Virgo Corp. v. Paiewonsky

254 F. Supp. 405, 5 V.I. 359
District Court, Virgin Islands·Decided June 2, 1966·No. No. 37-1966·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

GORDON, District Judge

MEMORANDUM OPINION

The plaintiff has brought a motion pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for a summary judgment in its favor for the relief requested in its complaint. Plaintiff in its complaint seeks a declaratory judgment that §§ 511-518, Chapter 9, Title 83 V.I.C. as [361]*361amended by Act No. 1631 be declared null and void. Plaintiff in its complaint further seeks a permanent injunction prohibiting the defendant, Virgin Islands Government’s employees, from enforcing any statute directly or indirectly levying a tax on watches shipped from the Virgin Islands to the United States.

I

The history, in brief, leading to this action is that the plaintiff and defendants herein were similarly plaintiff and defendants in this Court’s Case No. 165-1965 testing §§ 511-518, Chapter 9, Title 33 of V.I.C. as created by Bill No. 2638 — Sixth Legislature of the Virgin Islands (Exhibit A herein).

On March 14, 1966, this Court issued its Memorandum Decision in said Case No. 165-1965. On March 16, 1966, this Court issued an order granting to plaintiff in that case a summary judgment invalidating said law.

On March 16,1966, in Special Session, the Virgin Islands Legislature passed Act No. 1631 (Exhibit E herein) entitled An Act to Amend Certain Provisions of Chapter 9, Title 33 of V.I.C. Relating to Production Taxes on Watches Manufactured in the Virgin Islands.

On March 22, 1966, that Act was approved by the Governor of the Virgin Islands.

That Bill amended in particular § 511(a) and (b); § 513, § 514(a), (b), (d) (1) and (3) and § 515.

Pursuant to said Act the plaintiff herein was sent a letter dated April 19,1966, from the Director of the Budget of the Virgin Islands setting forth a list of preliminary regular quotas for April 1, 1966, to March 31, 1967, which list included plaintiff’s preliminary regular quota.

On March 29, 1966, plaintiff filed its complaint in this action. On May 3, 1966, defendants filed their answer.

On May 9,1966, plaintiff brought on this motion for summary judgment based upon its verified complaint and at[362]*362tached affidavits. Defendants have filed no opposing affidavits nor documents of any kind.

II

It appears from the record herein that there does not exist material issues of fact in this case and the Court therefore will decide this case pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

III

Plaintiff in its complaint (page 5, paragraph 14) alleges as follows: “The invalidity of §§ 511-518, Chapter 9, Title 33 of V.I.C., as amended, has been determined by this Court and its Judgment, Exhibit D, is res adjudicata.” In connection therewith plaintiff in its complaint also alleges (page 5, paragraph 15): “Sections 511-518, Chapter 9, Title 33 of V.I.C., as amended, are null and void because they: (a) Contravene the provisions of (i) the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands (48 U.S.C.A. § 1406i) which provides that ‘no export duties shall be levied in the Virgin Islands except by Congress’ . . .”.

Defendants raise by oral argument that the Act as amended is a tax upon manufacturing on its face and not a tax upon exports and therefore is valid. Defendants assert' that a State can tax manufacturing within its borders and defendants cite Port Construction Co. v. The Government of the Virgin Islands, 5 V.I. 105, 237 F.Supp. 486. Defendants’ position is that the wording of the amended § 511(a) imposes a tax upon watches, clocks and timing apparatus manufactured in the Virgin Islands when sold or removed for sale, consumption or use and defendants therefore contend that this amendment creates a new tax and that that tax is by the wording of the new Act and upon its face a tax upon manufacturing and that the Court should accept it as such. Defendants assert that the plain[363]*363tiff is not engaged in manufacturing and selling watches in interstate and foreign commerce. Based upon the affidavits and documents on file that assertion is not founded.

IV

The following for comparison are the §§ 511-518 of Chapter 9, Title 33 which the Court determined invalid by its order of March 16, 1966 and Act No. 1631 containing the amended sections in issue:

“ACT 1518
“Sec. 511(a) There shall be imposed upon watches manufactured in the Virgin Islands, when sold or removed for sale, consumption or use, a tax at the rate of $2.50 per watch.
“(b) A credit of $2.47 per watch shall be allowed upon:
“(1) watches manufactured and sold for disposition in the course of retail trade in the Virgin Islands;
“(2) watches manufactured and exported to other than the customs area of the United States;
“(3) watches manufactured pursuant to a quota allocated to such manufacture in accordance with the provisions of sections 512 or 513 of this chapter.
“ (c) For the purpose of sections 511 through 518 of this chapter, ‘Watches manufactured in the Virgin Islands’ includes not only all watches resulting from the processing of raw materials or other component parts, whether by hand or machinery or both, but also all watches mechanical or otherwise, or assembly of watch movements with respect to which substantial industrial operations are undertaken in the Virgin Islands which, in the judgment of the Governor of the Virgin Islands, affect the economic stability and the commercial relations of the Virgin Islands.
“(d) The manufacturer liable for the payment of tax hereunder shall in each case submit such proof as .may be required by the Governor as is satisfactory to establish the rate or rates of tax applicable under subsections (a) and (b) of this section to the watch production of such manufacturer.
“(e) It shall be obligatory that the tax imposed by subsection (a) of this section be paid periodically, either by the manufacturer, an immediate or secondary purchaser from the mami[364]*364facturer, or a contract or common carrier, at such intervals and in accordance with such rules and regulations as shall be adopted pursuant to this title by the Governor.
“Sec. 512. An amount of 1,800,000 units of watches is hereby established as the maximum amount of watch production consistent with the protection of the economic stability and commercial relations of the Virgin Islands for the period October 1,
1965, to March 31, 1966. Of this amount, the Governor is authorized to allocate 1,500,000 units among manufacturers of watches having a continuous watch manufacturing and shipping record in the Virgin Islands since October 1, 1964, in accordance with the procedure and criteria set forth in section 514 of this chapter.

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Virgo Corp. v. Paiewonsky, 254 F. Supp. 405, 5 V.I. 359 (vid 1966).

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