Horton Dairy, Inc. v. U.S., s. 91-3730

• Decision Date: 25 February 1993
• Docket Number: 91-3829,Nos. 91-3730,s. 91-3730
• Citation: 986 F.2d 286
• Parties: -1026, 93-1 USTC P 50,195 HORTON DAIRY, INC., and First National Bank of Conway, Appellees/Cross-Appellants, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellant/Cross-Appellee.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Eighth Circuit

Page 286

986 F.2d 286

71 A.F.T.R.2d 93-1026, 93-1 USTC P 50,195

HORTON DAIRY, INC., and First National Bank of Conway, Appellees/Cross-Appellants, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellant/Cross-Appellee.

Nos. 91-3730, 91-3829.

United States Court of Appeals,

Eighth Circuit.

Submitted Sept. 18, 1992.

Decided Feb. 25, 1993.

Janet Jones, Washington, DC, argued (James A. Bruton, Gary R. Allen, William Estabrook and Janet Kay Jones, on the brief), for appellant/cross-appellee.

Curtis L. Bowman, Little Rock, AR, argued (Eugene G. Sayre, on the brief), for appellees/cross-appellants.

Before HANSEN, Circuit Judge, HEANEY and ROSS, Senior Circuit Judges.

HANSEN, Circuit Judge.

This action originated as a wrongful levy suit initiated by Horton Dairy, Inc. (HDI) and the First National Bank of Conway (the Bank). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) levied upon property held by HDI and in which the Bank claimed a secured interest in order to satisfy the tax liabilities of HDI's majority shareholders, Jack and Arlene Horton (the Hortons). At trial the district court found the levies to be valid, holding that HDI was merely the Hortons' alter ego and that the Bank had not properly perfected its interest in HDI's property. The district court further held that a non-party, Shelly Carter, ¹ the Hortons' daughter, had given value for a 49% interest in HDI. To protect Carter's interest, the district court judicially created a partnership between the Hortons and Carter and ordered the United States to pay Carter 49% of the proceeds of any past and future levies executed against HDI's property. (Amended Judgment, October 8, 1991.)

The United States appeals the district court's order with respect to the rights of Shelly Carter. HDI and the Bank cross-appeal, asserting that the district court erroneously validated the levies when it decided the alter ego and lien priority issues. We affirm in part and reverse in part.

I. BACKGROUND

A.

Jack and Arlene Horton incorporated Horton Dairy, Inc., an Arkansas corporation, in October 1987. At the time of incorporation, Jack and Arlene each owned 150 shares of stock. One month later, the Hortons transferred their personal home and 100 acres of a dairy farm to HDI. Milking operations began on the farm in March 1989, approximately one and a half years after incorporation. On January 4, 1989, the Hortons transferred a 49% interest in HDI stock to their daughter, Shelly Carter. Ms. Carter and her husband Leon eventually moved into a home on the farm, and each worked at least part time at the dairy. In March 1990, the State of Arkansas revoked HDI's corporate charter due to the corporation's failure to file its Corporate Franchise Tax Reports and to pay the accompanying taxes as required by state law.

In the course of its operations, HDI obtained two loans from the Bank. On March 23, 1989, the Bank loaned the corporation $123,150, and on October 20, 1990, HDI obtained a second loan in the amount of $60,000. In order to repay the loan, HDI directed American Milk Producers, Inc. (AMPI), buyer of HDI's raw milk, to divert $1,983.26 of the amount it would have otherwise paid HDI for its milk (which would be an account receivable of HDI) each month directly to the Bank. HDI also pledged cattle, land, and the cash it held on deposit with the Bank as security for the loans, and both the Hortons and the Carters personally guaranteed the loans.

The Hortons' debts to the IRS that form the basis for the disputed levy arose not out of the dairy business, but out of their association with a Texas corporation known as the Federal Dry Wall Company, Inc. (FDWI). In 1985, Jack Horton had obtained a controlling interest in FDWI, and by December of that year the company had fallen behind in its payment of federal employment taxes. Jack was the president of FDWI and Arlene was its secretary. The IRS assessed the unpaid taxes against the Hortons on April 18, 1988, and on January 13, 1989, the IRS filed notices of tax liens against them seeking some $89,386.52.

In June 1990, the IRS served its notices of levy to collect on the assessment. Because HDI's corporate charter recently had been revoked, the IRS named "Jack and Arlene Horton DBA Horton Dairy, Inc." in the levies in order to recover the taxes owing. On June 4, the IRS served a levy on AMPI for the accounts receivable, and on June 5, it served the Bank for the corporate checking account. Pursuant to these levies, the IRS successfully collected roughly $12,000.

On June 13, 1990, approximately one week after the IRS served the tax levies, the Hortons reestablished HDI's corporate viability by paying the delinquent franchise taxes and filing the necessary reports. In this same month, HDI also filed federal and state corporate tax returns for the first time. In October 1990, as a result of these developments, the IRS filed additional notices of tax liens in its continuing effort to collect on the FDWI assessment. In these additional notices, the IRS specifically named HDI as the alter ego of Jack and Arlene Horton.

B.

On November 5, 1990, HDI and the Bank initiated this lawsuit. The complaint alleged that the IRS had wrongfully levied upon their property in order to satisfy the delinquent tax obligations of Jack and Arlene Horton as individuals. HDI and the Bank requested a preliminary injunction to stop the IRS from executing any future levies on property in which they held a secured interest. After a hearing, the district court enjoined the IRS from executing any future levies but did not order a return of any property seized pursuant to the previously executed levies. The district court also found that, although the Bank may have had a secured interest in HDI's assets, the Bank failed to perfect that interest in accordance with the requirements of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. According to the district court, the IRS's right to the property was superior to the rights of the Bank.

At the trial approximately ten months after the issuance of the preliminary injunction, the district court determined that HDI was the alter ego of the Hortons and that the levy against HDI's property to satisfy the Hortons' debts was not wrongful. At the preliminary injunction hearing, the district court previously had expressed concern about protecting Shelly Carter's purported 49% interest in HDI. As noted before, Shelly Carter is a nonparty and did not seek to intervene in this litigation. The district court found at trial that Carter had given valuable consideration for her interest in HDI. Thus, while the district court dissolved the broad injunction against the IRS, it required the IRS to pay to Shelly Carter 49% of all past and future levies it might impose upon HDI's property, finding that "... basically Horton Dairy is a partnership between Shelby Carter and Mr. and Mrs. Horton and I think that of the monies that have been seized, I think 49% of those belong to Miss Carter." Appellant's Record Appendix (App.) at 270.

All of the parties appeal the district court's order. HDI and the Bank appeal the findings that HDI was merely the alter ego of the Hortons and that the Bank's security interest in the property levied upon was inferior to the federal tax lien. The United States urges affirmation of these two findings, but asserts that the district court erred by awarding Shelly Carter 49% of any future levies imposed by the IRS on HDI's property.

II. DISCUSSION

A.

We review the district court's finding that HDI was the alter ego of Jack and Arlene Horton under a clearly erroneous standard. See Miller v. Tony and Susan Alamo Found., 924 F.2d 143, 148 (8th Cir.1991); Minn. Power v. Armco, Inc., 937 F.2d 1363, 1368-69 (8th Cir.1991). Several factors should be considered when determining whether a corporation is a taxpayer's alter ego. Among these factors are the absence of corporate formalities, the commingling of corporate and personal funds and expenses, and the family relationship between corporate officers and the taxpayer. United States v. Walton, 909 F.2d 915, 928 (6th Cir.1990); Shades Ridge Holding Co., Inc. v. United States, 888 F.2d 725, 729 (11th Cir.1989) (citations omitted).

In this case, the district court found that upon "look[ing] at all the facts and all the history of the corporation ... the corporation functioned as really just an appendage of the Hortons in this case and their business." Trial transcript (Tr.) at 269. The district court found that many expenditures made on the corporate account appeared instead to be personal in nature. At the very least, the Hortons failed to keep appropriate records in order to distinguish between corporate and personal expenses. ² See Walton, 909 F.2d at 928 ("woefully inadequate" recordkeeping supportive of alter ego finding). Arlene Horton testified that with regard to the separation of personal and corporate funds, "[i]t was just all the same money," "it was just back and forth." Tr. at 255-56. In addition, the district court observed that the named corporate treasurer, Leon Carter, the Hortons' son-in-law, "obviously never functioned in that role at all," tr. at 269, as Mr. Carter testified that he was unaware of HDI's current financial status. Tr. at 262. Finally, HDI failed to maintain corporate formalities regarding franchise taxes as required by Arkansas state law, and the corporate charter was revoked in March 1990. HDI did not file a federal or state tax return until June 1990, when the Hortons reestablished the corporate charter.

HDI and the Bank offer minimal evidence to refute the district court's finding that HDI was the Hortons' alter ego. Rather, HDI and the Bank merely assert that some of the checks that on the surface appear to cover personal expenses were in fact issued to cover dairy-related costs. The district court stated on the record, however, that it would not base an alter ego determination on "one check to Wal-Mart or one check to Kroger or one missed franchise tax...