Faust v. U.S., 96-5001

• Decision Date: 26 November 1996
• Docket Number: No. 96-5001,96-5001
• Citation: 101 F.3d 675
• Parties: -7372, 96-2 USTC P 50,657, Unempl.Ins.Rep. (CCH) P 15621B Thomas J. FAUST, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. The UNITED STATES, Defendant-Appellee.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Federal Circuit

Page 675

101 F.3d 675

78 A.F.T.R.2d 96-7372, 96-2 USTC P 50,657,

Unempl.Ins.Rep. (CCH) P 15621B

Thomas J. FAUST, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. The UNITED STATES, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 96-5001.

United States Court of Appeals Federal Circuit.

Nov. 26, 1996.

Rehearing Denied Jan. 21, 1997.

David R. Shane, Shane & Taitz, L.L.P., San Francisco, CA, argued, for plaintiff-appellant.

John A. Nolet, Attorney, Tax Division, Department of Justice, Washington, DC, argued, for defendant-appellee. With him on the brief, were Loretta C. Argrett, Assistant Attorney General, Gary R. Allen, Chief, Appellate Section, and Bruce R. Ellisen, Attorney.

Before LOURIE, CLEVENGER and BRYSON, Circuit Judges.

LOURIE, Circuit Judge.

Thomas J. Faust appeals from the judgment of the United States Court of Federal Claims dismissing his complaint which sought a declaration that he had a binding settlement agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Faust v. United States, 33 Fed. Cl. 807 (1995). Because Faust's claim is barred by res judicata, otherwise known as "claim preclusion," we affirm.

BACKGROUND

The salient facts are not in dispute. The IRS determined that Faust owed taxes, penalties, and interest arising from his failure to properly collect and pay employment taxes on behalf of his employees. After paying a portion of the taxes, Faust filed a tax refund suit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California alleging that he did not owe the disputed assessment. The government, represented by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the refund suit, asserted a counterclaim seeking to reduce to judgment the balance of the assessment including all unpaid penalties and interest allowed by law. The district court denied Faust's claim and entered judgment for the government on its counterclaim in an amount exceeding $750,000 for taxes and interest due. Faust appealed the judgment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Immediately following the district court's judgment and prior to his appeal, Faust presented an "offer in compromise" to the IRS seeking to settle the tax liability. He offered the IRS $5,000 in settlement, claiming that he was unable to pay the full amount of his liability. Without realizing that the assessed liability had already been adjudicated by the district court, IRS officials accepted Faust's offer, which included the following provision:

It is agreed that upon notice to the taxpayer-proponents that the offer has been accepted, the taxpayer-proponents shall have no right to contest in court or otherwise the amount of the liability to be compromised.

Faust then voluntarily dismissed his appeal on the ground that he had reached a settlement with the IRS. Shortly thereafter, the DOJ informed Faust that the IRS lacked authority to contractually bind the government because, under 26 U.S.C. § 7122(a) (1994), the DOJ had exclusive authority to settle Faust's claim. That subsection provides:

The Secretary may compromise any civil or criminal case arising under the internal revenue laws prior to reference to the Department of Justice for prosecution or defense; and the Attorney General or his delegate may compromise any case after reference to the Department of Justice for prosecution or defense.

Three months later, the IRS formally rescinded its purported acceptance of Faust's offer, explaining that the compromise agreement was null and void because the IRS lacked authority to settle Faust's claim after the matter was referred to the DOJ for defense of Faust's tax refund suit.

Faust then requested that the Ninth Circuit reinstate his appeal, arguing that he failed to pursue the appeal earlier because of his alleged settlement agreement with the government. The Ninth Circuit granted Faust's request over the government's objection that the appeal was untimely. On appeal The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's judgment in its entirety. Faust v. United States, 28 F.3d 105 (9th Cir.1994) (unpublished table decision, text in Westlaw, No. 92-16833). Before reaching the merits, the Ninth Circuit noted that a valid settlement of the district court's judgment would have rendered Faust's appeal moot. The court then determined that the acceptance of Faust's offer in compromise was not a valid settlement and that the appeal was not moot. Specifically, the Ninth Circuit concluded that because the IRS lacked authority to settle the case upon referral to the DOJ under 26 U.S.C. § 7122(a), there was no accord and satisfaction of the judgment.

Faust contested the district court's judgment and further argued that the government breached the settlement agreement by rescinding its acceptance of his offer in compromise. In addition, Faust asserted that the Ninth Circuit should at least reduce that district court's judgment to $5,000 in light of the settlement agreement.

Faust then commenced his action in the United States Court of Federal Claims seeking a declaration that his alleged settlement agreement with the IRS was valid and binding and asserting that he was damaged by the government's breach of that contract. Faust asserted that an accord and satisfaction occurred when the IRS accepted his $5,000 in compromise of his tax liability. He also asserted claims based upon an estoppel theory, equal protection, and harassment. The government argued that his claim was barred by res judicata. In response to the government's argument, Faust asserted that under the Supreme Court's decision in Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Insurance Co., 511 U.S. 375, 114 S.Ct. 1673, 128 L.Ed.2d 391 (1994), the Ninth Circuit lacked jurisdiction over the settlement agreement. Therefore, Faust argued, the Ninth Circuit's holding concerning the validity of the agreement could not defeat his claim for breach of contract in the Court of Federal Claims.

The Court of Federal Claims disagreed, stating that Faust misread Kokkonen. The court noted that Faust's case met the tests enumerated in Kokkonen according to which ancillary jurisdiction is appropriate. After determining that the Ninth Circuit had jurisdiction over Faust's claim of accord and satisfaction and had properly decided it, the court held that the doctrine of res judicata precluded Faust from relitigating that same issue. Accordingly, the court granted the government's motion for summary judgment and dismissed Faust's complaint. Faust now appeals to this court.

DISCUSSION

Whether, based on the facts of the case, a claim is barred by res judicata is a question of law which we review de novo. Case, Inc. v. United States, 88 F.3d 1004,1008 (Fed.Cir.1996). As a preliminary matter, we note that the term res judicata has been used narrowly to denote "claim preclusion" and more generally to denote either "claim preclusion" or "issue preclusion." See Foster v. Hallco Mfg. Co., 947 F.2d 469, 478 (Fed.Cir.1991). This case involves "claim preclusion." For clarity, we will use that term instead of the more ambiguous term "res judicata." Under the doctrine of claim preclusion, a judgment on the merits precludes the same parties from relitigating issues in a subsequent action that were or could have been raised in the prior action. Allen v. McCurry, 449 U.S. 90, 94, 101 S.Ct. 411, 414-15, 66 L.Ed.2d 308 (1980). Claim preclusion serves the public interest by reducing the...