Flournoy v. Kupser

17 Cal. App. 3d 919, 95 Cal. Rptr. 279, 1971 Cal. App. LEXIS 1543
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 26, 1971
DocketCiv. No. 12733
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 17 Cal. App. 3d 919 (Flournoy v. Kupser) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Flournoy v. Kupser, 17 Cal. App. 3d 919, 95 Cal. Rptr. 279, 1971 Cal. App. LEXIS 1543 (Cal. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinion

Opinion

REGAN, J.

In this proceeding, the appeal by the Controller of the State of California seeks to reverse in part the order fixing inheritance tax in the estate of Herbert M. Kupser, deceased, being Yuba County probate No. 6959, as well as the order relating to the inheritance tax liability of certain transfers of property in the estate of Anna M. Kupser, being Yuba County probate No. 4253, which dismissed the petition to determine inheritance tax filed by the Controller in an action entitled Houston I. Flournoy v. Frank Kupser, designated as Yuba County action No. 20016.

[923]*923Facts

Decedent, Herbert M. Kupser, died January 12, 1965, from congestive heart failure. The onset of his death was totally unexpected and unpredictable. Dr. Philip E. Thunen, a physician in Marysville who had been decedent’s doctor for many years, had been asked by decedent to be and subsequently became the executor of his estate. He visited decedent at his home approximately two to four times during the year of 1964. During that year he was treating decedent for osteoarthritis of his knee and other problems. Thunen’s appraisal of decedent was that he was in vigorous health. He supervised operations taking place on his property (such as land leveling) and sought out medical care for his arthritis only because it became difficult for him to get around. Decedent was hospitalized three times within a few months prior to his death. Each time he was hospitalized a little more than a week.

Decedent never had any discussions with Thunen as to his expectation of his death or settling his property. Although he had suffered a 15-year heart condition, his death was abrupt and as mentioned herein unexpected; he was brought in unconscious and died after one and one-half days in the hospital. Decedent required no treatment for this condition which resulted in his death.

Prior to his death decedent made certain transfers material to this appeal:

1. To Mrs. Mary Souza, a stranger in blood, cash in the amount of $3,000; 2. To Vada Gould, a stranger in blood, cash in the amount of $3,000; 3. To Vada Gould, a stranger in blood, a Buick automobile; the value of the automobile at date of his death was $4,267.56; 4. To Mrs. W. T. Johns, a cousin, cash in the amount of $3,000; 5. February 17, 1959, decedent conveyed by deed 261.65 acres of farm land to James E. Kupser, a nephew, the value at date of death being $84,500.

Were the Gifts to Vada Gould, Mrs. W. T. Johns, and Mary Souza Taxable as Made by Decedent in Contemplation of Death?

Decedent explained to Dr. Thunen why he gave money to Mrs. Johns. She had written him requesting money because her son was. very ill and considerable expense was involved in his treatment. Wesley Chipman, decedent’s accountant, advised decedent that since he had already exceeded his lifetime exemption, he could only send Mrs. Johns the sum of $3,000 without tax consequences. Mrs. Johns was decedent’s first cousin and he had raised her.

Vada Gould and her husband had lived with decedent for many years [924]*924prior to his death. She was present when he wrote the check to Mrs. Johns. Mrs. Gould testified that the money was really intended for Mrs. Johns’ son but the check was payable to Mrs. Johns because of the son’s blindness and state of health.

Decedent and his former housekeeper, Mary Delfrati, lived with the Goulds, who had all of the expenses of the house, his care and Mary’s care. Decedent was having a hard time getting around because of the arthritis in his legs and knee. He did not have the use of one arm so the Goulds gave him physiotherapy treatments which enabled him to regain the use of his arms.

Decedent was unable to drive a car, so Vada Gould did all of his driving for him. She owned a Chevrolet which was very low and uncomfortable for decedent to get in and out of. The car was not air-conditioned and decedent became ill from the heat in the summer months. A Buick salesman came out to the house, and decedent ordered the new Buick which the Controller’s office questions herein. He bought the car because he said it was more comfortable, he wanted air-conditioning, and he wanted Vada to have a comfortable car since he had to ride with her.

The $3,000 cash gift which the Controller’s office also questions was given to Vada approximately a year prior to decedent’s death. Vada asked decedent to go into the hospital for a couple of weeks so that she could have a vacation and a respite from his care. He went into thé hospital for two to three days; refused to stay and returned to the Gould residence. Since she had to forego her vacation, decedent gave her the $3,000 gift.

In 1959, decedent transferred the Kupser home ranch to his nephew, James. An appraisal was made of the property by two real estate agents who concluded the total value of the property was $108,510. In conjunction with the transfer of the property, decedent and his nephew entered into an agreement wherein the nephew promised to furnish to decedent and his housekeeper, Mary Delfrati, a comfortable home with all the necessities of life at the nephew’s sole expense. The nephew spent approximately $6,000 rebuilding a home on the ranch to make it liveable for his uncle. Decedent’s accountant deducted the value of the support agreement for Mary and decedent from the value of the property transferred and paid a gift tax on the balance of $6,841.41. One of decedent’s main concerns was that Mary Delfrati be taken care of.

No evidence exists in this record from which we can determine the circumstances or purposes of decedent’s inter vivos transfer of $3,000 to Mary Souza. The appraiser found tax to be due on this transfer; he stated that he had no information of the purpose of this transfer, and it can be inferred [925]*925from the record that the appraiser did not know the circumstances of the transfer. The appraiser’s decision that tax was due on this transfer was made on the basis of the report submitted to him by the Controller’s office.

Section 13642 of the Revenue and Taxation Code reads, in pertinent part, as follows: “A transfer . . . made in contemplation of the death of the transferor is a transfer subject to this part, but no such transfer shall be deemed or held to have been made in contemplation of death if made more than three years prior to the death of the transferor.

“ ‘Contemplation of death’ includes that expectancy of death which actuates the mind of a person on the execution of his will. The term is not restricted to that expectancy of death which actuates the mind of a person making a gift causa mortis.”

It is well established that the burden of showing that a transfer is made in contemplation of death is on the state. (Estate of Adams (1952) 39 Cal.2d 309, 318 [246 P.2d 625]; Estate of Minor (1919) 180 Cal. 291, 294 [180 P. 813, 4 A.L.R. 456]; Estate of Snyder (1925) 71 Cal.App. 324, 328 [235 P. 54].) And whether or not a transfer is made in contemplation of death is a fact question. (Spreckels v. State of California (1916) 30 Cal.App. 363, 368 [158 P. 549].) The appellate court will uphold the findings of the lower court if there is any substantial evidence which supports such findings; the appellate court is entitled to consider the testimony given at the trial and all inferences which may reasonably be drawn from such facts. (Crawford v.

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Related

Estate of Jeffers
134 Cal. App. 3d 729 (California Court of Appeal, 1982)
Estate of Friedman v. Friedman
94 Cal. App. 3d 667 (California Court of Appeal, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
17 Cal. App. 3d 919, 95 Cal. Rptr. 279, 1971 Cal. App. LEXIS 1543, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/flournoy-v-kupser-calctapp-1971.