United States v. Young

539 F. Supp. 48, 49 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1010, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17191
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedDecember 11, 1981
DocketNo. 76-C-332
StatusPublished

This text of 539 F. Supp. 48 (United States v. Young) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Young, 539 F. Supp. 48, 49 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1010, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17191 (E.D. Wis. 1981).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

WARREN, District Judge.

In this civil action, the United States of America (the “Government”) seeks to obtain judgments against Donald H. Young and Kathleen Young, husband and wife, for their alleged failure as responsible persons of the Ace Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc. (the “Company”) to pay over to the Government trust fund taxes of that company for the second through fourth quarters of 1969. In addition, the Government seeks judgments against Donald Bruce Young and Ronald J. and Patricia A. Werowinski as transferees and fraudulent conveyors of a parcel of property formerly owned by Donald H. and Kathleen Young which, the Government claims, is subject to a federal tax lien. Finally, the Government seeks to enforce its tax lien, in part, by foreclosing a 15 foot by 200 foot parcel of property currently owned by Donald H. and Kathleen Young.

In a memorandum and order filed April 3, 1979, the Court granted the Government’s motion for partial judgment and found Donald H. Young liable under 26 U.S.C. § 6672 for the Company’s unpaid trust fund taxes. The Court reached that decision after concluding that Donald H. Young was a responsible person required to collect the taxes in question and that he willfully failed to pay the taxes over to the Government. In its April, 1979, memorandum and order, the Court also found Kathleen Young to be a responsible person re[50]*50quired to collect taxes for the Company. It denied the Government’s motion for summary judgment with respect to her, however, after concluding that genuine issues remained as to whether she knew the taxes were due and whether she knew they were not paid.

On November 10, 1980, the first day of a three-day court trial, the Government presented its evidence in support of its claims. On December 3, 1980, the Court dismissed the Government’s claim against Donald Bruce Young. On December 22, 1980, the remaining defendants presented their defenses, and on April 9, 1981, the parties presented their closing arguments to the Court. The following constitutes the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law required by Rule 52(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

I. Liability of Kathleen Young

Because the Court determined that Kathleen Young was a responsible person required to collect the trust taxes for the Company prior to the trial, the only issues remaining for trial on the Government’s claim against her were whether she knew the taxes were due and whether she willfully failed to pay them.

To establish that Kathleen Young knew the taxes were being withheld but not being paid over to the Government during the time in question, the Government relied primarily on Kathleen Young’s affirmative response to the following request for admission:

1(b) You knew that monies being withheld from the employees of Ace Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc., were not being paid over to the United States at various times during the second through fourth quarters of 1969.
Answer: Yes.

To establish that Kathleen Young willfully failed to pay over the trust taxes to the Government, the Government relied on portions of her testimony from trial. Specifically, it contended her willfulness was established by admissions that she was a part-time bookkeeper for the Company, that on weekends she balanced the Company’s checkbooks with her husband, and that she decided with her husband which creditors would be paid.

To establish Kathleen Young’s liability under section 6672, the Government also relied on the cancelled payroll checks and checks to creditors other than the Government which were endorsed by her during the second through the fourth quarters of 1969. In addition, the Government relied on Exhibit F, a Report of Interview with her conducted by Agent A. G. Seemann on February 2, 1971. Mrs. Young testified that she signed the report and that she always read things before signing. During the interview, in response to a series of questions, she indicated she first became aware that the taxes were not being paid when the first payment could not be met; that she tried to collect the money to pay it; and that she knew some materialmen were paid during the period tax liabilities were accruing.

During questioning by her attorney, Kathleen Young attempted to minimize her involvement with the Company. She testified that during the period in question she worked as a housewife and full-time typist for Western Union in addition to working part-time for the Company. She said she never signed any of the Company’s tax returns and that it was not her job to pay the Company’s taxes.

Having considered Kathleen Young’s testimony and the evidence pertaining to the Government’s section 6672 claim, the Court has little difficulty in finding that Kathleen Young willfully failed to pay over the trust fund taxes due the Government during the second through fourth quarters of 1969. Although her day-to-day involvement with the Company was relatively minor in comparison to the involvement of her husband, her admission that she knew the taxes were not being paid while materialmen were being paid, and the copies of cancelled payroll checks and checks to creditors other than the Government firmly establish that she willfully failed to pay over the taxes due the Government by knowingly using availa[51]*51ble funds to prefer other creditors over the United States. Monday v. United States, 421 F.2d 1210 (7th Cir. 1970). Therefore, judgment against her in the amount of $11,206.02, the amount assessed by the Government on August 13, 1971, plus interest from that date, will be entered forthwith.

II. Enforcement of Judgment

Ordinarily, in actions arising under 26 U.S.C. § 6672, the Court need only determine whether a violation of the statute has occurred. In this action, however, the Court’s role is not completed at this juncture because the Government seeks to enforce its judgment against Donald H. and Kathleen Young by tracing a tax lien filed against a parcel of property formerly owned by them to the current residence of Patricia A. and Ronald J. Werowinski, their daughter and son-in-law. In addition, the Government seeks recovery against Donald Bruce Young, the son of Donald H. and Kathleen Young, and the Werowinskis on the basis of their alleged involvement in transactions which the Government asserts were fraudulent. After discussing the events surrounding the transfer of the property in question, the Court will address the Government’s alternative theories for enforcing its judgment.

A. Property Transfers.

Three parcels of property, owned or formerly owned by various members of the Young family, are involved in this action. Parcel I is a 63 foot by 200 foot vacant lot located in Franklin, Wisconsin. In 1971, the lot was owned by Mildred Young, Donald H. Young’s mother. In September of 1973, Mildred Young sold this parcel to the Werowinskis. In 1979, the Werowinskis transferred this parcel, along with Parcel II, to Robert E. and Ruth L. Frederickson. Neither the Fredericksons nor Mildred Young are parties to this action.

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539 F. Supp. 48, 49 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1010, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17191, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-young-wied-1981.