after April 15, 1963.

On July 12, 1964, Welsh assigned to Savoy “ * * * all my accounts receivable that are now due or that will become due including all contractual commissions.”

The commission that Welsh earned from Hennis did not come into existence until after July 13, 1964.

[458]*458Savoy retained defendant Michelman as his attorney to collect the commissions from Springfield and Hennis. Savoy agreed to pay Michelman one-third of the amounts collected plus expenses. As will hereafter appear in greater detail, Michelman thereupon brought suit to collect the commissions.

The parties have stipulated that Michelman is entitled to an attorney’s lien pursuant to General Laws of Massachusetts, chapter 221, section 50, for one-third of the gross amount of the recovery in each case. The parties have further stipulated that Michelman’s lien “is prior in right to any money received by the United States Government on account of its lien for federal taxes.” 3 The plaintiff caused a notice of levy to be served upon Hennis on March 11, 1965, and upon the defendant Marshall, the attorney for Hennis, on March 26, 1965. On April 8, 1965, the plaintiff served a final demand upon Marshall.

On June 5, 1963, and January 27, 1965, the plaintiff served a notice of levy, and on February 3, 1965, a final demand upon Springfield.

On February 5, 1964, Welsh signed six documents entitled “Tax Collection Waiver,” — Exhibits 2,- 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7— relating to the assessments mentioned above. These documents were also executed on the same date by a duly authorized Revenue Agent in behalf of the District Director of Internal Revenue.

Each said waiver contained the following agreement:

“It is hereby agreed by and between the above-named taxpayer, party of the first part, and the District Director of Internal Revenue, party of the second part, that the unpaid balance of the assessment identified below may be collected (together with such interest, penalties, or other additions as provided for by law which have accrued and which may accrue on the assessment) from said party of the first part by levy or by a proceeding in court begun on or before the date which is shown at the right hereof.”

Each waiver also contained the statement “Statute Extended to December 31, 1966” at the right of the agreement quoted above.

The assessments are identified in the waivers as follows:

CLASS OF TAX AND PERIOD ASSESSMENT DATE ACCOUNT NUMBER UNPAID BALANCE OF ASSESSMENT
Exhibit 2 Withheld 6-30-57 11-3-58 7-59 297506 $1,085.96
Exhibit 3 Withheld 9-30-57 11-3-58 7-59 297504 2,005.46
Exhibit 4 Withheld 12-31-57 11-3-58 7-59 297505 4,208.50
Exhibit 5 Withheld 3-31-58 11-3-58 7-59 297503 3,506.19
Exhibit 6 Excise 9-30-57 11-3-58 7-59 820000 2,193.09
Exhibit 7 Excise 3-31-58 11-3-58 7-59 820001 1,367.33

The unpaid balances of the assessments listed above totaled $14,366.53.

I find that the defendant Welsh understanding^ and voluntarily signed each of the six waivers.

Welsh claims that he signed the waivers extending the statute of limitations only because Revenue Agent Wisnoski represented that the plaintiff would accept the sum of $3,500 in full settlement [459]*459of what he owed.

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

Related

Glass City Bank v. United States
326 U.S. 265 (Supreme Court, 1945)
United States v. Security Trust & Savings Bank
340 U.S. 47 (Supreme Court, 1950)
United States v. City of New Britain
347 U.S. 81 (Supreme Court, 1954)
United States v. Acri
348 U.S. 211 (Supreme Court, 1955)
United States v. R. F. Ball Construction Co.
355 U.S. 587 (Supreme Court, 1958)
United States v. Pioneer American Insurance
374 U.S. 84 (Supreme Court, 1963)
Anthony Flan v. United States
326 F.2d 356 (Seventh Circuit, 1964)
Emil Horwitz v. United States
339 F.2d 877 (Second Circuit, 1965)
United States v. Joseph G. Lease
346 F.2d 696 (Second Circuit, 1965)
Joseph Datlof v. United States
370 F.2d 655 (Third Circuit, 1966)
United States v. Graham
96 F. Supp. 318 (S.D. California, 1951)
Datlof v. United States
252 F. Supp. 11 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 1966)
California v. United States
195 F.2d 530 (Ninth Circuit, 1952)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
305 F. Supp. 456, 25 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 721, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12515, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-welsh-mad-1969.