Knowles v. United States, 17159.

Decision Date26 November 1958
Docket NumberNo. 17159.,17159.
Citation260 F.2d 852
PartiesMary Alma KNOWLES, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit

David W. Palmer, Destin, Fla., Walter G. Cornett, Earl R. Duncan, William B. Leath, Panama City, Fla., for appellant.

S. Dee Hanson, Atty., Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C., Wilfred C. Varn, U. S. Atty., Tallahassee, Fla., Lee A. Jackson, Chief, Appellate Section, Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C., Charles K. Rice, Asst. Atty. Gen., A. F. Prescott, Atty., Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C., for appellee.

Before RIVES, TUTTLE and JONES, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM.

This is an appeal from a judgment in which the District Court held that a claim for refund of transportation taxes in the amount of $3,831.19 paid by the appellant between June 1, 1950, and November 1, 1951, could not prevail because appellant failed to show that she bore the burden of the taxes in dispute within the meaning of Section 3471 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939, 26 U.S.C.A. § 3471. The opinions of the District Court are reported as Knowles v. United States, N.D.Fla.1957, 155 F. Supp. 678, and 157 F.Supp. 678.

The final judgment upon which this appeal is prosecuted was entered by the District Court on September 19, 1957. The appellant filed motions for a new trial and for additional findings of fact and conclusions of law which were denied by the District Court and entered by it on December 20, 1957. The appellant did not file her notice of appeal until February 19, 1958, which was one day late under Rule 73(a), Fed.Rules Civ.Proc. 28 U.S.C.

Timely filing of the notice of appeal is essential to the jurisdiction of this Court. Lejeune v. Midwestern Ins. Co. of Oklahoma City, Okl., 5 Cir., 1952, 197 F.2d 149. We have carefully considered each of the excuses presented by the appellant and her asserted grounds for preserving this Court's jurisdiction but do not consider that any of them are substantial enough to warrant discussion.

The main appeal from the final judgment entered on December 20, 1957, is therefore dismissed.

By her notice of appeal, the plaintiff sought to appeal also from a judgment of January 28, 1958, denying a motion to vacate an order directing the clerk to tax as costs against Mary Alma Knowles the Fees of the Court Reporter in the amount of $15.00 and the cost of printing the transcript of record in the amount of $397.00 incurred upon the prior appeal in this case reported in 5 Cir., 235 F.2d 177. The notice of appeal from that judgment is timely.

The mandate of this Court did not direct the taxation of those items of costs against the appellant. Rule 31 of this Court, 28 U.S.C. provides in part that in cases where the United States is a party no costs shall be allowed in this Court for or against the United States. The judgment or order taxing $412.00 costs against Mary Alma Knowles is therefore vacated.

On Petition for Rehearing.

The record shows that "on February 19, 1958, plaintiff filed motion for...

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16 cases
  • Whittaker v. Whittaker Corp.
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (9th Circuit)
    • February 12, 1981
    ...so in order to avoid dismissal of motion as untimely).2 See 368 F.Supp. at 253. William also relies extensively on Knowles v. United States, 260 F.2d 852 (5th Cir. 1958). But Knowles does not aid William. In Knowles, the plaintiff was disputing only two items of cost. Moreover, those costs ......
  • Hadjipateras v. PACIFICA, SA
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (5th Circuit)
    • May 15, 1961
    ...order or decree, it has not heretofore been the rule that the district court has power to extend the time for appeal. Knowles v. United States, 5 Cir., 1958, 260 F.2d 852. See also Padgett v. United States, 5 Cir., 1959, 252 F.2d 774; Guiberson Corporation v. Equipment Engineers, 5 Cir., 19......
  • Ward v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (5th Circuit)
    • March 12, 1959
    ...all days except Sundays and legal holidays. * * *" F.R. C.P. rule 77(c). 3 Casalduc v. Diaz, 1 Cir., 117 F.2d 915. 4 Knowles v. United States, 5 Cir., 260 F.2d 852, 854; Marten v. Hess, 6 Cir., 176 F.2d 5 See Poynor v. Commissioner, 5 Cir., 81 F.2d 521; cf. Lejeune v. Midwestern Ins. Co. of......
  • McGowan v. United States
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (5th Circuit)
    • November 17, 1961
    ...the other, how the issue on such retrial should or must be resolved. That awaits the trial. Reversed and remanded. 1 Knowles v. United States, 5 Cir., 1958, 260 F.2d 852; Davis v. United States, 5 Cir., 1957, 244 F.2d 308; Smith v. United States, 5 Cir., 1957, 242 F.2d 486; United States v.......
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