Lowery v. Commissioner

39 T.C. 959, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 175
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 21, 1963
DocketDocket No. 69978
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 39 T.C. 959 (Lowery 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
Lowery v. Commissioner, 39 T.C. 959, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 175 (tax 1963).

Opinion

OPINION.

BRUCE, Judge:

The respondent determined deficiencies in income tax, and additions to tax under section 291(a), I.R.C. 1939, for failure to file a timely return, and under section 294(d) (2) for substantial underestimate of tax, as follows:

[[Image here]]

The principal issue for decision is whether gains realized by Sylvester J. Lowery from certain sales of stock are taxable as ordinary income pursuant to section 117 (m), I.B.C. 1939, relating to collapsible corporations. The additions to tax are also contested. The facts are stipulated and found accordingly.

The petitioners, husband and wife, reside in Merion, Pa. They filed joint income tax returns for 1951 and 1952 with the director of internal revenue at Philadelphia. Both returns were filed on June 22, 1953. An extension had previously been granted to June 15, 1953, for filing the return for 1952.

In the returns Sylvester J. Lowery, hereinafter referred to as petitioner, listed his occupation as “Builder and Mfgr.” and his principal business activity as “Builder.”

In all of the projects in which petitioner engaged during the years in question, one of his associates was E. J. Frankel, a builder of many years’ experience in the Philadelphia area. Frankel’s activities in building involved the supervision of the actual construction phase of each of the following projects.

Parkway House, Inc.

Parkway House, Inc., hereinafter referred to as Parkway, was organized under the laws of Pennsylvania on January 23, 1950. It was formed for the purpose of constructing and operating a luxury apartment house at 2201 Parkway, Philadelphia, Pa.

Parkway had an authorized capital of 250 shares of common stock, each share having a par value of $10. The total capital was, therefore, $2,500.

E. J. Frankel was instrumental in organizing Parkway. Petitioner had no connection with the organization of this corporation. Petitioner, E. J. Frankel, and others in 1949 had engaged in a building project in Collingswood, N.J., known as Park View Apartments. Petitioner had arranged for the Federal Housing Administration commitment, and Frankel had supervised the actual construction. Because of the success of this project, in which petitioner had brought in Frankel, Frankel permitted the petitioner to participate in Parkway.

The petitioner acquired a 30-percent interest (75 shares), for which he paid $750. The shares were issued to petitioner on October 18, 1950.

Parkway was not an FHA project, but was initially financed by means of a conventional mortgage. Petitioner’s special ability and knowledge with respect to FHA mortgages was not required in this project.

After the actual construction phase of the project was approximately 50 percent completed, Frankel determined that certain improvements to the building were desirable, including complete air conditioning. He advised petitioner that the project would cost approximately $700,000 more than the invested capital and the mortgage proceeds, which would require additional investment on the part of the shareholders. Petitioner was not in a position to advance additional funds, nor did he desire to do so. Frankel thereupon informed petitioner that the additional funds were urgently needed, and that he had contacted two people who were willing to advance a portion of these funds on the condition that they obtain an equity interest in the corporation. Petitioner thereupon sold his 75 shares on August 29, 1951, for $45,000. At this time the project was about 50 percent completed.

On his 1951 income tax return the petitioner reported a long-term capital gain of $44,250 on the sale of Parkway stock. The respondent determined that this gain was taxable as ordinary income.

At the time of the sale of the stock by petitioner, Parkway had not realized any income. At the time of the sale, the construction of the apartment house at 2201 Parkway was the sole activity of Parkway.

E. J. Frankel did not dispose of his interest in Parkway.

Raleigh Construction Company.

Raleigh Construction Co., hereinafter referred to as Raleigh, was incorporated under the laws of New Jersey on February 27,1950, with an authorized capital of 100 shares of common stock having no par value. The construction of Warwick Apartments, luxury apartment houses, was the principal activity of Raleigh.

All of the shares of Raleigh were issued for $10 per share, giving the corporation a total capital of $1,000.

The shares of Raleigh were issued as follows:

No. of Per-Shareholder Shares cent
S. J. Lowery_ 40 40
E. J. Frankel_ 40 40
Frank Steinberg_ 13 13
Nate Margolin_ 7 7

At the same time that Raleigh was incorporated, the shareholders organized another corporation known as Raleigh, Inc., which corporation owned the project (Warwick Apartments). All of the stock of Raleigh, Inc., was owned by Raleigh.

Petitioner undertook and was successful in obtaining a commitment from the FHA to insure mortgage loans on the above project. The FHA commitment for mortgage loan insurance obtained by the petitioner was issued to Raleigh, Inc.

To finance the construction, Raleigh received construction loans totalling $2,489,000 from the Irving Trust Co. of New York.

As a condition for advancing this sum, Irving Trust Co. required the shareholders to execute an FHA indemnity agreement under which all parties thereto assumed joint and several liability to the extent of approximately $235,000 to insure compliance with the requirements of the building loan agreement entered into between the Irving Trust Co. and Raleigh, Inc., covering the construction of the project.

Construction of the above project was begun in the early part of 1950.

The above project was substantially completed in July 1951,. at a cost of about $2,755,274. The excess of cost over construction loans and invested capital was approximately $265,374.

Frankel advised the shareholders that additional funds were required because of the excess of cost. The corporation endeavored to obtain the additional funds by applying for bank loans, but was able to obtain a loan of only $100,000 from the Boardwalk National Bank of Atlantic City, which sum was used to pay subcontractors.

In connection with the above loan the shareholders were obliged to assume personal liability and to endorse the note given to the bank as security for the loan.

The petitioner was unable to advance additional funds and so advised Frankel.

Sometime in August of 1951 Frankel advised the petitioner that he knew an individual who would be willing to advance the corporation sufficient funds to pay the outstanding liabilities, provided he receive a substantial interest in Raleigh.

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

Related

Barbara Coal Co. v. Commissioner
1987 T.C. Memo. 466 (U.S. Tax Court, 1987)
Crowe v. Commissioner
62 T.C. No. 14 (U.S. Tax Court, 1974)
Stahl v. Commissioner
1966 T.C. Memo. 94 (U.S. Tax Court, 1966)
Shilowitz v. United States
221 F. Supp. 179 (D. New Jersey, 1963)
Lowery v. Commissioner
39 T.C. 959 (U.S. Tax Court, 1963)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
39 T.C. 959, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lowery-v-commissioner-tax-1963.