Farmers & Merchants Bank v. United States

125 F. Supp. 587, 46 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1234, 1954 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2714
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedOctober 28, 1954
DocketNo. 12948
StatusPublished

This text of 125 F. Supp. 587 (Farmers & Merchants Bank v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Farmers & Merchants Bank v. United States, 125 F. Supp. 587, 46 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1234, 1954 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2714 (S.D. Cal. 1954).

Opinion

BYRNE, District Judge.

Findings of Fact.

I

Speed F. Hughes, deceased, was born on January 11, 1862, and died on March 28, 1946, at Los Angeles, California. He was a citizen of the United States of America and a resident of Los Angeles, California.

II

Farmers & Merchants Bank of Los Angeles is the duly appointed, qualified, and acting administrator-with-the-will-annexed of the Estate of Speed Hughes, deceased, and as such is the plaintiff herein.

III

Plaintiff filed with the Collector of Internal Revenue for the Sixth Collection District. of California a federal estate tax return on June 25, 1947, for the Estate of Speed F. Hughes.

IV

On July 25, 1947, plaintiff paid in full the estate tax shown to be due on said return to the Collector of Internal Revenue, Harry C. Westover, to wit, the sum of $80,657.19.

V

On March 17, 1948, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, acting through the Internal Revenue Agent'in Charge, Los Angeles, California, Division, determined that the estate tax return was in error in that the value of the net estate of decedent should be increased in the net amount of $68,036.90; and pursuant to said determination said Commissioner of Internal Revenue assessed additional estate taxes upon the Estate of Speed Hughes in the amount of $27,902.88.

VI

Plaintiff has paid under protest, on behalf of the Estate of Speed F. Hughes, the following sums on the following dates to Harry C. Westover, the Collector of Internal Revenue for the Sixth Collection District of California, representing additional estate taxes and interest assessed against said estate pursuant to said determination of March 17, 1948, as aforesaid: on May 14, 1948, tax in the sum of $18,000; on March 28, 1949, tax in the sum of $1,411.80; and on April 20, 1949, interest in the sum of $1,095.58. Said Harry C.- Westover ceased to be Collector of Internal Revenue for the Sixth Collection District of California on October 31, 1949, and is no longer in office as such Collector.

VII

On June 16, 1950, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, acting through the Internal Revenue Agent in Charge, Los Angeles, California, Division, made an additional determination of estate tax liability of the Estate of Speed Hughes, and therein increased the value of the net estate of said decedent over the amount shown on the estate tax return filed by plaintiff by the net amount of $72,869.83; which represented a net increase of $4,832.93 over said Internal Revenue Agent’s original determination of March 17, 1948.

VIII

Pursuant to said determination of June 16, 1950, said Commissioner of Internal Revenue assessed additional estate taxes in the amount of $1,546.53 against the Estate of Speed F. Hughes.

IX

On July 11, 1950, plaintiff paid under protest the sum of $1,645.38 (consisting of tax in the sum of $1,391.87 and interest in the sum of $253.51) to Robert A. Riddell, Collector of Internal Revenue for the Sixth Collection District of California, pursuant to said additional assessment against the Estate of Speed F. Hughes by said Commissioner of Internal Revenue.

X

The determination of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue of March 17, 1948, disallowed credit in the amount [589]*589of $8,491.08 for State inheritance taxes paid by plaintiff. The determination of June 16, 1950, disallowed credit in the additional amount of $154.66 on account of State inheritence taxes paid by plaintiff. On July 28, 1950, plaintiff filed for the Estate of Speed F. Hughes a claim with said Collector of Internal Revenue seeking the refund or abatement of the sum of $9,514.20 assessed against said decedent’s estate but not paid by plaintiff, said sum representing estate tax in the amount of $8,491.08 assessed because of the disallowance of credit on account of State inheritance taxes paid and interest on such assessment in the amount of $1,023.12. On February 9, 1951, the Commissioner accepted plaintiff’s evidence of right to credit for State inheritance taxes paid and on or about March 1, 1951, issued a certificate of overassessment under which the assessments for tax and interest in the total amount of $9,514.20 were abated.

XI

On June 30, 1949, plaintiff filed for the Estate of Speed F. Hughes with said Harry C. Westover, Collector of Internal Revenue its claim for refund in the amount of $24,409.26 plus interest thereon. Said claim for refund was rejected in full by said Collector of Internal Revenue on August 1, 1950. Plaintiff’s complaint was filed herein on March 15, 1951.

XII

On July 28, 1950, plaintiff filed with said Robert A. Riddell, Collector of Internal Revenue, for the Estate of Speed F. Hughes, its claim for refund in the amount of $1,645.38 plus interest thereon. Said claim for refund has not been allowed.

XIII

The following facts are true concerning the transfers of property by decedent to his son, David M. Hughes, referred to in the adjustments, additions, and changes by said Commissioner of Internal Revenue as “Fourth” Item to Schedule “G” — Transfers of said estate tax return:

(a) David M. Hughes, son of Speed F. Hughes, deceased, entered into the following trust agreements:

(i) Trust dated June 22, 1933, with the National Bank of Topeka as “Trustee” and David M. Hughes, as “Trustor”,

(ii) Trust dated June 29, 1933, with the Old Colony Trust Company, as “Trustee” and David M. Hughes as “Donor”,

(iii) Trust dated June 21, 1935, with National Bank of Topeka as “Trustee” and David M. Hughes as “Trustor”, and each of said trusts provided that the income was to be paid to David’s mother, Zenia Hughes, for life, and upon her death one-half of the income was to be paid to David and one-half to his father, Speed Hughes, if they survive Zenia. In the event David died before his parents, his contingent one-half income interest passed to his wife, Martha M. Hughes, and then to his children. Upon the death of both Speed and Zenia, the trusts were to terminate and the principal of the trusts was to return to David Hughes, if living; otherwise, the trusts were to continue for the life of Martha M. Hughes and his children.

(b) During the period 1933 to 1940, inclusive, David M. Hughes transferred certain property and money to each of said trusts of the total value of $413,-374.39, and decedent during the period of 1934-1937, inclusive, made certain transfers of other property and money to David M. Hughes of the value of $72,100. A true and correct summary of the aforesaid transfers is attached to the Court’s Pre-Trial Order of February 8, 1954, as Exhibit “I”. The values of said transfers appearing on said exhibit are those shown on the Federal gift tax returns filed for the years in question by the aforesaid persons.

(c) During said period 1934 to 1937, inclusive, Zenia A. Hughes, the mother of David and wife of the decedent, made transfers of still other money and property of the value of $149,130 to said David M. Hughes. Exhibit II to the Pre-Trial Order filed February 8, 1954, is a true and correct summary of such transfers as they were reported on the [590]*590Federal Gift Tax Return filed by said Zenia A. Hughes.

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Related

Hughes v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
104 F.2d 144 (Ninth Circuit, 1939)

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Bluebook (online)
125 F. Supp. 587, 46 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1234, 1954 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2714, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/farmers-merchants-bank-v-united-states-casd-1954.