Lambert v. Commissioner

39 T.C. 954, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 178
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 20, 1963
DocketDocket No. 81160
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 39 T.C. 954 (Lambert 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
Lambert v. Commissioner, 39 T.C. 954, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 178 (tax 1963).

Opinion

OPINION.

Soott, Judge:

The Commissioner, under date of March 25, 1959, issued a notice of deficiency to the estate of Thomas W. Lambert, deceased, Mildred J. Lambert, administratrix, and Mildred J. Lambert, surviving wife, determining deficiencies in income tax liability for the taxable years 1944 through 1948 and the taxable years 1950, 1951, and 1955 in the aggregate amount of $25,114.84 and additions to tax under section 293 (b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939 for all years other than 1955, and a similar addition to tax under section 6653(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 for the year 1955 in the aggregate amount of $12,557.43.

Petitioners, on June 22,1959, filed a petition in this Court assigning error with respect to the determination for each of the years except that for the year 1955 petitioners did not assign error with respect to a portion of the deficiency determined. On August 19,1959, respondent filed his answer to the petition, and on September 11, 1959, petitioners filed a reply to respondent’s answer.

Under date of September 4, 1959, a document entitled, “Proof of Claim for Internal Revenue Taxes” and headed “In the Matter of: Thomas W. Lambert, Dec’d. Squire, West Virginia — Claim of the United States for Internal Revenue Taxes — To: Rudolph J. Murensky, Commissioner of Accounts, Welch, West Virginia” was signed and subscribed and sworn to by “Nancy Davis, Chief-Special Procedures Section, P.O. Box 950, Parkersburg, West Virginia.” This document, which was noted “Received 9/8/59 R. J. Murensky, Com’r in Chancery,” set forth that the undersigned officer of the Internal Revenue Service, a duly authorized agent of the United States in this behalf, being duly sworn, deposes and says that Thomas W. Lambert, deceased, is justly and truly indebted to the United States in the sum of $52,051.85 with interest thereon as stated. There followed under the designation, “The said debt is for taxes due under the internal revenue laws of the United States as follows,” a list of amounts stated to be income tax “fraud penalty” and interest to September 4,1959, for each of the years 1944 through 1948 and for the years 1951 and 1955, the amount in each year listed as income tax and “fraud penalty” differing from the amount for the same year determined as a deficiency and addition to the tax in the deficiency notice dated March 29, 1959. Under a column headed “Remarks” the statement “Estimated liability” appeared and a notation with respect to the amount stated as income tax for each year stated “plus additional interest on this amount at 6% per annum from 9/5/59 to date of payment.” On the document there appeared certain other printed statements, the final one being “In Bankruptcy Act proceedings see * * *. In other proceedings see Section 3466 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 191). Also, attention is invited to Section 3467 (31 U.S.C. 192) with respect to the personal liability of any executor, administrator, or other person who fails to pay the claims of the United States in accordance with their priority.”

On December 4, 1959, Rudolph J. Murensky filed with the Circuit Court for the County of McDowell, W. Va., his report in the matter of “Mildred J. Lambert, Administratrix of the Estate of Thomas W. Lambert, Sr., Deceased, and Mildred J. Lambert, Individually, Plaintiff vs. Bank of Pocahontas, A Banking Corporation, et al., Defendants,” which report recited that it was completed on November 23, 1959, and notice given to all attorneys of record, as well as the individual parties not represented by attorneys.

In this report, in Exhibit A attached thereto under the title “Claims rejected,” the following appears:

1. District Director of Internal Revenue, $52,051.85
This claim was rejected inasmuch as a counter affidavit was filed by a creditor in accordance with the provisions of Code 56-7-6 and a hearing held on November 4, 1959. Inasmuch as no appearance was made at this hearing, the claim was not proven and therefore disallowed.

On December 21,1959, the Circuit Court for the County of McDowell, W. Va., entered its Order in Chancery, approving the report of commissioner in chancery, E. J. Murensky, filed with the court on December 4, 1959, reciting that there being no exceptions to this report and the court receiving no just ground of exception, the report is in all respects ratified and confirmed. In this order the following appears:

AND IT further appearing from said report that the following claims were disallowed by said Commissioner in Chancery, namely:
District Director of Internal Revenue — $52,051.85
*ii * * $ * *:< *
and there being no exception to said report; said report is in this respect confirmed ; and IT IS ADJUDGED, ORDERED AND DECREED that said claims be, and they are hereby, disallowed.

On February 21, 1963, petitioner filed in this court a motion to dismiss this case for lack of jurisdiction, averring that the Circuit Court of McDowell County, W. Va., had concurrent jurisdiction with this Court to determine petitioners’ tax liabilities; that the Federal income tax liability of petitioners was determined in the circuit court of McDowell County at Welch, W. Va., by the order of that court dated December 21, 1959; and that respondent submitted a claim to the commissioner in chancery for the tax liabilities for the same years involved in the instant case and in so doing accepted the jurisdiction of that court.

The parties have made numerous arguments in support of their respective positions as to the nature of the proceedings in the Circuit Court of McDowell County, W. Va., but none of these arguments is pertinent to the issue here involved unless under the facts of the instant case the Circuit Court of McDowell County did, in fact, have concurrent jurisdiction with this court to pass upon the merits of petitioners’ tax liability for the years covered by the claim filed with the commissioner in chancery which are the same, except for the year 1950, as the years involved in this case so that a decision by that court entered prior to one by this Court would oust the jurisdiction of this Court. We think it clear under the facts here involved that the Circuit Court of McDowell County, W. Va., could not, under the Federal statutes, acquire jurisdiction to determine petitioners’ correct income tax liability and additions to the tax for the years here involved so as to oust this Court of jurisdiction to make this determination.

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Related

Bensberg v. Commissioner
1981 T.C. Memo. 687 (U.S. Tax Court, 1981)
Lambert v. Commissioner
39 T.C. 954 (U.S. Tax Court, 1963)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
39 T.C. 954, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 178, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lambert-v-commissioner-tax-1963.