Johnson v. Comm'r

118 T.C. No. 4, 118 T.C. 74, 2002 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 4
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJanuary 24, 2002
DocketNo. 14096-99
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 118 T.C. No. 4 (Johnson v. Comm'r) 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
Johnson v. Comm'r, 118 T.C. No. 4, 118 T.C. 74, 2002 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 4 (tax 2002).

Opinion

Gerber, Judge:

In a notice of liability, respondent determined that petitioner is liable as a transferee at law and in equity for the assessed Federal income tax liability and additions to tax of Johnson Consolidated Cos., Inc., & Subsidiaries (JCC), for its taxable year ending June 30, 1989. Respondent determined that petitioner is liable for JCC’s income tax liability of $57,004 and additions to the tax in the amounts of $12,825.90 and $14,251 under section 6651(a)(1)1 and (2), respectively.

There is no dispute concerning JCC’s liability for the deficiency. The issue for our consideration is whether petitioner is liable as a transferee for JCC’s unpaid Federal income tax, additions to tax, and accrued interest. If petitioner is liable as a transferee, then we must decide the applicable date on which interest began to accrue.

FINDINGS OF FACT2

JCC was incorporated in 1985 under the laws of the State of Texas and was in the business of developing real estate. Larry D. Johnson (petitioner) was the president, registered agent, sole director, and sole shareholder of JCC and is statutorily deemed to be an “insider” under Texas law. At the time the petition herein was filed, petitioner resided in Houston, Texas.

From 1985 to 1992, JCC was involved in more than 20 real estate projects. The following companies were wholly owned subsidiaries of JCC: LDJ Construction Co.; LDJ Development Co.; Parklane Development Corp.; Rialto Development Corp.; the Johnson Corp.; Forest Homes, Inc.; Hearthstone Development Corp.; the Johnson Development Corp.; and Larry D. Johnson Interests, Inc.

In 1985, LDJ Development Co. entered into a joint venture with the Brentwood Co. called the West Mill Joint Venture (West Mill). West Mill was formed in order to purchase and develop Towne Lake, a 3,300-acre real estate project in Cherokee County. In 1986, LDJ Construction Co. purchased Brentwood’s 50-percent interest in West Mill by means of a note payable to Brentwood in the amount of $709,560.

In 1987, West Mill entered into a $52,500,000 construction loan agreement with Westinghouse Credit Corp. (Westinghouse). Under the agreement, petitioner and JCC each guaranteed 50 percent of the Westinghouse loan, and petitioner was required to execute all documents individually and in his capacity as a corporate representative of JCC (shareholder/president). During 1991, West Mill defaulted on the loan, and the payment obligations of West Mill were accelerated. On October 4, 1991, petitioner spoke with a representative of Westinghouse regarding a proposed settlement to resolve the default situation. A letter confirming petitioner’s conversation contained the following proposals:

(i) West Mill will provide * * * [Westinghouse] with a deed to Towne Lake in lieu of foreclosure;
(ii) Johnson Consolidated Companies (guarantor of the Towne Lake loan and controlling stockholder of both West Mill venturers) will enter into a consulting agreement with * * * [Westinghouse] and provide consulting services related to the operation and development of Towne Lake in exchange for consulting fees approximating One Million Fifty Thousand Dollars ($1,050,000) on terms to be mutually agreed upon.

On December 5, 1991, a settlement agreement regarding the Westinghouse loan was entered into between Westinghouse, West Mill, petitioner, JCC, LDJ Development Co., and LDJ Construction Co. Throughout the settlement negotiations petitioner acted in a dual capacity on his own behalf as a guarantor of the Westinghouse loan and as a representative of the West Mill venturers and their parent JCC.

Pursuant to the settlement agreement, West Mill conveyed all of its rights in the Towne Lake project to First Hotel Investment Corp., an affiliate of Westinghouse. Additionally, West Mill, petitioner, JCC, LDJ Construction Co., and LDJ Development Co. released any and all claims against Westinghouse. In return, Westinghouse released any and all claims, agreed not to foreclose on the Towne Lake property, and paid $1,050,000 jointly to West Mill, petitioner, JCC, LDJ Construction Co., and ldj Development Co. The agreement did not specify to whom the $1,050,000 would be distributed.

On December 5, 1991, the $1,050,000 payment was received by JCC and on December 6, 1991, was deposited into a bank account opened by JCC to receive the $1,050,000 payment. Petitioner directed JCC to pay certain creditors of West Mill from the bank account. Of the $1,050,000 received from Westinghouse, JCC paid $269,000 to the Johnson Corp. for management fees it earned in conjunction with West Mill, and $492,442 to F. Gardner Parker, Trustee.

On January 9, 1992, petitioner submitted a request to JCC for payment to him of the remainder of the settlement fund ($286,737.27). Petitioner’s payment request contained no explanation or reason for the requested transfer. On or about January 10, 1992, petitioner deposited the $286,737.27 payment received from jcc into his personal bank account, jcc booked the transferred amount as an amount payable from petitioner. At the time petitioner received the transferred amount JCC was insolvent and had not filed its U.S. Corporation Income Tax Returns for its fiscal tax years ended June 30, 1986, 1987, and 1989, respectively.

Although petitioner was aware that JCC was insolvent, he believed that jcc’s net operating losses would result in no Federal tax liability for jcc. It was usual for petitioner to advance or loan funds to JCC and/or its subsidiaries. Prior to receiving the $286,737.27 from JCC, there had been regular advances and repayments of funds between JCC and petitioner.

Petitioner’s Income Tax Returns

On his 1991 Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, petitioner reported interest income from the Johnson Corp., in the amount of $25,924. That amount represented interest on obligations owed to him by the Johnson Corp. On his 1992 individual Federal income tax return, petitioner also reported wages from JCC’s subsidiaries (the Johnson Corp. and Heritage Development Co.) in the amounts of $50,000 and $56,250, respectively. Petitioner’s reported income of $304,637 did not include the $286,737.27 received from JCC.

Tax Liability of JCC

jcc’s corporate income tax return, for its fiscal tax year ended June 30, 1989, was filed on October 3, 1994. JCC reported taxable income, before net operating losses (NOLs), in the amount of $2,858,914. After applying carryover NOLs from prior tax years, JCC had no regular corporate income tax liability. JCC, however, remained liable for the alternative minimum tax of $57,004, which is in controversy in this case. The unpaid tax liability reported on JCC’s return was assessed by the Commissioner on November 14, 1994. In addition, the Commissioner assessed a $12,825 late filing penalty and a $14,251 penalty for late payment of tax, plus interest as provided by law. During February 1995, the Commissioner filed a notice of Federal tax lien against JCC for its 1986 tax liabilities.

OPINION

We consider, under section 6901, whether respondent has shown that petitioner is a transferee of JCC’s assets and, hence, liable for JCC’s unpaid Federal tax liability.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Larry D. Johnson v. Commissioner
118 T.C. No. 4 (U.S. Tax Court, 2002)
Johnson v. Comm'r
118 T.C. No. 4 (U.S. Tax Court, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
118 T.C. No. 4, 118 T.C. 74, 2002 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 4, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-commr-tax-2002.