Enoch v. Commissioner

57 T.C. 781, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 163
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 15, 1972
DocketDockets Nos. 511-67, 1834-67, 1835-67, 5216-68
StatusPublished
Cited by420 cases

This text of 57 T.C. 781 (Enoch v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Enoch v. Commissioner, 57 T.C. 781, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 163 (tax 1972).

Opinions

Fat, Judge:

The respondent determined tbe following deficiencies in, and additions to, tbe petitioners’ income tax for the taxable years 1962, 1968, 1964, and 1965:

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Concessions having been made by both parties, tbe issues remaining for decision are:

(1) Whether Herbert Enoch received a constructive dividend when his alleged personal and unconditional obligation to acquire all 20 shares of E,.R,.R., Inc., was satisfied by appropriating the assets of the newly acquired corporation.

(2) Whether Enoch received a constructive dividend when assets of R.R.R. were used to repay an alleged personal loan of $255,000 made to Enoch by the Union Bank of Los Angeles.

(■3) Whether R.Ii.R,. improperly claimed ordinary and necessary business expense and interest deductions which were either:

(a) personal obligations of Enoch or A. Pollard Simons; or'

(b) capital expenditures; or

(c) served no purposive activity of the corporation.

The specific expenses which the respondent has challenged are:

(a)' prepayment penalties made to the Bowery Savings Bank and FHA;

(b) interest payments made on the Union Bank loan;

(c) travel expenses incurred by Simons and his associates;

(d) loan and escrow fees relating to the Lytton Savings & Loan Association loan and the Union Bank escrow; and

(e) incremental interest payments caused by refinancing the original Bowery Savings loan.

(4) Whether the loss incurred by li.B.R. from the sale of its U.S. Treasury bonds is a capital or an ordinary loss.

(5) Whether the amount paid for Enoch’s attorney’s 20-percent interest in R.R.R. is to be added to Enoch’s basis in the R.R.R. stock.

• (6) Whether the amount realized by Enoch in the final liquidation of E..R.R. was a repayment of a loan.

(7)' Whether a rental loss claimed by Enoch for 1965 should have been disallowed.

(8) Whether the effect of the redemption was to substantially reduce R.R.R.’s earnings and profits account.

(9) Finally, whether part of the underpayment of taxes for the years 1964 and 1965 was due to negligence or intentional disregard of rules and regulations.

BINDINGS OB BAOT

Some of the facts have been stipulated. The stipulation of facts and the exhibits attached thereto are incorporated herein by this reference.

The petitioners, Herbert and Naomi Enoch, are husband and wife, and at the time of filing the petitions herein they were residents of Los Angeles, Calif. Their joint Federal income tax returns for the calendar years 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1965 were filed with the district director of internal revenue for the district of Los Angeles.

Petitioner Naomi Enoch is a party herein only by reason of baying filed a joint return with, her husband, Herbert Enoch, and the latter will hereinafter be referred to as the petitioner or Enoch.

The petitioner corporation, R.R.R., Inc. (hereinafter referred to as R.R.R.), had its principal place of business in Los Angeles at the time the petitions in these consolidated cases were filed. R.R.R. was a duly organized and existing California corporation which was organized in February 1950. R.R.R.’s fiscal period was the calendar year, and its books and records were maintained on the accrual basis of accounting. Enoch is liable as a transferee for any deficiencies owing by R.R.R.

At all times herein relevant prior to December 3, 1962, there were 20 shares of R.R.R. stock issued and outstanding. A. Pollard Simons (sometimes hereinafter referred to as Simons) of Dallas, Tex., owned 10 shares. Sunrise Mining Corp. (hereinafter referred to as Sunrise), a corporation which was wholly owned by Simons, owned the remaining 10 shares of R.R.R. These 20 shares were held at the Union Bank of Los Angeles (hereinafter referred to as the Union Bank) in escrow No. A-1652-CC-SW pursuant to conditions contained in a permit for issuance of stock issued by the California corporations’ commissioner.

At all times herein relevant the principal asset of R.R.R. was an apartment complex called Gloria Homes, which was located on Santa Barbara Avenue in Los Angeles. Gloria Homes consisted of 33 multiple-unit buildings totaling 423 apartments located on approximately 17y2 acres of land.

Plerbert Enoch was born in Munich, Germany, in 1923. Enoch and his family left Germany in 1939. He worked in New Zealand until 1946 at which time he moved to Minneapolis, Minn., and secured employment as a radio repairman until 1951. In 1951 Enoch moved to Los Angeles and continued working as a radio repairman. Enoch became a real estate salesman in 1956 and has remained in Los Angeles in the real estate business since that date.

Enoch desired to purchase Gloria Homes as early as 1961. He traveled to Dallas in 1961 in furtherance of this desire but nothing materialized from the trip.

However, by 1962 Simons had decided to sell Gloria Homes. Enoch was advised by Dale Wilson, the property manager of Gloria Homes, of Simons’ desire to sell. At this time the assets of R.R.R. included':

(a) The Gloria Homes apartments which had a fair market value of_$3,600, 000 to $4, 000, 000
(b) An unsecured note receivable from the A. P. 'Simons Mortgage Corp., in the approximate amount of_ 1532, 219
(Said loan was to be repaid to R.R.R. prior to the completion of any sale transaction involving Gloria Homes.)
(c) Government bonds in the face amount of approximately- 90, 000 (Which were on deposit in lieu of cash in a reserve fund held by the Bowery Savings Bank of New York.)
(d) Cash amounting to approximately- 25, 000 (Also on deposit in the reserve fund held by Bowery Savings Bank.)
(e) Cash amounting to approximately_ 42,000 (Held by Insurance Funds Mortgage Co.)

The Gloria Homes property, at the time of the contemplated sale, was subject to a first mortgage held by the Bowery Savings Bank of New York (hereinafter referred to as Bowery Savings). The original loan from Bowery Savings was for $3,100,000. This loan was guaranteed by the FHA and was subject to a 4-percent interest rate. The FHA. imposed certain restrictions on the borrowing corporation; among these were:

(a) A requirement that substantial replacement reserves be held in deposit.

(b) Rental restrictions as to the amount of rent charged.

(c) Restrictions on distributing assets to shareholders.

In 1962 the remaining balance due on this original $3,100,000 loan was approximately $2,300,000.

Enoch spoke to Simons after hearing of his desire to sell.

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Bluebook (online)
57 T.C. 781, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 163, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/enoch-v-commissioner-tax-1972.