Fibel v. Commissioner

44 T.C. 647, 1965 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 47
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJuly 28, 1965
DocketDocket Nos. 1414-63, 1415-63, 1416-63, 1417-63
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 44 T.C. 647 (Fibel 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
Fibel v. Commissioner, 44 T.C. 647, 1965 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 47 (tax 1965).

Opinion

Pierce, Judge:

Respondent notified petitioners that they were liable as transferees or as transferees of transferees, of the assets of the 213 Greene Street Corp., in respect of an alleged deficiency of $44,106.40 in the corporation’s 1956 income tax, plus interest thereon as provided by law. Also, the respondent, by amendment to his anwer in docket No. 1415-63, at the trial herein, asserted transferee liability in an increased amount against petitioner Kalmin Fibel. In said amendment, respondent alleged that Kalmin was the transferee of cash and other property in the amount of $46,831.74, rather than $38,857.11 as set forth in the notice of transferee liability to Kalmin and in the respondent’s original answer in Kalmin’s case.

Respondent has asserted that Dave Cohen and Leon Cohen are transferees of 213 Greene Street Corp.; that Harriet Fibel is a transferee of Max Cohen, now deceased, who was a transferee of the corporation ; and that Kalmin Fibel is a transferee of Harriet Fibel.

The cases were consolidated for trial.

The issues for decision are:

(1) Whether the above-mentioned corporation-transferor is entitled to nonrecognition of gain upon the condemnation of its improved real property by the City of New Yoi’k, as a result of having qualified as a corporation in liquidation under section 337(a) of the 1954 Code; or whether the corporation failed to qualify under section 337(a) because it (a) failed to adopt a plan of liquidation until after the date on which the property was condemned; and/or (b) failed to distribute its assets within the 12-month period after the date of the adoption of a plan of liquidation — so as to require that the corporation recognize the gain which it realized upon the condemnation.

(2) If the corporation’s gain on condemnation is required to be recognized, are the petitioners liable for the corporation’s resulting 1956 Federal income tax deficiency, as the transferees and successor transferees of the assets of the corporation.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts are stipulated. The stipulation of facts and all exhibits identified therein are incorporated herein by reference.

213 Greene Street Corp. (hereinafter called the Greene Street corporation) was a real estate corporation organized under the laws of the State of New York in 1944. The stock of the Greene Street corporation from its inception and throughout all relevant times thereafter, was owned in equal portions by Max Cohen and his two sons, petitioners Dave Cohen and Leon Cohen. Petitioner Harriet Fibel is the daughter of Max Cohen; and petitioner Kalmin Fibel is Harriet’s husband. Max Cohen died in September 1957. All of the petitioners use the cash method of accounting.

The Greene Street corporation filed a Federal corporation income tax return for each of the calendar years 1955, 1956, and 1957, with the district director of internal revenue, Lower Manhattan District, in New York City.

In 1944, the Greene Street corporation purchased improved real estate at 209-213 Greene Street, in New York City; and it leased most of the space therein to Century, Ltd., a corporation engaged in the business of selling furniture, the stock of which was owned in equal amounts by the above-mentioned Max, Dave, and Leon Cohen. The Greene Street corporation continued to own said property until August 5, 1955, when the city of New York, under authority of its condemnation laws, took title thereto by a condemnation order issued by a New York State court, in a proceeding entitled “In the Matter of the Application of the City of New York, relative to acquiring title in fee simple absolute to real property required for Washington Square slum clearance project.”

The stockholders of the Greene Street corporation were aware for several months prior to the actual condemnation, that the corporation’s real property probably would be condemned; and they considered, upon the advice of their accountant and tax adviser, the alternatives of investing the proceeds of the condemnation in similar type property or of liquidating the corporation. On August 3, 1955, Dave and Leon Cohen learned from an individual employed by the New York City Housing Authority, that the actual condemnation by the city would take place in a couple of days; and, on that same date of August 3, a meeting of the stockholders of the Greene Street corporation was held, at which a resolution was adopted that the corporation be liquidated within 1 year.2

The city of New York on February 15,1956, made an advance payment of $71,250 to the Greene Street corporation to be credited against the final condemnation award subsequently made. Of this sum, $50,-000 was paid directly to the corporation and $21,250 was paid to a mortgagee of the corporation’s property.

Thereafter on September 25, 1956, a final decree was entered by the New York court, wherein the amount of the condemnation award for the corporation’s Greene Street property was fixed at $223,024, together with interest thereon from August 5, 1955. Prior to said date of September 25, 1956, the amount which would be fixed and thereafter paid to the corporation as an award for its property, was not determinable. Subsequently, the city of New York made a final payment to the corporation on November 28,1956, of $151,744 ($223,-024, less $71,250 previously paid), plus interest of $9,490.72.

The following instrument was signed by Leon Cohen, president of the Greene Street corporation; and, although it bears the date of August 1, 1956 (a date within 12 months after the adoption of the plan of liquidation), the record herein does not establish that it either actually was signed on said date, or that any distribution of corporate assets pursuant to such instrument was made by the corporation to its stockholders. .

Assignment
Know All Men, that the undersigned, 213 GREENE STREET CORPORATION, a domestic corporation having its principal place of business in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York for One ($1.00) Dollar and other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, does hereby assign, transfer and set over unto LEON COHEN, DAYE COHEN AJSÍD MAX COHEN all of its right, title and interest in and to all monies due or which may become due to it from the City of New York as payment of the balance of a Condemnation Award owing the undersigned by reason of the Condemnation by the City of New York of premises owned by the undersigned and known as 213 Greene Street, Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York.
In Witness Whereof, It has hereunto set its hand and seal this 1st day of August, 1956.
Witnessed by:
(S) David Cohen
[corporate seal]
213 Greene Street Corporation.
By (S) Leon Cohen, President.

Provisions were appended underneath the foregoing instrument, for acknowledgment of the same before a notary public.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
44 T.C. 647, 1965 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 47, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fibel-v-commissioner-tax-1965.