Bova v. United States

80 Fed. Cl. 449, 101 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 861, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 38, 2008 WL 435179
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedFebruary 13, 2008
DocketNo. 07-526T
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 80 Fed. Cl. 449 (Bova v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bova v. United States, 80 Fed. Cl. 449, 101 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 861, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 38, 2008 WL 435179 (uscfc 2008).

Opinion

OPINION

FIRESTONE, Judge.

Pending before the court is the motion of the United States (“government” or “defendant”) to dismiss the complaint of the plaintiffs, Albert Bova (“Mr. Bova”) and David Toner (collectively, “plaintiffs”), as co-executors of the estate of Margaret Walsonavieh (“taxpayer” or “Decedent”), pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Rules of the United States Court of Federal Claims (“RCFC”) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. In their complaint, the plaintiffs allege that a tax refund claim filed on behalf of the taxpayer was erroneously denied as untimely by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). In particular, the plaintiffs charge that the statute of limitations on the taxpayer’s claim should have been suspended under 26 U.S.C. § 6511(h) (2001), on the grounds that the taxpayer was unable to manage her financial affairs due to her mental impairment. Under 26 U.S.C. § 6511(h), the statute of limitations for filing a claim may be suspended if (subject to certain conditions) a taxpayer is deemed “financially disabled” and no other person is authorized to act on her behalf. The plaintiffs acknowledge that prior to her disability the taxpayer executed a durable power of attorney authorizing Mr. Bova to act on her behalf. However, the plaintiffs assert that, pursuant to an oral agreement between Mr. Bova and the taxpayer, the power of attorney was not to be “activated” until the taxpayer’s disability became “apparent” to Mr. Bova. According to the plaintiffs, the taxpayer’s disability did not become apparent to Mr. Bova until as much as a year after the onset of her disability.

The government has moved to dismiss the suit on the grounds that, because someone was authorized to act on the taxpayer’s behalf at all times during her disability, the “financially disabled” exception to the limitations period in 26 U.S.C. § 6511(h) does not apply in this case, and therefore the taxpayer’s refund claim is barred by the three-year statute of limitations period prescribed by 26 U.S.C. § 6511(d)(2)(A) (2001). Specifically, the government contends that under the durable power of attorney signed by the taxpayer, Mr. Bova was authorized to act on the taxpayer’s behalf during the period when she was financially disabled, and therefore the taxpayer is not entitled to a suspension of the statute of limitations. The government contends that Mr. Bova’s alleged oral agreement with the taxpayer regarding “activation” of the power of attorney may not be considered, citing the Pennsylvania durable powers of [451]*451attorney statute, 20 Pa.C.S.A. § 5604 (West 1998),1 under which any contingency postponing the effectiveness of a power of attorney must be set forth in writing “in the power of attorney” instrument itself. Here, it is not disputed that the power of attorney does not contain any such written contingency. Because the express terms of the power of attorney instrument here authorized Mr. Bova to act for the taxpayer both before and after she became disabled, the government argues, the court may not consider the plaintiffs’ allegation that a separate oral agreement made the power of attorney contingent on the taxpayer becoming disabled. In support of its position, the government cites Pennsylvania law regarding the parol evidence rule, which bars consideration of evidence of an oral agreement which directly contradicts the plain terms of a written agreement.

As discussed in more detail below, the government’s motion to dismiss is GRANTED.

BACKGROUND

The background facts are taken from the complaint and the exhibits filed by the plaintiffs. For purposes of this motion to dismiss, the facts alleged by the plaintiffs are assumed to be true.

On or about February 3, 1998, the taxpayer executed a “General Power of Attorney” naming her accountant, Mr. Bova, as her attorney-in-fact. Compl. 117, Ex. A. At that time, the plaintiffs allege, the taxpayer was seventy-seven years old, in good health, and not suffering from any disability. Id. at H118-9. The document states, in relevant part,

I, MARGARET WALSONAVICH, hereby appoint ALBERT J. BOVA attorney-in-fact ... for me and on my behalf and hereby state that this power shall not be affected by my subsequent disability or incapacity:
To exercise any power or take any action on my behalf, as fully and completely as I could do myself, which my attorney in my attorney’s sole discretion believes to be in my best interest, including, without being limited to, the powers and actions hereinafter described; ...
To appear for me ... in all matters pertaining to federal, state or local taxes; ... to execute income ... tax returns and ... claims for refund, ... and consents extending the statutory period for assessment or collection of taxes; ... and for these purposes to employ counsel and accountants;
... I hereby ratify and confirm all that my attorney or substitutes shall do by virtue of this power of attorney. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have signed my name this 3rd day of February, 1998.

Id. at Ex. A. The document was signed by a witness and notarized. Id. The written agreement did not identify any contingencies. However, the plaintiffs allege that the taxpayer and Mr. Bova orally “agreed that the power of attorney was to be activated only in the event that the Decedent could not handle her affairs due to some disability,” rather than being activated immediately upon signing. Id. at H 8.

The taxpayer timely filed her own federal income tax return for 2001 (“2001 return”) on or about April 15, 2002, reporting a net operating loss of $221,957. Id. at 1110; Ex. B (“Net Operating Loss Worksheet,” 29:28). In February 2003, the taxpayer’s accounting firm prepared an amended 1996 tax return, Form 1040X, carrying back the net operating loss from 2001 to the tax year 1996 and claiming a refund of $99,583.00 (“refund claim”). Id. at 111112-13, Ex. C. However, the accounting firm did not file the refund claim at that time but rather gave it to the taxpayer for filing. Id. at 1118. The taxpayer signed the return on February 28, 2003, but did not file it. Id. at Ex. C (“Statement Regarding Timely Filing”).

According to the plaintiffs, as early as April 2004, the taxpayer “was suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome, obsessional, persever-ative, tangential and circumstantial thinking, severe character pathology and a form of dementia and frontal lobe deficits (brain im[452]*452pairments) associated with difficulty planning or foreseeing the consequences of her actions.” Compl. 1115, Ex. D. Nearly a year later, on March 3, 2005, the taxpayer “was admitted to the hospital complaining of weakness, confusion and shortness of breath.” Id. at 1116 (internal quotation omitted). While in the hospital, she was diagnosed with cognitive disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome and was reported to be suffering from “some sort of anxiety think disorder.” Id. (internal quotation omitted).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
80 Fed. Cl. 449, 101 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 861, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 38, 2008 WL 435179, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bova-v-united-states-uscfc-2008.