Estate of Musgrove v. United States

33 Fed. Cl. 657, 76 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5276, 1995 U.S. Claims LEXIS 131, 1995 WL 395112
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJune 30, 1995
DocketNo. 93-185T
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 33 Fed. Cl. 657 (Estate of Musgrove v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Estate of Musgrove v. United States, 33 Fed. Cl. 657, 76 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5276, 1995 U.S. Claims LEXIS 131, 1995 WL 395112 (uscfc 1995).

Opinion

OPINION

HORN, Judge.

This case comes before the court on cross-motions for summary judgment. Plaintiffs, Heidi Crane and David L. Paluska, are co-personal representatives of the estate of [658]*658Sebe E. Musgrove. Plaintiffs bring this action for the refund of federal estate taxes in the amount of $99,381.94, paid on the estate of Sebe E. Musgrove. Plaintiffs argue that a $251,540.00 transfer by the decedent, Sebe Musgrove, to his son, Stanley, less than a month before Sebe’s death, in exchange for an interest free, unsecured demand note in the amount of $300,000.00, which by its terms was to be cancelled upon the death of the decedent, should not be included in the decedent’s gross estate. Plaintiffs, therefore, contend that they are entitled to a tax refund in the amount of $99,381.94, as an alleged overpayment of estate taxes on the estate of Sebe Musgrove.

In its cross-motion for summary judgment, defendant alleges that the transfer between Sebe Musgrove and his son, Stanley Mus-grove, amounted to a gratuitous, intrafamily loan, lacking full and adequate consideration. Defendant maintains that, pursuant to I.R.C. §§ 2033, 2035 and/or 2038, the $251,540.00 was included properly as part of the gross estate of Sebe Musgrove, and, therefore, that there was no overpayment of estate taxes. Neither party contests that jurisdiction is proper in this court.

FACTS

Sebe Musgrove died at the age of eighty-four on January 2, 1981, due to angina, hypertension and arteriosclerosis. He had been seriously ill prior to his death. Sebe Musgrove had two children, Stanley Mus-grove and Naomi Ruth Stevens. Sebe’s daughter, Naomi, predeceased him, leaving her entire estate to her brother, Stanley Musgrove, who also served as the personal representative of his sister Naomi’s estate. Stanley advised Sebe that Naomi’s estate was liable for approximately $300,000.00 in estate taxes, and that it would be necessary to sell part of the real property from Naomi’s estate to pay the taxes due because Stanley did not have the funds necessary for the payment. Sebe stated that he did not want the land sold, and that to avoid sale of the land he would transfer the necessary funds to Stanley to pay the estate taxes due on Naomi’s estate.

On September 5, 1980, Sebe and Stanley discussed the upcoming payment of the estate taxes on Naomi’s estate with Sebe’s attorney, Thomas Thode. Sebe stated that he intended to go to his bank to transfer $300,000.00 into Stanley's name so that he could pay the taxes due on Naomi’s estate. Sebe claimed that, absent a financial emergency, he did not believe he would ever need to make a demand on the debt, and that he desired the note to provide for forgiveness of the obligation at Sebe’s death. Stanley indicated that he did not know when or if he could repay the money to Sebe.

On September 5, 1980, Stanley Musgrove signed a promissory note, prepared by Sebe’s attorney, Thomas Thode, pursuant to Sebe’s directions. The note was payable to Sebe Musgrove in the amount of $300,000.00. On its face, the note contained a clause stating that if there was no prior demand by Sebe, the note was to be forgiven upon Sebe’s death. After Sebe approved the contents of the note, Stanley signed the note and Sebe retained the original.

Because the exact amount of the taxes due on Naomi’s estate was unknown at the time the promissory note was drafted, Mr. Thode advised Sebe and Stanley that a new note should be prepared to reflect the exact amount transferred to Stanley after the tax amount due was determined. Mr. Thode sent a letter, dated September 11, 1980, to Sebe and Stanley Musgrove, reflecting the understandings regarding the transfer. Mr. Thode’s primary concern was to ensure that gift taxes would not be owed by Sebe on. the amount transferred.

On the same day that the demand note was executed, Sebe and Stanley went to the Arizona Bank to arrange for the transfer of funds. Sebe possessed two certificates of deposit at the Arizona Bank, one in the amount of $283,500.00, payable “to the Order of Sebe Musgrove ITF Stanley Musgrove” and the other in the amount of $25,598.87, “payable to Sebe Musgrove.” Stanley was added as a joint tenant to the certificates of deposit. Sebe, Stanley and Mr. Thode agreed, however, that to avoid an interest penalty for prematurely cashing the certificates of deposit, they would transfer the [659]*659money from Sebe to Stanley by borrowing the money from the Arizona Bank, using the two certificates as security. On December 16, 1980, after the exact amount of taxes owed on Naomi’s estate was determined, Sebe arranged for a line of credit at the Arizona Bank, secured by the two certificates of deposit. Sebe had two checks prepared, one in the amount of $225,511.00, payable to the Internal Revenue Service, and the other in the amount of $26,029.00, payable to the Arizona Department of Revenue. The checks were mailed from Sebe to Stanley in California so that he could pay the taxes on his sister Naomi’s estate.

On December 29 or 30, 1980, Stanley and Sebe discussed over the telephone whether they should make further arrangements regarding the certificate of deposit in the amount of $25,598.87. This certificate was no longer required to secure the loan with the Arizona Bank, because the taxes had been less than anticipated. Sebe stated that they should leave the certificate of deposit alone. Prior to Sebe’s death, neither Sebe nor Stanley took any fiirther action on the line of credit or on the certificates of deposits, nor was there any mention or demand for repayment of the advanced funds. Sebe did not have the demand note redrafted because, according to the affidavit of Thomas Thode included in the record, Stanley was going to inherit all of Sebe’s money.

Sebe Musgrove died on January 2, 1981. Subsequent to Sebe’s death, Stanley Mus-grove paid the balance of federal estate taxes due on the estate of Sebe Musgrove on January 17, 1989, and paid the State of Arizona estate taxes on January 18, 1989. The demand note was reported as part of decedent’s gross estate on the estate tax return at a value of $251,540.00. No gift tax return was filed, and no gift tax was paid with respect to the transfer of $251,540.00 from Sebe to Stanley. The plaintiffs’ claims for refund for federal estate taxes, allegedly paid in excess, were made on September 6, 1990 and January 14, 1991. In part, plaintiffs sought a refund of federal estate taxes for inclusion of the promissory note in Sebe’s estate.

An action also was filed in Arizona Superi- or Court (No. 45512) against Stanley Mus-grove in his several capacities by a Special Administratrix of the Estate of Sebe Mus-grove to recover the $251,540.00 transferred from Sebe to Stanley. The Arizona Superior Court determined that the transfer of the $251,540.00 represented a loan to Stanley by Sebe that was forgiven upon Sebe’s death, and which Stanley did not have to repay to Sebe’s estate.

DISCUSSION

Summary judgment in this court should be granted only when there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Rule 56 of this court is patterned on Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Fed.R.Civ.P.) and is similar in language and effect.1 Both rules provide that summary judgment “...

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33 Fed. Cl. 657, 76 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5276, 1995 U.S. Claims LEXIS 131, 1995 WL 395112, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-musgrove-v-united-states-uscfc-1995.