Frankel v. Commissioner

1988 T.C. Memo. 1, 54 T.C.M. 1442, 1988 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 1
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJanuary 4, 1988
DocketDocket No. 31366-85.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1988 T.C. Memo. 1 (Frankel 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
Frankel v. Commissioner, 1988 T.C. Memo. 1, 54 T.C.M. 1442, 1988 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 1 (tax 1988).

Opinion

DAVID FRANKEL, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Frankel v. Commissioner
Docket No. 31366-85.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1988-1; 1988 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 1; 54 T.C.M. (CCH) 1442; T.C.M. (RIA) 88001;
January 4, 1988; As amended January 4, 1988
William J. Hagan, for the petitioner.
J. Leon Peace and Daniel Morman, for the respondent.

WELLS

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

WELLS, Judge: Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner's Federal income tax in the amount of $ 17,867 for the taxable year 1981. The issues for us to decide are whether petitioner is entitled to deductions for the taxable year 1981 for (1) a theft loss; (2) certain employee business expenses; and (3) certain charitable contributions.

FINDINGS OF FACT

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

At the time the petition was filed, petitioner resided in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.

During 1981, petitioner was employed by the Federal government as a Director of Public Affairs and Communications with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. His grade was GS-15. Petitioner's adjusted gross income in 1981 was $ 45,813.

Petitioner claimed a $ 53,900 deduction for a theft loss on Schedule A of his 1981 Federal income tax return. Petitioner computed his deduction by claiming a $ 94,000 total loss before reimbursement, and subtracting (1) $ 40,000 for anticipated insurance reimbursement, and (2) the $ 100 statutory limitation.

In a statement attached to his 1981 Federal income tax return, petitioner stated that the actual value of the items allegedly stolen was in excess of $ 150,000, but that the actual cost was $ 94,000.

TPetitioner married Marion Frankel ("Ms. Frankel") in Florida on May 25, 1969. Prior to her marriage to petitioner, Ms. Frankel received alimony from her former husband and owned a house in Florida, *4 where she kept many of her personal belongings. Prior to their marriage, petitioner and Ms. Frankel entered into a prenuptial agreement in which (1) petitioner agreed to pay Ms. Frankel support equal to the alimony that she forfeited by marrying petitioner, and (2) petitioner released any claim he might have against property acquired by Ms. Frankel both before and after their marriage.

Shortly after their marriage Ms. Frankel moved her personal belongings into petitioner's apartment in Pennsylvania. Approximately one year after her marriage to petitioner, Ms. Frankel sold her house in Florida and received between $ 50,000 and $ 60,000 in cash from the sale.

In 1975, petitioner and Ms. Frankel moved into a house which was located at 1163 State Road in Andalusia, Pennsylvania (the "marital residence"). Petitioner and Ms. Frankel both signed the lease of the marital residence as tenants.

During the time that petitioner and Ms. Frankel resided together at the marital residence, they purchased insurance from Allstate Insurance Company ("Allstate") and the Federal Crime Insurance Program ("Federal Crime") to cover theft losses. Both petitioner and Ms. Frankel were shown as insureds*5 under the Allstate and Federal Crime policies. The Allstate policy limit was $ 30,000, and the Federal Crime policy limit was $ 10,000.

During the time Ms. Frankel lived with petitioner, she purchased many items of personal property with the money she brought into the marriage. Ms. Frankel also lent petitioner money to pay for his son's college education.

Petitioner treated Ms. Frankel cruelly and she was afraid of him. Ms. Frankel first separated from petitioner in 1978, but she returned to the marital residence shortly thereafter. Petitioner continued to treat Ms. Frankel cruelly upon her return to the marital residence.

On several occasions between 1978 and 1980, petitioner ordered Ms. Frankel to leave and not to take any property with her.

Ms. Frankel permanently separated from petitioner and left the marital residence in May of 1980. At that time she moved some, but not all, of her personal belongings. Ms. Frankel used Lincoln Van and Storage Company ("Lincoln Van") to assist her in that moving process. Ms. Frankel tried to move without petitioner's knowledge because she knew that petitioner would not allow her to take all of her personal belongings. Petitioner, *6 in fact, prevented Ms. Frankel from taking all of her belongings when she moved.

Ms. Frankel returned to the marital residence on June 1, 1981. At that time she forcibly entered the marital residence by breaking a window and removed many items of household furniture, furnishings, and household effects. Many of the items Ms. Frankel removed admittedly belonged to petitioner, not to her, but she took the items belonging to petitioner under a claim of reimbursement. That claim of reimbursement was based upon the loan Ms. Frankel made to petitioner for his son's college education, which had not been repaid, as well as upon the forfeited alimoney she thought petitioner owed to her under the prenuptial agreement.

Ms. Frankel employed Smyth Van and Storage of Pennsylvania, Inc. ("Smyth Van") to assist her with the move on June 1, 1981. Prior to June 1, 1981, Smyth Van had acquired Lincoln Van. Smyth Van transferred the property that Ms. Frankel removed from the marital residence on June 1, 1981, to Engle Van Lines, Inc. ("Engle Van"). Engle Van then transported the property to Ms. Frankel's new residence in Golden, Colorado. (Hereinafter, Smyth Van and Engle Van will be sometimes*7 collectively referred to as the movers.) Petitioner reported to the police as a theft the removal of the property from the marital residence on June 1, 1981. The police incident report stated that Ms. Frankel was responsible for removing the property from the marital residence.

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2018 T.C. Memo. 180 (U.S. Tax Court, 2018)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1988 T.C. Memo. 1, 54 T.C.M. 1442, 1988 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/frankel-v-commissioner-tax-1988.