Hill v. Commissioner

66 T.C. 701, 1976 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 75
United States Tax Court·Decided July 14, 1976·No. Docket No. 1206-73·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

Wiles, Judge:

Respondent determined a $9,423.51 deficiency in petitioners’ 1969 income taxes. There are two issues: (1) Whether petitioners are entitled to benefit from the nonrecognition provisions of section 1033;1 and (2) whether the basis of the property sold under threat of condemnation is more than that allowed in the statutory notice of deficiency and used in determining gain.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some facts were stipulated and are found accordingly.

Petitioners lived in Woodbridge, Va., when they timely filed their joint 1969 income tax return and when they filed their petition in this case.

In 1960, petitioners purchased property known as Sweden Point Marina, located in Charles County, Md., from Charles M. and Ina E. Upham. Sweden Point, a resort property, operated primarily in the summer and contained a restaurant and a marina. The property was subject to a first deed of trust of $33,375 in favor of Charles and Ina Upham.

After the acquisition of Sweden Point in 1960, petitioners at all times leased the restaurant, and periodically leased the marina, to Sweden Point Marina, Inc., a corporation whose stock was owned by J. Carl Hill’s brother.

In December of 1962, petitioners gave a second deed of trust to A.M. Tolkins and Ruth Freiman as trustees for the benefit of Roy S. Thurman. The second deed of trust secured petitioners’ indebtedness to Thurman of $26,000.

In February of 1963, petitioners entered into a written agreement for the sale of Sweden Point to Sam Christopher, providing in part that Christopher was to assume payments on the indebtedness secured by the first and second deeds of trust. Settlement, however, was delayed until February of 1964. At settlement, Christopher was in default of the payments on the second deed of trust. Further, checks delivered to the settlement attorney as payment for the property were drawn on insufficient funds. Accordingly, the premises were not conveyed.

While Christopher was in possession of Sweden Point, General Equipment Sales & Distributing Co., Inc., made improvements for which it received a promissory note. Subsequently, the promissory note was assigned to First National Bank of Washington (hereinafter First National).

After Christopher defaulted on the payments secured by the second deed of trust, the trustees instituted foreclosure proceedings. On May 19, 1964, Sweden Point was sold at public auction to B. Calvin Bums. The deed transferring title states that Burns paid $36,000, and acquired the property subject to a first deed of trust for the benefit of Charles and Ina Upham.

After expenses of sale and payment of the second deed of trust, there remained $14,336.90. As holder of the promissory note used' to finance improvements at Sweden Point, First National filed a claim in the Circuit Court for Charles County, Md., to obtain the remaining proceeds. In their response to First National’s claim, J. Carl and Mary E. Hill’s reply brief stated: “A Partial Audit filed with the Court shows $14,336.90 of the sale proceeds to be distributable after expenses of sale and payment of 2nd and 3rd deeds of trust.”2

First National’s claim was disallowed in a final audit, which a court-appointed special auditor filed on June 16, 1966. On June 28, 1966, First National filed an exception to the final audit contending the special auditor erred in disallowing the claim. Trial was scheduled for a hearing on the matter, but prior to trial First National and petitioners reached a settlement. Consequently, First National’s claim was dismissed with prejudice, the special auditor’s report was ratified, and the remaining funds, $14,336.90, were distributed to petitioners as owners of the property prior to foreclosure.

On April 15, 1967, Burns and his wife, Carole M. Burns, by quitclaim deed, conveyed Sweden Point to petitioners. Petitioners acquired Sweden Point subject to a first deed of trust in the amount of $33,375, for the benefit of Charles and Ina Upham.

On March 20, 1969, petitioners sold Sweden Point under threat of condemnation to the State of Maryland for $100,000. Part of the proceeds of the sale was used to satisfy various debts secured by the property, including $5,268 paid to First National in satisfaction of a deed of trust. Petitioners elected not to recognize gain on their jointly filed 1969 income tax return.

After the condemnation, Dumfries Marine Sales, Inc. (hereinafter Dumfries), a Virginia corporation, purchased a barge on which it built the Pilot House Restaurant. Dumfries was solely owned by petitioner J. Carl Hill who acquired exclusive ownership in 1967. Pilot House Restaurant was leased by Dumfries to petitioner Mary E. Hill and petitioners’ son, Donald C. Hill, both of whom did business as Pilot House Restaurant Partnership. The lease agreement required Pilot House Restaurant Partnership to pay Dumfries $1,000 per month for the right to operate the restaurant.

Although Dumfries was technically dissolved on June 1,1967, for failure to file annual reports and failure to pay annual registration fees and franchise taxes, it continued to conduct business activities. In addition to constructing and leasing Pilot House Restaurant, J. Carl Hill, as Dumfries’ president, filed an income tax return for 1970 reporting income from its leasing activities; during 1970 and 1971 Dumfries on three occasions mortgaged property to obtain loans and signed promissory notes; and in 1973 Dumfries sold the Pilot House Restaurant property.

OPINION

The first issue is whether petitioners may benefit from the nonrecognition provisions of section 1033. Generally, if a taxpayer sells property under threat of condemnation, section 1033 provides for the nonrecognition of gain to the extent that taxpayer, within a limited period of time, uses the proceeds of the sale to purchase other property similar or related in service or use.

Petitioners contend that the $100,000 received from the sale of Sweden Point, a restaurant-marina, was reinvested in Pilot House Restaurant, also a restaurant-marina, and consequently section 1033 should apply to any gain realized. In making this argument petitioners disregard their wholly owned corporation, Dumfries Marine Sales, Inc., that purchased a barge and constructed Pilot House Restaurant. Section 1033(a)(3)(A) provides for nonrecognition only “If the taxpayer * * *, for the purpose of replacing the [condemned] property * * *, purchases other property similar or related in service.” There is no provision that grants nonrecognition in the event similar property is purchased by taxpayer’s wholly owned corporation. Indeed, in Adolph K. Feinberg,45 T.C. 635,639 (1966), affd. 377 F.2d 21 (8th Cir. 1967), this Court specifically noted that even though taxpayer advanced money to his wholly owned corporation to enable it to purchase property, “this by no means fulfills the statutory requirement that petitioner purchase the property.”

Petitioners seek to distinguish Feinberg by arguing that Dumfries was involuntarily dissolved in 1967, and therefore could not have purchased Pilot House Restaurant in 1969.

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Hill v. Commissioner, 66 T.C. 701, 1976 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 75 (tax 1976).

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