Morris v. Duffy (In re Duffy)
Morris v. Duffy (In re Duffy)
Opinion of the Court
ORDER GRANTING UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
Defendant United States, acting through the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) moves for an order dismissing the chapter 7 trustee’s amended complaint for turnover, or alternatively, for summary judgment, on the basis of lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
Debtor-defendants James and Pamela Duffy filed their bankruptcy case on December 6, 2001. The IRS was neither listed as a creditor in the schedules nor included on the matrix. Debtors received
On July 25, 2002, the trustee filed the instant complaint against the debtors, alleging that they had failed to turn over the refund and requesting revocation of their discharge. In response, the debtors filed an answer asserting that they had not received the refund and that they understood it to have been set off by the IRS. On December 12, 2002, the trustee filed an amended complaint, adding as parties defendant the IRS and the Kansas Department of Revenue (“KDR”)
On September 2, 2002, prior to the trustee’s amended complaint, the IRS offset the sum of $860.76 and paid it to the KDR. It also offset $1,953.35, paying an additional $860.76 to KDR and $1,092.59 to the U.S. Department of Education. The remaining $14.89 was refunded to the debtors.
The IRS now seeks dismissal of the amended complaint or entry of summary judgment due to lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The trustee has filed no response to the IRS motion, and accordingly, this Court may accept as true the facts as set forth by the IRS. The IRS has the burden of establishing its entitlement to summary judgment. Summary judgment is appropriate if there are no genuine issues of material fact and those uncontro-verted facts show that the IRS is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
The IRS asserts that the above offsets of the debtors’ tax refund were made pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 6402(d) and (e), which provide that, upon receiving notice from any federal agency to whom the taxpayer is indebted
While it appears to the Court that the 2001 tax refund is in fact property of the estate and that some of it may be recoverable from the KDR or debtors, the meaning of 26 U.S.C. § 6402(f) is very clear. This Court has no jurisdiction to review or restrain the IRS from effectuating the offsets.
The Court finds that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that the IRS is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on the trustee’s amended complaint. The IRS’ motion for summary judgment is GRANTED and the trustee’s amended complaint is DISMISSED as to defendant United States of America, acting through the Internal Revenue Service.
The Court notes that this case is set for a scheduling conference on May 1, 2003 at 9:00 a.m.
This setting shall remain in effect for the trustee and the remaining defendants.
.Dkt. 14. The IRS’ motion was brought in the alternative as a motion to dismiss or for summary judgment and included a supporting declaration with an attached exhibit. Because the IRS has submitted some evidence beyond the pleadings, the motion is more properly characterized as a motion for summary judgment and this Court will treat it as such. Trainor v. Apollo Metal Specialties, Inc., 318 F.3d 976, 978 (10th Cir. 2002).
. This statute is part of the federal tax refund intercept program ("TRIP”).
. Dkt. 15. See Fed. R. Bankr.P. 7012 and 7056; Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Reed v. Bennett, 312 F.3d 1190, 1195 (10th Cir. 2002).
. Debtors were ordered to turnover $2,698.57 regarding their 2001 state income tax refund.
. The trustee alleged in the Turnover Motion that debtors’ 2001 tax returns showed refunds totaling $2,897 of which $2,698.57 was the estate’s share.
. Dkt. 8. The trustee sought to recover the amount of offset funds paid to KDR— $1,721.52.
. In light of the Court’s findings concerning jurisdiction, it need not reach or dispose of either the stay violation or § 549 issues. This ruling is limited to the issue of this Court’s subject matter jurisdiction over the claims asserted against the IRS.
. In re Gilbert, 274 B.R. 541, 542 (Bankr. D.Kan. 2002).
. 26 U.S.C. § 6402(d)(1).
. 26 U.S.C. § 6402(e)(1).
. In re Williams, 2000 WL 637313, 85 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1491 (Bankr.W.D.Pa. 2000).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In re James A. DUFFY, Pamela S. Duffy, Debtors. J. Michael Morris, Trustee v. James A. Duffy and Pamela S. Duffy, Kansas Department of Revenue United States of America, (Internal Revenue Service)
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published