Internal Revenue Service v. Jones (In re Jones)

381 B.R. 897, 101 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 457, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 871
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedJanuary 7, 2008
DocketNo. 8:07-cv-515-T-JSM
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 381 B.R. 897 (Internal Revenue Service v. Jones (In re Jones)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Internal Revenue Service v. Jones (In re Jones), 381 B.R. 897, 101 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 457, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 871 (M.D. Fla. 2008).

Opinion

[899]*899 ORDER

JAMES S. MOODY, JR., District Judge.

THIS CAUSE came before the Court upon oral argument on November 7, 2007, concerning a bankruptcy appeal of Adversary Case No. 8:05-ap-486-PMG. The Court, having heard the oral argument of the parties, and upon consideration of the bankruptcy record (Dkt.# 1), Appellant’s Brief (Dkt.# 5), pro se Appellee’s Brief (Dkt.# 12), and being otherwise advised in the premises, concludes that the Bankruptcy Court’s Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Memorandum Opinion and Final Judgment should be affirmed.

I. Background.

In 1986, David Jones (“Mr.Jones”) purchased and began to operate a Toyota dealership in South Carolina named Magic Toyota, Inc., a solely-owned corporation (“Magic Toyota”). On April 1, 1991, Mr. Jones and Magic Toyota filed a Complaint (the “Magic Toyota Lawsuit”) against Southeast Toyota Distributors, Inc. (“Southeast”).1 The Magic Toyota Lawsuit arose from the purchase and operation of the Toyota dealership. Subsequently, Mr. Jones and Magic Toyota filed an Amended Complaint in the Magic Toyota Lawsuit. The Amended Complaint contained six counts: (1) Breach of contract; (2) Violation of South Carolina Code Section 39-5-10 regarding unfair competition and deceptive trade practices; (3) Violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act; (4) Fraud; (5) Actual and punitive damages for unfair competition and deceptive practices; and (6) Injunctive relief.

The Magic Toyota Lawsuit was settled on or about May 28, 1993. On June 24, 1993, Mr. and Mrs. Jones (together, the “Joneses”) signed a General Release. In the General Release, the Joneses released Southeast from “any and all claims, causes of action, suits and demands whatsoever in law or in equity.” On June 28, 1993, the Joneses signed a document entitled “Settlement Agreement” that was filed in the District Court. Pursuant to the document, the Joneses authorized their attorneys to settle their individual claims in the Magic Toyota Lawsuit for the sum of $4,360,417.00. On the same date, a settlement check was issued to the Joneses in the amount of $2,719,879.00. A separate settlement check was issued to Magic Toyota in the amount of $866,773.00.

On August 11, 1993, Mr. Jones’s attorney wrote a letter to Mr. Jones, which stated, in pertinent part:

I spoke with Taylor Ward [Southeast’s attorney] today who approved the change of language in your General Release to incorporate language that the payment to you and Linda was for your personal injuries, which was always the intent of the settlement and original release. This change of language does not modify the release agreement at all, it simply states expressly what was otherwise implied from the language of “all claims, causes of action, suits and de[900]*900mands whatsoever in law or in equity "2

On August 12, 1993, the Joneses signed two documents. First, they signed a Settlement Agreement which was intended to resolve all disputes between the Joneses, Magic Toyota and Southeast. Second, they signed a revised general release on August 12, 1993 (the “Revised General Release”). The Revised General Release provided that David and Linda Jones would receive the payment of $4,360,417.00 “for their personal injuries” and Magic Toyota would receive $1,359,583.00 in consideration for the release of Southeast “from any and all claims, causes of action, suits and demands whatsoever in law or in equity.”3

On April 14, 1994, the Joneses signed their Form 1040 Individual Income Tax Return for the 1993 tax year (the “Return”). The Return was prepared by a Certified Public Accountant. A supporting schedule of other income was attached to the Return identifying the sum of $4,360,417.00 that was received by the Joneses from Southeast. The schedule then subtracts the full amount of the income as “amount awarded for personal injury under IRC Sec 104.” A copy of the Revised General Release was attached to the Return.

On February 19, 1997, the IRS wrote a letter to the Joneses in which it asserted that the receipt of the settlement amount was taxable income that should have been reported on the Return. On April 7, 1997, the IRS issued a Notice of Deficiency regarding the Return. In the notice, the IRS identified a tax deficiency in the amount of $1,722,536.00, plus certain additions to the tax in the amount of $344,507.00.

On February 15, 1999, Mr. Jones transferred certain real property located in Polk County, Florida to Payday Cars, Inc. Mr. Jones testified that the property consisted of a warehouse that he had purchased on November 29, 1994. Although he had initially acquired the property in his individual name, Mr. Jones testified that the warehouse had been purchased to house the operations of Payday Cars, and that Payday Cars had always used the property. Mr. Jones is the sole owner of Payday Cars, Inc.

On February 17, 1999, the Joneses executed a Quitclaim Deed of certain real property in Tennessee to Mr. Jones’s mother and sister. Mr. Jones testified that he contributed $30,000.00 in 1995 to purchase the property as a home for his mother upon her retirement. Even though the property was initially titled in his name, his mother made all the payments on the house since it was purchased, and invested her own personal funds for improvements to the property.

On May 19, 2005, the Joneses filed a petition in bankruptcy under Chapter 7. On June 13, 2005, the Joneses filed an adversary complaint seeking a determination that their 1993 federal income tax liability, which had been assessed after examination of their joint return, was dis-chargeable pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 727. The United States argued that the 1993 federal income tax liability was excepted from discharge by § 523(a)(1)(C), because the facts demonstrated that the Joneses willfully attempted to defeat the tax liability at issue. After conducting a final evi-dentiary hearing, the Bankruptcy Court entered judgment in favor of David and Linda Jones on February 14, 2007. On [901]*901February 15, 2007, the United States filed its notice of appeal.

II. Standard of Review.

The United States District Court functions as an appellate court in reviewing decisions of the United States Bankruptcy Court. See In re Colortex Indus., Inc., 19 F.3d 1371, 1374 (11th Cir.1994). While the court reviews de novo the legal conclusions of a bankruptcy court,4 under Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 8013, “findings of fact, whether based on oral or documentary evidence, shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous, and due regard shall be given to the opportunity of the bankruptcy court to judge the credibility of the witnesses.” In re Thomas, 883 F.2d 991, 994 (11th Cir.1989). A finding of fact is clearly erroneous when the Court finds that “although there is evidence to support [the Bankruptcy Court’s] finding, the reviewing court on the entire evidence is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.” United States v. U.S. Gypsum Co., 333 U.S. 364, 395, 68 S.Ct. 525, 92 L.Ed. 746 (1948).

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Bluebook (online)
381 B.R. 897, 101 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 457, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 871, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/internal-revenue-service-v-jones-in-re-jones-flmd-2008.