Opinion · Supreme Court of the United States
United States v. Emery, Bird, Thayer Realty Co.
237 U.S. 28
- Type
- Opinion
- Court
- Supreme Court of the United States
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
- Date
- 1915-04-05
- Topic
- general
How later courts describe this case
- characterizing claims for money wrongfully exacted as taxes as properly sounding under internal revenue laws
- it is an "inadmissible premise that the great act of justice embodied in the jurisdiction of the court of claims is to be construed strictly and read with an adverse eye”
- the Tucker Act is a "great act of justice"
Citator
UpLaw has not yet analyzed United States v. Emery, Bird, Thayer Realty Co.. The absence of a flag is not a finding that it is good law.
- Cited by
- 222 opinions
Headnotes
- Federal Courts & Jurisdiction — Jurisdiction — Court of Claims (Tucker Act) A district court sitting as a Court of Claims has jurisdiction over a claim against the United States to refund taxes paid under duress and protest to a Collector and turned over by him to the United States, because such claims are "founded upon" the revenue law within the meaning of the Tucker Act, and the jurisdiction conferred upon the Court of Claims is not to be construed strictly or read with an adverse eye. 237 U.S. 28, 31–32
- Tax Law — Internal Revenue — Corporation Tax Law of 1909 — "Doing Business" A corporation is not "engaged in business" or "doing business" within the meaning of the Corporation Tax Law of 1909 where its only activity is keeping up its corporate organization and collecting and distributing to its stockholders the rent from a single parcel of land leased to one lessee; the question is what the corporation is actually doing rather than what it is chartered to do, and merely holding title to a specific tract of land as an intermediary is not doing business. 237 U.S. 28, 32–33
UNITED STATESv. EMERY,237 U.S. 28(1915)
35 S.Ct. 499
UNITED STATESv. EMERY, BIRD, THAYER REALTY COMPANY.
ERROR TO THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF
MISSOURI.
No. 117.
Argued January 12, 13, 1915.
Decided April 5, 1915.
THE facts, which involve the jurisdiction of the District
Court sitting as a Court of Claims and also of the validity of a
tax imposed under the Corporation Tax Law of 1909, are stated in
the opinion.
The District Court was without jurisdiction of the suit.
The remedy, if any, is an action against the collector, expressly provided by statute.Nicholsv.United States, 7 Wall. 122.
Where a revenue act expressly provides a particular remedy for the recovery of taxes illegally assessed and paid, such remedy is exclusive.Arnsonv.Murphy,109 U.S. 238,243;Cheathamv.United States,92 U.S. 85,88;Nicholsv.United States,supra.Page 29
Hence a suit against the United States does not lie.
The realty company was engaged in business within the meaning of the Corporation Tax Act of 1909.Corporation Tax Cases,220 U.S. 107,171.
In support of these contentions see casessupraandChesebroughv.United States,192 U.S. 253;Christie-StreetCo. v.United States, 136 F. 326;Philadelphiav.Collector, 5 Wall. 720;Collectorv.Hubbard, 12 Wall. 1;Ferryv.United States, 85 F. 550;Dooleyv.UnitedStates,182 U.S. 222;Edison Electric Co. v.United States, 38 Ct. Cl. 208;Erskinev.Van Arsdale, 15 Wall. 75;McCoachv.Minehill R.R. Co.,228 U.S. 295;Medburyv.United States,173 U.S. 492;Reidv.United States,211 U.S. 529;Spreckels Sugar Co. v.McClain,192 U.S. 397;Sybrandtv.United States, 19 Ct. Cl. 461;United Statesv.Kaufman,96 U.S. 567;United Statesv.Savings Bank,104 U.S. 728;Zonnev.Minneapolis Syndicate,220 U.S. 187.Mr. Albert R. Strother, with whomMr. James G. Smartwas on the brief, for defendant in error:
The District Court had jurisdiction.Nicholsv.UnitedStates, 7 Wall. 122, distinguished.
The statute gives no special exclusive remedy.
The cases subsequent to theNichols Caseestablish the proposition that the court had jurisdiction in this case.
The realty company was not liable to the tax.The CorporationTax Cases,220 U.S. 107;The Zonne Case,220 U.S. 187;TheMinehill Case,228 U.S. 295.
In support of these contentions see cases citedsupraand alsoCampbellv.United States,107 U.S. 407;Caryv.Curtis, 3 How. 236;Chesebroughv.United States,192 U.S. 253;Christie-Street Co. v.United States, 136 F. 326;Corporation Tax Cases,220 U.S. 107;Water Co. v.Defiance,191 U.S. 184;Dooleyv.United States,182 U.S. 222;S.C.,183 U.S. 151;Eliotv.Freeman,220 U.S. 178;Page 30McCoachv.Minehill R.R. Co.,228 U.S. 295;Minnesotav.Hitchcock,185 U.S. 373;Nicholsv.United States, 7 Wall. 122;Philadelphiav.Collector, 5 Wall. 720;Swiftv.United States,105 U.S. 691;S.C.,111 U.S. 22;UnitedStatesv.Am. Tobacco Co.,166 U.S. 468;United Statesv.Finch, 206 F. 95;United Statesv.Hyams, 146 F. 15;United Statesv.Kaufman,96 U.S. 567;UnitedStatesv.N.Y. Cuba S.S. Co.,200 U.S. 488;United Statesv.Nipissing Mines Co., 206 F. 431;United Statesv.Savings Bank,104 U.S. 728;Zonnev.Minneapolis Syndicate,220 U.S. 187.Mr. Everett P. Wheelerfiled a brief asamicus curiae.
The facts do not need lengthy statement. The Emery, Bird, Thayer Dry Goods Company, a business corporation of Kansas City, Missouri, occupied certain lands, partly hired and partly owned by it, for the purposes of its business. Eighteen months before the passage of the Corporation Tax Law its members decided that the claimant should be organized, and it was, for the purpose of acquiring the Dry Goods Company's lands and of letting the same to the Dry Goods Company, the latter havingPage 31the management of the property and assuming the responsibilities in respect of it. The only business done by the claimant was to keep up its corporate organization and to collect and distribute the rent received from its single lessee; and the Court found as a fact that it was not doing business within the statute, subject, of course, to the question whether the activities stated constituted such doing business as matter of law. The chartered powers of the claimant included performing and enforcing the performance of the respective covenants in the leases taken over and the sale of the property or any part of it upon the vote of not less than two-thirds of the stockholders, who were very nearly the same as those of the Dry Goods Company. It also covenanted to rebuild in case the buildings were destroyed. But there has been no occasion to perform any of these undertakings. — The taxes in question were paid under duress and protest, and were turned over by the Collector to the United States, which still retains them. A claim to have the taxes refunded was submitted in due form to the Collector of Internal Revenue, but repayment was denied.
The objection to the jurisdiction pressed by the Government is that the only remedy is a suit against the Collector. As the United States has received and keeps the money and would indemnify the Collector if he had to pay, Rev. Stat. 3220, the least that can be said is that it would be adding a fifth wheel to the coach to require a circuitous process to satisfy just claims. It is true that this tax law provides that `all laws relating to the collection, remission, and refund of internal revenue taxes, so far as applicable' c., are extended to this tax, c. 61, § 38,36 Stat. 11, 117, but that is far from the case of a statute creating a new right and a special remedy to enforce it in such form as to make that remedy exclusive. The right to sue the Collector for an unjustified collection was given by the common law. — The jurisdiction over suits against the UnitedPage 32States under § 24, Twentieth, of the Judicial Code, extends to `all claims not exceeding ten thousand dollars founded upon the Constitution of the United States or any law of Congress.' However gradually the result may have been approached in the earlier cases it now has become accepted law that claims like the present are `founded upon' the revenue law. The argument that there is a distinction between claims `arising under' (Judicial Code, § 24, First) and those `founded upon' (id., § 24, Twentieth), a law of the United States, rests on the inadmissible premise that the great act of justice embodied in the jurisdiction of the Court of Claims is to be construed strictly and read with an adverse eye.Dooleyv.United States,182 U.S. 222,228.United Statesv.Hvoslef, March 22, 1915,ante, p. 1. Jurisdiction was taken for granted inUnitedStatesv.N.Y. Cuba S.S. Co.,200 U.S. 488, and was upheld inChristie-Street Commission Co. v.United States, 136 F. 326.United Statesv.Hyams, 146 F. 15, 18.United Statesv.Finch, 201 F. 95, 97.
Being of opinion that the District Court had jurisdiction we pass to the merits. They also may be disposed of without much discussion. The line lies betweenCedar Street Co. v.ParkRealty Co.,220 U.S. 107,170, andZonnev.MinneapolisSyndicate,220 U.S. 187; the latter case being carried perhaps a little farther byMcCoachv.Minehill Railway,228 U.S. 295. We are of opinion that this case is governed by the last two and that the decision was right. The question is rather what the corporation is doing than what it could do,228 U.S. 305,306, but looking even to its powers they are limited very nearly to the necessary incidents of holding a specific tract of land. The possible sale of the whole would be merely the winding up of the corporation. That of a part would signify that the Dry Goods Company did not need it. The claimants' characteristic charter function and the only one that it was carrying on was the bare receipt and distribution to its stockholdersPage 33of rent from a specified parcel of land. Unless its bare existence as an intermediary was doing business, it is hard to imagine how it could be less engaged.Judgment affirmed.
MR. JUSTICE McREYNOLDS took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.