Dr. Hollis K. (Iii) and Patricia D. Leathers v. United States of America Dr. William F. And June B. Blankenship v. United States

471 F.2d 856, 31 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 442, 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 6197
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedDecember 20, 1972
Docket71-1647, 71-1648
StatusPublished
Cited by55 cases

This text of 471 F.2d 856 (Dr. Hollis K. (Iii) and Patricia D. Leathers v. United States of America Dr. William F. And June B. Blankenship v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dr. Hollis K. (Iii) and Patricia D. Leathers v. United States of America Dr. William F. And June B. Blankenship v. United States, 471 F.2d 856, 31 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 442, 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 6197 (8th Cir. 1972).

Opinions

VOGEL, Circuit Judge.

These suits were initiated by Drs. Blankenship and Leathers, plaintiff-appellees herein,1 for refunds of federal income taxes. The cases were consolidated prior to trial, involving as they did similar issues and facts. A jury trial was had, resulting in verdicts for plaintiffsappellees. The government then filed motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdicts, or in the alternative for new trials. The District Court denied the motions and a memorandum opinion was filed.2 We affirm.

Taxpayers were both licensed physicians who were, during the years 1968 and 1969, in the residency program at the University of Arkansas Medical Center (UAMC). Neither doctor was a candidate for a degree. Upon completion of their residency they would have been “board certified” so as to be able to take the qualifying examinations in their specialties. During 1969, Dr. Leathers was a resident in pathology and received $7,237.83 from the UAMC as a “stipend”. In 1968, Dr. Blankenship was a resident in orthopedics and received $3,637.47 as “stipend” from the UAMC. In addition, he received $1,260.65 from the Veterans Administration. Of the amounts received, each taxpayer excluded $3,600 from his gross income,3 eon-' tending that such amounts were scholarship or fellowship grants as that term is defined in Section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.4 Deficiencies re-[858]*858suiting from this exclusion were assessed and paid, and timely-filed claims for refund were disallowed. Thereafter, the instant suits were filed in the District Court.

On appeal the government raises the following points:

(1) The District Court erred in refusing to grant the government’s motions either for directed verdicts or for judgments notwithstanding the verdicts.
(2) The District Court erred in the giving of certain instructions.
(3) The District Court erred in submitting to the jury certain interrogatories.
(4) The District Court erred in excluding certain evidence.

We consider first appellant’s contention that it was entitled to judgment in both eases as a matter of law. First, the question whether a payment may be excluded from income under 26 U.S.C.A. § 117 is a question of fact to be resolved by the finder of fact.

“Whether payments or allowances to an individual taxpayer were made to enable him to pursue studies and research primarily for the benefit of the grantor is basically a question of fact. Ussery v. United States, * * * 296 F.2d [582] pp. 586-587 [5th Cir., 1961]; Woddail v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 321 F.2d 721, 723-724 (10th Cir. 1963). Cf. Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Ide, 335 F.2d 852, 855 (3d Cir. 1964); Stewart v. United States, 363 F.2d 355, 357 (6th Cir. 1966).” Reiffen v. United States, 180 Ct.Cl. 296, 1967, 376 F.2d 883, 890.

In a case relied upon by the government, Quasi v. United States, D.C.Minn., 1968, 293 F.Supp. 56, aff’d, 8 Cir., 1970, 428 F.2d 750, Judge Neville expressly considered this matter:

“Under the Regulations if the primary purpose was to further the education and training of the recipient, then the payment would have the characteristics of a fellowship. This was squarely a fact question and properly submitted to the jury.” 293 F.Supp. at 62. (Emphasis supplied.)

The standards for review are well settled and not in dispute here. This as an appellate court will not reverse a jury’s determination of a fact question where such determination is supported by substantial evidence, nor will we substitute our judgment for that of the finder of the facts, whether it be judge or jury. As the late Judge John Sanborn said in another tax case, “It is only when the evidence is all one way or so overwhelmingly one way as to leave no doubt as to what the fact is, that the issue becomes one of law. Gunning v. Cooley, 281 U.S. 90, 94, 50 S.Ct. 231, 74 L.Ed. 720; Tyson v. Commissioner, 8 Cir., 146 F.2d 50, 54. Cf. Lacy v. United States, 7 Cir., 207 F.2d 352, 354.” Weiss v. Commissioner, 8 Cir., 1955, 221 F.2d 152, 155-156. See, Woddail v. Commissioner, 10 Cir., 1963, 321 F.2d 721, 724 (dealing with 26 U.S.C.A. § 117). See, also, G. W. Van Keppel Co. v. Commissioner, 8 Cir., 1961, 296 F.2d 767, 771; Rubber Research, Inc. v. Commissioner, 8 Cir., 1970, 422 F.2d 1402, [859]*8591405; Idol v. Commissioner, 8 Cir., 1963, 319 F.2d 647. See generally, Commercial Union Assurance Co. v. Berry, 8 Cir., 1966, 359 F.2d 510, 516.

In the instant case, we must analyze the factors present as against the statute (26 U.S.C.A. § 117), the regulations issued pursuant to the statute 5 and existing case law.

The constitutional validity of the Regulation § 1.117-4(c) was upheld by the Supreme Court in Bingler v. Johnson, 1969, 394 U.S. 741, 89 S.Ct. 1439, 22 L.Ed.2d 695, a case much relied upon by the appellant. There the taxpayers were employees of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. They desired to take advantage of a company-sponsored educational leave program. During the time they were on the educational leave program, they received compensation from Westinghouse based in part on a percentage of their base salary. They retained seniority status and all employee benefits such as insurance and stock option privileges. They were obligated, among other things, to return to Westinghouse for a period of at least two years after completing the program. A jury in the District Court found that the amounts paid the taxpayers were taxable “compensation” rather than excludable “scholarships”. The Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, in Johnson v. Bingler, 396 F.2d 258, 263, reversed, holding that the issue should not have been submitted to the jury, there being involved “ * * * a question solely of statutory construction, requiring only judicial exegesis.” 396 F.2d at 263. The Supreme Court, in reversing the Court of Appeals, said, at page 755 of 394 U.S., at page 1447 of 89 S.Ct., at page 707 of 22 L.Ed.2d:

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471 F.2d 856, 31 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 442, 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 6197, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dr-hollis-k-iii-and-patricia-d-leathers-v-united-states-of-america-ca8-1972.