In re Estate of Vanderlip

39 Ohio Law. Abs. 314, 27 Ohio Op. 123, 1943 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 249
CourtMontgomery County Probate Court
DecidedOctober 22, 1943
DocketNo. 95936
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 39 Ohio Law. Abs. 314 (In re Estate of Vanderlip) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montgomery County Probate Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Estate of Vanderlip, 39 Ohio Law. Abs. 314, 27 Ohio Op. 123, 1943 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 249 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1943).

Opinion

OPINION

By WISEMAN, J.

This matter comes on to be heard on the sworn application of Eugene G. Kennedy, executor under the will of Rose Vanderlip, deceased, for an order modifying the former order of this court determining the inheritance tax on that part of the estate distributed to Arthur W. Meyer, residuary legatee and devisee under her will, and for an order for a refund of overpaid inheritance taxes.

Due notice was given to the Tax Commission, the matter was properly heard, and the facts essential to the issues are undisputed.

At the time of the decedent’s death, there was found among her effects a pass book issued to her by the West Side Building & Loan Company, showing a running stock account in that institution of the par value of $7,000. This account was listed as an asset in the inventory, and was appraised at $3,990; and was included as an asset [316]*316in the tax proceeding. As a matter of fact, this, account did not exist; it had been withdrawn by the decedent many years prior to her death. It is conceded that this account was inventoried and. appraised as an asset of the estate of the decedent, and included as an asset of said estate in arriving at the value of the succession of the residuary legatee and devisee, through a mistake of fact.

By including this account as part of the assets of said estate,, an overpayment of inheritance tax in the amount of $191.52 resulted. The executor prays the court to modify its former order determining the inheritance tax, and to order a refund of the overpayment as provided by law. The order determining the tax was made on December 18, 1942; the tax was paid on June 16, 1943; the application before the court was filed after term, to-wit, on July 13, 1943.

The right to a refund is controlled by §5339, GC, which in part provides as follows:

“If any debts shall be proven against the general estate after the determination of inheritance tax has been made, an application for modification of such order of determination may be filed. Of this application and of the hearing thereof the tax commission shall have notice * * *.
“Where it shall be shown to the satisfaction of the probate court that deductions for debts were erroneously allowed, or that assets exist which were not taken into consideration when tax was determined, such court may enter an order assessing the taxes upon the-amount wrongfully or erroneously deducted or upon such omitted assets.”

Does this petitioner place himself within the provisions of this-statute? It will be observed that the language of the statute restricts the right to a refund to those cases wherein debts have been, proven against the estate which were not deducted in the determination of the tax, or a right to a modification of the former order to-those cases wherein debts were allowed which should not have been allowed, or where property was omitted which should have been included. The language of the statute does not expressly provide for a situation where assets were included which should not have been included.

At the outset, the -petitioner is confronted with the principle of law that taxation laws are strictly construed in favor of the state. Unless the taxpayer can place' himself within the express provisions of the statute, which may restrict the relief granted to the taxpayer, he is without a remedy under the taxation laws. See Tax Commission v Paxson, 118 Oh St 36, 41.

In support of the contention that the refund should be ordered, the case of State ex v Mong, 130 Oh St 483, 5 OO 101, is cited. In that case, a writ of mandamus was granted commanding the auditor [317]*317of Summit county to issue a warrant on the county treasurer for a refund of overpaid inheritance taxes. The one-half of the refund chargeable to the State of Ohio had been repaid. The action related to the portion chargeable to the Village of Hudson, the decedent’s place of residence. The court in its opinion held:

“The intent of the inheritance tax law is that inheritance taxes shall be paid promptly with right of refund of such an amount thereof as may later lawfully appear to be overpaid. The tax is computed on the net balance and often after payment further deductions come to light which may be cared for by refund.”

There is nothing in that opinion which indicates how the overpayment of taxes happened to be made.' The inference is left that other deductions came to light which reduced the amount of the tax. If this is correct, the applicant for refund was placed directly within the express provisions of §5339, GC. The real question in that case was whether a political subdivision could be required to refund taxes which had already been distributed to it. The court on that phase of the case held:

“There is no vested right to inheritance taxes which have been paid and distributed to the state or a subdivison thereof,, such as prevents a refund of payments in excess of those warranted by law.”

The court found that the relator was entitled to a writ of mandamus requiring the Village of Hudson to refund its portion of the overpaid taxes. It is observed that the holding of the court is .rather sweeping in its application and content, which lends force to the contention of the executor in the instant case that since a political subdivision has no vested right to inheritance taxes paid “in excess of those warranted by law,” there is sufficient authority -for this court to order a refund of inheritance taxes paid on assets which did not exist and which were included as assets in the tax proceedings through a mistake of fact. If the facts in the instant ease" fell within the express provisions of §5339 GC, the contention would be wholly tenable. However, the applicant in the case at bar requests a modification of the former order and asks for a refund on grounds not provided for in §5339 GC. Hence, the executor must look elsewhere for a remedy. The language used by the court in State ex v Mong, supra, indicates that the court may go far to afford a remedy to a taxpayer who has paid inheritance taxes under a mistake of fact. In the case of Belle Center v Roundhead Township, 99 Oh St 50, on page 54 the court holds that “The right to succeed to the estate is the thing that is taxed.”

However, the court is confronted with four Ohio cases in which relief was denied the taxpayer. In the case of Exrs. of Long v State, 21 Oh Ap 412, it was held:

[318]*318“On. application for refunder of inheritance tax, made after term in which it was assessed, only question is whether judgment of probate court is void, where no exceptions had been taken, and no proceedings on error or appeal prosecuted to such judgment.
“Voluntary payment of inheritance tax without protest or objection cannot be recovered back, even though it was illegally assessed.”

. In this case the taxpayer did not take advantage of a legal right to an exemption from the payment of an inheritance tax under the reciprocity laws with the State of New York. The court had before it the question as to whether the applicant was given any statutory authority to a refund.

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63 N.E.2d 315 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1944)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
39 Ohio Law. Abs. 314, 27 Ohio Op. 123, 1943 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 249, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-estate-of-vanderlip-ohprobctmontgom-1943.