Campbell v. United States

657 F.2d 1174, 228 Ct. Cl. 440, 48 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6266, 1981 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 445
United States Court of Claims·Decided August 19, 1981·No. No. 560-79T·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

FRIEDMAN, Chief Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is another chapter in the continuing saga of attempts by the Internal Revenue Service to limit the use of "flower bonds” to pay federal estate taxes. Flower bonds are United States Treasury bonds (1) that were issued a number of years ago at interest rates substantially below current ones and therefore sell significantly below par, but (2) that may be redeemed at par before maturity to pay federal estate taxes. See generally Girard Trust Bank v. United States, 221 Ct. Cl. 134, 136-37 n.1, 602 F.2d 938, 940 n.1 (1979).

In the present case, as in a number of others, the bonds were purchased for the decedent soon after he became comatose and shortly before he died, pursuant to a power of attorney executed several years earlier. The government contends that the power of attorney lapsed when the decedent became comatose, that the purchase of the bonds on his behalf was ineffective, and that the decedent therefore was not the "owner” of the bonds when he died which, under the governing regulation, is a condition to the early redemption of the flower bonds at par to pay estate taxes. We reject this contention and hold that the decedent’s estate was entitled to have the flower bonds redeemed at par for the payment of estate taxes.

I.

The pertinent facts, which are stipulated, are as follows:

In 1965, the decedent, Lionel L. Campbell ("Campbell”), while in good health, gave his son ("Campbell Junior”) "a full and universal power of attorney” authorizing Campbell Junior "to do any and every act, and exercise any and every power” that Campbell could do or exercise through any other person. On December 9, 1976, Campbell, then 73 years old, was "stricken with a cerebral hemorrhage, and [442]*442became permanently and irreversibly mentally incompetent, remaining so until his death.” He died 24 days later on January 2,1977.

On December 10, the day after Campbell was stricken, Campbell Junior purchased, at a substantial discount and with Campbell’s funds, a United States Treasury bond, in the face amount of $200,000, bearing interest at 3-% percent per annum, and maturing on November 15, 1998. In purchasing the bond, Campbell Junior intended to act as agent and attorney for his father, although he was fully aware of his father’s medical condition.

The plaintiff, the executrix of Campbell’s estate, filed with the appropriate Federal Reserve Bank an application to redeem at par the portion of the flower bond that was required to satisfy Campbell’s federal estate tax liability. The Internal Revenue Service subsequently determined that that liability was $103,219. The United States, acting through the Commissioner of the Bureau of Public Debt, refused to redeem at par any portion of the bond. The Bureau holds $106,000 face amount of the bond, pending our final determination whether "an appropriate part of the subject bond was eligible for early redemption in satisfaction of decedent’s estate tax liability.” The plaintiff states that as of December 7,1979, the approximate market value of the $106,000 face amount of the bond was $81,885.

The present suit seeks damages of approximately $35,000. This represents (1) the difference between the par and market value of the $106,000 face amount of the bond, plus (2) the difference in interest between the 3-% percent the bond earns and the statutory interest upon unpaid federal estate taxes, and (3) $5,000 in administrative costs the estate allegedly incurred because of the government’s refusal to redeem the bond at par. The United States has filed a counterclaim for $103,219, the amount of the allegedly unpaid estate tax. Plaintiff does not dispute the amount of the assessment, but contends that the balance of the estate tax remains unpaid because the government refuses to redeem the flower bond.

[443]*443II.

The Treasury regulation dealing with the early redemption of this flower bond provides:

Any bonds issued hereunder which upon the death of the owner constitute part of his estate, will be redeemed at the option of the duly constituted representatives of the deceased owner’s estate, at par and accrued interest to date of payment, provided:
(a) that the bonds were actually owned by the decedent at the time of his death; and
(b) that the Secretary of the Treasury be authorized to apply the entire proceeds of redemption to the payment of Federal estate taxes.

Treasury Circular No. 1067 (Sept. 11, 1961) (emphasis in original).

The only question before us is whether the bonds were actually owned by Campbell at his death. The government contends that when Campbell became "permanently and irreversibly mentally incompetent” following his stroke, the effect was to terminate Campbell Junior’s "authority to act on decedent’s behalf in effecting a bond purchase.” Under the government’s theory, therefore, Campbell Junior’s purchase of the bond for his father was ineffective.

A. A preliminary question is whether state or federal law determines whether Campbell Junior’s power of attorney terminated when his father became comatose. Plaintiff urges that state law governs; the government invokes federal law. We conclude that we should look to Texas law to decide the question.

Campbell, a Texas resident, executed the power of attorney in Texas. The power was created pursuant to Texas law and Texas law defined the scope of the power and the rights and obligations of the parties thereunder. Similarly, Texas law governs the duration and termination of the power. Since Texas law created and defined the power, that law also should determine the effect of the incapacity of the donor upon the continued existence and exercise of the power.

The governing flower bond regulation requires only that "the bonds were actually owned by the decedent at the time [444]*444of his death.” There is nothing in this regulation that implies or even suggests that federal rather than state law is to determine the question of agency law — a subject traditionally committed to state law — whether the incapacity of the decedent terminated the power of appointment. See United States v. Manny, 645 F.2d 163 (2d Cir. 1981); United States v. Price, 514 F. Supp. 477 (S.D. Iowa 1981); United States v. Estate of Dean, 80-2 U.S.T.C. ¶ 13,358 (S.D. Ind. 1980). Indeed, the federal regulation does not address that issue.

B. Although there is no Texas authority dealing with this specific question, Texas law indicates that Texas courts would hold that when Campbell became comatose, the power of attorney did not immediately terminate but rather continued effective for some brief period, subject to disaffir-mance by Campbell’s executrix after his death. This is also the view of most of the federal courts that have considered the question under the laws of other states.

It is settled in Texas that when a principal is adjudicated insane, the authority of his agent to act for him is terminated. "On the other hand, the principal’s intoxification does not necessarily terminate an agency.” 3 Tex. Jur. 3d Agency § 24 (1980). See also Renfro v. City of Waco,

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Campbell v. United States, 657 F.2d 1174, 228 Ct. Cl. 440, 48 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6266, 1981 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 445 (cc 1981).

657 F.2d 1174 (Campbell v. United States) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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