Estate of Arcy v. United States

579 F. Supp. 485, 53 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 352, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11539
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedNovember 18, 1983
DocketCiv. A. No. 81-70141
StatusPublished

This text of 579 F. Supp. 485 (Estate of Arcy v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Estate of Arcy v. United States, 579 F. Supp. 485, 53 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 352, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11539 (E.D. Mich. 1983).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

THORNTON, District Judge.

This matter came on to be heard upon the complaint of the Plaintiffs and attached exhibits, the Answer of the Defendant, the Stipulation of the Parties, the Plaintiffs’ Brief, the Answering Trial Brief of the Defendant, a replied Brief of the Plaintiffs to the Answering Trial Brief of the Defendant, the Plaintiffs’ Supplemental Statement in Rebuttal to Defendant’s Oral Arguments, and a hearing by the Court of the arguments of respective counsel.

The Plaintiffs define the issues involved in the litigation as follows:

I. The Dominant Motivation of Plaintiff, EDWARD T. ARCY, SR., in personally guaranteeing loans made to Fairborn Property Company, Inc., (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dearborn Gear & Tool Co., Inc.) by Bank of the Commonwealth and for making payment on said guarantees to said bank in 1974, was the protection of his employment as president of Dear-born Gear & Tool Co., Inc.
II. The Right of Subrogation by Plaintiff, EDWARD T. ARCY, SR., against Dearborn Gear & Tool Company, Inc., created by Plaintiff’s payment on a guarantee of a Dearborn Gear & Tool Co., Inc. debt to Bank of the Commonwealth was totally worthless in 1974, the year of payment, because said action against Dearborn lacked both Liquidating and Potential Value.

The questions presented for the consideration of the Court by the Defendant are as follows:

1. Whether plaintiffs sustained a bad debt in the year 1974; and

2. Whether the bad debt, if any, sustained by plaintiffs was a business bad debt.

The Answering Trial Brief of the Defendant relates the following:

The parties have agreed to submit this case to the court on a stipulated record consisting of the transcripts of the depositions of Della E. Arcy, Edward Thomas Arcy, Jr., Donald Graham, and Richard J. Osborn, as well as certain documents as to which there is no dispute as to authenticity.1 During the final pretrial conference, it was further agreed that plaintiffs would file an opening brief, to be followed within 30 days by an answering brief of the United States. If necessary, plaintiffs may serve a reply brief, to [487]*487which the United States may respond by a brief in rejoinder.
The United States respectfully submits this answering trial brief. This brief will establish that plaintiffs have not met their burden in establishing that they sustained a bad debt loss in the year 1974, and that the United States is entitled to a judgment dismissing the complaint with prejudice. Alternatively this brief will show that if the bad debt loss was sustained, it must be characterized as a non-business bad debt.1 2
The Nature of this Action
Edward T. Arcy and his wife, Della E. Arcy, filed this action on January 15, 1981, for the refund of $137,822.32, in personal income taxes, plus interest, allegedly overpaid by them during their taxable years 1971 through 1975. In their complaint, plaintiffs claimed that they sustained a business bad debt loss during the year 1974, creating a net operating loss in that year, which loss, when carried back to 1971 and then forward to 1975, entitles them to the refund sought in the complaint. Plaintiffs further allege that the prerequisites for jurisdiction of the suit — that is the timely filing of claims for refund, and disallowance of such claims by the United States — have been satisfied.
In its answer, the United States denied (a) that plaintiffs sustained a bad debt loss in 1974 and (b) that plaintiffs were entitled to the refund sought in their complaint.
Plaintiff Edward T. Arcy died on July 29, 1981. On October 15, 1982, this Court ordered that Della E. Arcy, the personal representative under the will of Edward T. Arcy, be substituted as a party for the decedent.

The proposed findings of fact submitted by the Defendant are adopted by the Court and are as follows:

1. Edward T. Arcy (“Arcy”) was born on April 7, 1912. After completing high school, he attended Cass Technical School and Henry Ford Trade School. Deposition of Della E. Arcy (“D. Arcy dep.”) at 12. Arcy died on July 29, 1981. Plaintiffs answer to interrogatory number 10.

2. For approximately 42 years prior to his death, Edward T. Arcy resided with his wife, Della E. Arcy (“Mrs. Arcy”), at 24406 Fairmont, Dearborn, Michigan. D. Arcy dep. at 5. The Arcys had two sons, Edward T. Arcy, Jr. and Robert Arcy, and three daughters, Betty (now Betty Roussey), Carol (now Carol Kronk), and Janice D. Arcy. D. Arcy dep. at 13.

3. On January 1, 1939, Arcy and two other partners formed the Dearborn Gear and Tool Company (“Dearborn”). Exhibit 4 at 6. On March 18, 1948, after acquiring the interests of his partners, Arcy incorporated Dearborn. Id. at 7.

4. Arcy was the sole shareholder in Dearborn until 1959 or 1960, when he transferred a small percentage of Dear-born stock to members of his family. Another transfer of stock occurred in 1972. Id. at 7. During the period January 1, 1969 until December 31, 1974, the stock ownership in Dearborn was as follows:

[488]*488CLASS“A”STOCK
Owner Period
1/1/69-7/31/72 7/31/72-12/31/74
Percentage Shares Owned Shares Owned Percentage
6346 84.61% 8170 Edward T. Arcy 54.47%
1154 15.38% 2408 Della E. Arcy 16.05%
885 Robert Arcy 5.90%
885 Janice Arcy 5.90%
884 Edward T. Arcy, Jr. 5.89%
884 Carol Kronk 5.89%
7500 14116
CLASS“B”STOCK
1/1/69-12/31/69 1/1/70-12/31/70 1/1/71-12/31/74
Edward T. Arcy 18447 61.49% 18447 61.49% 18447 61.49%
Della E. Arcy 1761 5.87% 1761 5.87% 1761 5.87%
Edward T. Arcy 8942 29.51% 9146 30.49% 9207 30.69%
Foundation
Mobile Parts 150 .50% 18 .06% 18 .06%
Fairlane Properties 64 .21% 64 .21% 64 .21%
Manufacturers 636 2.12% 564 1.88% 503 1.60%
Equipment
30,000 30,000 30,000
PREFERRED STOCK
1/1/69-12/31/74
Alpha Trust 15.886 42.31%
Gamma Trust 15.886 42.31%
Beta Trust 2.884 7.68%
Delta Trust 2.884 7.68%

Exhibit 2. During the years in question, Mobile Parts Corp., Fairlane Properties, Inc. and Manufacturers Equipment Rental, Inc. were corporations owned by Arcy, and subsequently acquired by Dearborn. The Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta Trusts were short term trusts for the benefit of Arcy’s children. Deposition of Donald Graham (“Graham dep.”) at 3-5, 32-33; deposition of Richard J. Osborn (“Osborn dep.”) at 31-32.

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579 F. Supp. 485, 53 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 352, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11539, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-arcy-v-united-states-mied-1983.