United States v. Bass

• Decision Date: 19 October 1959
• Docket Number: No. 16348.,16348.
• Citation: 271 F.2d 129
• Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Appellant, v. Irving I. BASS, Trustee in Bankruptcy of the Estate of Leland Cameron, Bankrupt, Appellee.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit

271 F.2d 129 (1959)

UNITED STATES of America, Appellant, v. Irving I. BASS, Trustee in Bankruptcy of the Estate of Leland Cameron, Bankrupt, Appellee.

No. 16348.

United States Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit.

October 19, 1959.

Charles K. Rice, Asst. Atty. Gen., Karl Schmeidler, Lee A. Jackson, I. Henry Kutz, Attorneys, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C., Laughlin E. Waters, U. S. Atty., Edward R. McHale, Asst. U. S. Atty., Los Angeles, Cal., for appellant.

Quittner, Stutman & Treister, Los Angeles, Cal., for appellee.

Before HAMLIN and JERTBERG, Circuit Judges, and LINDBERG, District Judge.

HAMLIN, Circuit Judge.

On November 14, 1955, a petition in bankruptcy was filed against Leland Cameron, doing business as Allied Aircraft Company. Prior thereto, on August 31, 1955, the District Director of Internal Revenue had assessed unpaid withholding and F.I.C.A. taxes against the bankrupt, and notice of the assessment, with demand for payment, was made on September 8, 1955.

By July 9, 1958, the trustee had paid the entire principal amount owing on the tax lien, together with interest accruing to the date of bankruptcy.

In addition to these amounts, the United States claimed interest from the date of bankruptcy to the date of payment of the principal amount of the claim. The referee allowed the interest over the objection of the trustee, who petitioned the District Court for review. The District Court reversed the referee's order to the extent the referee had allowed interest after the date of bankruptcy on the tax lien claim. The Government appeals.¹

The only question on this appeal is whether the United States is entitled to post-bankruptcy interest on a tax claim supported by a lien prior to the filing of the petition in bankruptcy.

The general rule holds that interest does not accrue after the petition is filed. This rule is a "fundamental principle" derived from the bankruptcy theory that "everything stops at a certain date." Sexton v. Dreyfus, 1911, 219 U.S. 339, 344, 31 S.Ct. 256, 257, 55 L.Ed. 244; City of New York v. Saper, 1949, 336 U.S. 328, 330, 69 S.Ct. 554, 93 L.Ed. 710. "The delay in distribution is the act of the law; it is a necessary incident to the settlement of the estate." Thomas v. Western Car Co., 1893, 149 U.S. 95, 116, 13 S.Ct. 824, 833, 37 L.Ed. 663; see American Iron and Steel Mfg. Co. v. Seaboard Air Line Railway Co., 1914, 233 U.S. 261, 266, 34 S.Ct. 502, 58 L.Ed. 949; 3 Collier on Bankruptcy (14th Ed.) § 63.16.

In seeking a fair and equitable distribution of a bankrupt's assets, courts have recognized exceptions to the general rule and have allowed interest where (1) the alleged bankrupt proves solvent, Beecher v. Leavenworth State Bank, 9 Cir., 1951, 192 F.2d 10; Littleton v. Kincaid, 4 Cir., 1950, 179 F.2d 848, 27 A.L.R.2d 572, (2) the security held by the creditor as collateral produces income after filing of the petition, Beecher v. Leavenworth State Bank, supra, and (3) the security is sufficient to pay interest as well as the principal of the claim. In re Macomb Trailer Coach, 6 Cir., 1953, 200 F.2d 611, 613.

Although at least one circuit entertains doubt with respect to recognition of the third exception,² it has been accorded general acceptance and, until Congress or the Supreme Court declares otherwise,³ is the rule in this circuit. Palo Alto Mutual Savings and Loan Ass'n v. Williams, 9 Cir., 1957, 245 F.2d 77; Jefferson Standard Life Ins. Co. v. United States, 9 Cir., 1957, 247 F.2d 777; see cases collected in United States v. Harrington, 4 Cir., 1959, 269 F.2d 719, note 7.

Relying on this exception, the Government urges that, as a secured creditor by virtue of its tax lien,⁴ it should be allowed post-bankruptcy interest just as any other secured creditor. However, we agree with a majority of the courts to which the question here has been presented that this contention should be rejected. United States v. Harrington, 4 Cir., 1959, 269 F.2d 719; In re Industrial Machine & Supply Co., D.C.W.D.Pa. 1953, 112 F.Supp. 261; In re Lykens Hosiery Mills, D.C.S.D.N.Y.1956, 141 F.Supp. 895; In re Young, D.C.W.D. Wis.1959, 171 F.Supp. 317; contra: In re Parchem, D.C.Minn.1958, 166 F.Supp. 724.

The principal reason usually assigned for not including liened tax claims within the third exception allowing post-bankruptcy interest to secured creditors is that, as said in United States v. Harrington, supra:

"* * * when the creditor extended credit, he relied upon the particular security given as collateral to secure both the principal of the debt and interest until payment and, if the collateral is sufficient to pay him, the contract between the parties ought not be abrogated by bankruptcy. This rationale has no application to tax liens."

The Government submits that the asserted distinction between contractual and statutory liens is without merit and does not support disallowance of post-bankruptcy interest on a liened tax claim. First it is argued that a tax lien is on a par with other secured claims and has a status equal to that of contractual liens. United States v. City of New Britain, 1954, 347 U.S. 81, 74 S.Ct. 367, 98 L.Ed. 520; Goggin v. California Labor Division, 1948, 336 U.S. 118, 69 S.Ct. 469, 93 L.Ed. 543; Glass City Bank of Jeanette, Pa. v. United States, 1945, 326 U.S. 265, 66 S.Ct. 108, 90 L.Ed. 56. As a corollary thereto it is asserted there is no warrant for distinguishing between statutory and contractual liens on the ground the former are "general" or "floating" liens on all property, whereas contractual liens are "specific" as attaching to designated property, for the reason that a tax lien has been held to be both general and specific. United States v. City of New Britain, 1954, 347 U.S. 81, 74 S.Ct. 367, 98 L.Ed. 520; United States v. City of Greenville, 4 Cir., 1941, 118 F.2d 963.

We think these and similar considerations advanced by the Government are overborne by what we regard as a meaningful distinction, so far as the question here is concerned, between statutory and contractual liens.⁵

The precise question is not simply the nature of the lien; rather, it is the proper scope of the exception under which post-bankruptcy interest has been allowed on some, but not all, claims secured by lien. Thus we do not regard the above authorities, which are primarily concerned with relative priority of liened federal tax claims as against other claims, as conclusive in assessing the nature and scope of the third exception to the general rule.

The Government seeks to limit the holding of City of New York v. Saper, 1949, 336 U.S. 328, 69 S.Ct. 554, 93 L.Ed. 710, which...