Estate of Davis v. Commissioner

51 T.C. 269, 1968 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 25
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedNovember 21, 1968
DocketDocket No. 5859-66
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 51 T.C. 269 (Estate of Davis 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
Estate of Davis v. Commissioner, 51 T.C. 269, 1968 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 25 (tax 1968).

Opinions

Featheeson, Judge:

Eespondent determined a deficiency in the estate tax of petitioner in the amount of $22,231.30. The sole issue is what portion, if any, of an inter vivos trust set up for the benefit of the former wife of decedent is includable in his gross estate.

FINDINGS OF FACT

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

Howard Lee Davis (sometimes hereinafter referred to as decedent) died testate, a resident of Upper Montclair, N.J., on May 9, 1963. lone Davis Jones (hereinafter referred to as Jones), decedent’s daughter, duly qualified as executrix of his estate on June 5, 1963. At the time of filing of the petition in this case, her legal residence was in Montclair, N.J. The estate tax return for the estate of decedent was filed with the district director of internal revenue at Newark, N. J., on August 10,1964.

On October 1, 1902, decedent married lone Tefft Hatch (hereinafter referred to as lone). Decedent and lone had three daughters, Mary Davis Conger ('hereinafter referred to as Mary) ¡bom September 25, 1903; Alma Euth Davis (hereinafter referred to as Alma) bom February 14, 1906, and lone Davis Jones (J ones) bom April 13, 1910.

Decedent was graduated from the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University in 1899, where he received a bachelor’s degree in engineering. In 1906, he became employed in the engineering department of the New York Telephone Co. On January 1, 1926, decedent was appointed director of Technical Employment and Training by New York Telephone Co., a position which he held until retirement on December 31,1938, at age 61.

Decedent’s salary from New York Telephone Co. ranged from $9,000 per year in 1925 to $11,000 per year in 1938. Upon retirement, decedent received a pension which ranged in amount from $318.09 per month in 1939 to $314.55 per month in 1959. Decedent continued to receive the pension until his death. After retirement decedent became a teacher at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, where he taught until 1947. His salary there was approximately $5,000 to $6,000 per, year. After 1947, he taught part time at Newark College of Engineering until about 1952.

Decedent was the author of two publications; one, a book written in 1931 entitled “The Young Man in Business,” was published in New York ¡by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and in London by Chapman & Hall, Ltd., and the other, a pamphlet entitled “Preparation for Seeking Employment,” was published by John Wiley & Sons., Inc., in 1937. Decedent received some royalty income from these publications but the record does not disclose the amount thereof.

Decedent and lone maintained a high standard of living during their marriage. In 1910, they purchased in lone’s name a 13-room, one-family residence in Montclair, N.J., in which they resided until it was sold on March 31, 1936. The house had four bathrooms, three porches, and a large cellar, in addition to its 13 rooms, and was located in a good residential neighborhood. The grounds included a garden and grape arbor. Decedent always employed full-time domestic help, as well as a part-time laundress. From time to time decedent also engaged governesses for his daughters.

Each of decedent’s daughters received a college education, the costs of which were paid by decedent. Decedent also paid the costs of educating a nephew at Yale University. As graduation presents, decedent gave each daughter an extended European vacation.

In 1932, Alma contracted tuberculosis and was treated at Saranac Lake, N.Y. While Alma was away from home receiving treatment, marital difficulties arose between decedent and lone, and in the fall of 1935 they agreed to break up their home.

Following a decision to divorce, extended discussions were held between decedent and lone, some of which were held in the presence of decedent’s daughters (including Alma who returned home in early 1936), relating to the amount of support lone would need after the divorce. It was agreed that lone would require $300 per month for her support. It was also agreed that Alma would live with her mother in New York City.

On March 31, 1936, the house in Montclair, N.J., was sold in contemplation of the divorce. Decedent and lone owned no other real estate, and none was acquired prior to their divorce.

On April 17, 1936, decedent and lone met in an attorney’s office in New York City and executed two documents, one entitled “Articles of Separation” (hereinafter referred to as separation agreement), and the other entitled “Deed of Trust” (hereinafter referred to as trust). Both documents were witnessed by Walter A Peterson and 'Charles B. Hill, and were acknowledged by Warren S. Adams II, a notary public, on. April 17, 1936. At tlie time these documents were executed decedent was 58 years old, lone was 54 years old, and all the children were over 25 years of age.

The separation agreement, after stating that the purpose of the agreement is to confirm the separation and to mate adequate provision for the support and maintenance of the wife, provided in material part, as follows:

.SECOND: Tlie husband shall and will pay to the wife during Ms lifetime or until such time as tMs agreement shall terminate, for her support, sustenance and maintenance, and for her sole and separate use and benefit, the sum of Two thousand and forty dollars per annum, in equal monthly installments of $170.00 each, commencing on the 4th day of July, 1936, and payable on or about the 4th day of each and every month thereafter.
THIRD: The parties hereto, each for himself and herself hereby specifically waives [sic] the right of election to take Ms or her share of the estate of the other as in intestacy, given to him and her by the Decedent Estate Law of the State of New York, in effect September 1,1930, or any right of election given by the Statutes of any other State, and each agrees that the other may freely devise and bequeath any part or all of Ms or her estate by any will or codicil to any will heretofore executed, or which may hereafter be executed by him or her, to such person or persons as he or she may wish; and each of the parties hereto agrees not to seek any right of election in the estate of the other given to him and to her by law.
FOURTH: The wife agrees, in the event of the death of the husband, not to exercise nor to seek to exercise ant [sic] right of dower in any real estate owned by the husband at the time of Ms death.
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SEVENTH: In case the parties hereto are divorced by a court of competent jurisdiction, no provisions for alimony to the wife shall be made in the decree to be entered therein, but this agreement shall survive said divorce and shall continue in full force and effect. If the wife thereafter marries, then and thenceforth from the time of such remarriage the payments provided for 'herein shall cease and terminate, but without prejudice to any act or thing done or right accrued up to the time of such remarriage.

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Estate of Magnin v. Commissioner
2001 T.C. Memo. 31 (U.S. Tax Court, 2001)
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10 N.J. Tax 435 (New Jersey Tax Court, 1989)
Estate of Iversen v. Commissioner
65 T.C. 391 (U.S. Tax Court, 1975)
Estate of Marshall v. Commissioner
51 T.C. 696 (U.S. Tax Court, 1969)
Estate of Davis v. Commissioner
51 T.C. 269 (U.S. Tax Court, 1968)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
51 T.C. 269, 1968 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 25, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-davis-v-commissioner-tax-1968.