Until Dawson’s Creek Recedes

I learned in the earliest days of my apprenticeship that judges love settlements. Settlements clear dockets, gratify Ch Js and Admin Js, look good in the “dispositions” columns in annual reports; best of all, barring the occasional head-banger (of the litigants, not the judge), there’s only a couple conferences or phoneathons (hi, Judge Holmes) for the judge to deal with.

But The Glasshouse at 400 Second St, NW in The Wannabe State will submerge in Dawson’s Creek on Friday, thereby causing Susan Van Vleet Consultants, Inc., Docket No. 3871-18L, filed 11/17/20, to float until Dawson’s Creek subsides after Christmas.

I’ll defer to Judge Patrick J. (“Scholar Pat”) Urda.

“By Order dated August 13, 2020, the Court ordered the parties to file a status report no later than November 12, 2020.

“On November 12, 2020, the parties filed a joint status report indicating that they have come to an agreement and that they plan to file decision documents by December 3, 2020. Because of the Tax Court’s transition to a new case management system, the parties will not be able to submit decision documents between November 21, 2020 – December 27, 2020.” Order, at p. 1.

Now this is a lien/levy, and a quick peek docket search tells me there’s no issue of liability. The Vleets stiped to around $128K of tax (no add-ons or chops) for years ’08 and ’09 back in ’15. That same quick peek docket search shows that this collection case was first stalled by the Federal shutdown of ’18-’19; then remanded back to Appeals to review an IA; at the remand to Appeals it was twice continued to allow the Vleets to provide more info.

So, if I got this right (and if not, please let me know, and I’ll post a correction) now that there’s a deal for two years, the latter of which is now eleven years old, everything is stalled for at least three weeks more, while the Genius Baristas install the new DAWSON case management system.

I say “at least,” because everybody knows what happens when you install brand-new software.

Speaking of which, has anybody else installed Big Sur yet? Download took overnight, and install took two hours. Plus language unfit for this blog (or anywhere outside a combat zone).