Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-23-1991

Abstract

Defendant-appellant the United States (the "government") and defendant-appellant-appellee Richard Gidron appeal from a judgment entered in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Haight, J.) establishing that the claim of defendant-appellee Althea Jones to interpleader funds had priority over the claim of Richard Gidron, which had priority over tax liens of the government. Don King Prods. v. Thomas, 749 F.Supp. 79, 85 (S.D.N.Y.1990).

The government contends that the district court erred in determining that Gidron's claim had priority over its tax liens. First, it argues that since the stipulation of settlement dated December 11, 1985 upon which the claim is based, never was reduced to judgment, Gidron cannot avail himself of the statutory exception which protects certain persons, including "judgment lien creditors," against unrecorded federal tax liens. Second, the government maintains that the stipulation of settlement cannot be found to be prior to the government's tax liens because it represents an inchoate claim. In the stipulation of settlement, Thomas purported to assign to Gidron proceeds from purses of three prizefights to occur at some unspecified time in the future.

Gidron argues that the district court erred in finding that Althea Jones' claim of child support has priority over his claim, since his claim accrued on December 11, 1985 and Jones' judgment of filiation and order for support is dated January 6, 1988.

We agree with the government that the district court erred in finding that Gidron's claim had priority over the federal tax liens. Because Gidron's stipulation of settlement was not reduced to judgment, Gidron was required to establish that his lien was "first in time" and choate. However, the right to the proceeds of future unspecified prizefight purses arising from the assignment by Thomas, evidenced by the stipulation of settlement, was inchoate.

Regarding the order of priority between Gidron and Jones, we hold that the district court correctly found that a judgment of filiation and order for support has priority over a stipulation of settlement never reduced to judgment, even though the support judgment was filed after the stipulation of settlement was entered into.

Comments

945 F.2d 529 (1991)

DON KING PRODUCTIONS, INC. and Don King, Plaintiffs,

v.

Pinklon THOMAS, Jr., Richard Gidron, Roland Jankelson, Althea Jones, and the United States, Defendants, Althea Jones and Richard Gidron, Defendants-Appellees, Richard Gidron and the United States, Defendants-Appellants.

Nos. 1707, 2000, Dockets 91-6067, 91-6083.

United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.

Argued June 27, 1991.

Decided September 23, 1991.

New York Law School location: File #1264, Box #128

Download

Share

COinS