Metro Auto Auction, Inc. v. Commissioner

1984 T.C. Memo. 440, 48 T.C.M. 894, 1984 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 238
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 14, 1984
DocketDocket No. 3251-80.
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1984 T.C. Memo. 440 (Metro Auto Auction, Inc. 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
Metro Auto Auction, Inc. v. Commissioner, 1984 T.C. Memo. 440, 48 T.C.M. 894, 1984 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 238 (tax 1984).

Opinion

METRO AUTO AUCTION OF KANSAS CITY, INC., Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Metro Auto Auction, Inc. v. Commissioner
Docket No. 3251-80.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1984-440; 1984 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 238; 48 T.C.M. (CCH) 894; T.C.M. (RIA) 84440;
August 14, 1984.
Thomas E. King,Thomas E. Carew and David R. Burford, for the petitioner.
Robert M. Fowler, for the respondent.

SWIFT

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

SWIFT, Judge: Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioner's*239 Federal income tax for 1975 and 1976 in the amounts of $7,367 and $32,005, respectively. After concessions by petitioner, the issues for decision concern (1) the allocation of petitioner's cost basis in stock it owned in a subsidiary corporation to the various assets of that subsidiary corporation upon liquidation of the subsidiary into petitioner and (2) whether any of the assets in question qualify for amortization deductions.

This case was stipulated in part, and the stipulation of facts is incorporated herein. Trial was held in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 25 and 26, 1983.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Petitioner, Metro Auto Auction of Kansas City, Inc., was a Missouri corporation doing business in Kansas City, Missouri, at the time it filed its petition herein. Petitioner timely filed its Federal corporate income tax returns for 1975 and 1976.

Wil-Ray Auto Auction, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Wil-Ray"), a Missouri corporation wholly owned by Willie White, operated an auto auction in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1965 until December, 1974. During the years 1970 through 1973, Wil-Ray had gross sales ranging from $306,000 to $333,000. On June 28, 1974, petitioner purchased*240 3,672 shares of the common stock of Wil-Ray from Willie White for $85,000. On July 2, 1974, Wil-Ray redeemed the remaining shares of common stock owned by Willie White, leaving petitioner as the sole shareholder of Wil-Ray. On December 31, 1974, Wil-Ray was liquidated into petitioner pursuant to sections 332 and 334(b)(2). 1 As of that date, petitioner's basis of $85,000 in the stock of Wil-Ray was allocated by petitioner to the following assets received by petitioner in the liquidation of Wil-Ray:

Tangible Assets$ 2,000
Leasehold Interest50,000
Customer Card File23,000
Goodwill10,000
Total$85,000

Respondent, upon audit, reallocated petitioner's $85,000 cost basis. Respondent allocated $2,000 to the tangible assets, no amount to the leasehold interest, no amount to the customer card file, and the balance of $83,000 to goodwill.

Since the parties agree that $2,000 was properly allocated to the tangible assets of Wil-Ray, such allocation is not in issue. The parties further agree that the only*241 three assets among which the remaining $83,000 could arguably be allocated are the leasehold interest, the customer card file, and goodwill. We will first set forth the pertinent facts with respect to the leasehold interest, followed by a discussion of the facts regarding the customer card file and goodwill.

As part of the liquidating distribution of Wil-Ray, petitioner acquired a lease between Wil-Ray, as lessee, and the Troost Avenue Development Company (hereinafter referred to as "T.A.D.C."), as lessor. The lease covered the premises located at 48th Street and Troost Avenue (hereinafter referred to as "48th & Troost"), Kansas City, Missouri, on which Wil-Ray had conducted its auto auction since 1965.

T.A.D.C. is a real estate investment and development company owned equally by J.C. Nichols Company, Inc., a Kansas City commercial realty company (hereinafter referred to as "J.C. Nichols"), and the Kemper family of Kansas City, Missouri. Miller Nichols, the chairman of the board of J.C. Nichols, was one of the original trustees of the University of Kansas City, now the University of Missouri (hereinafter referred to as "UMKC"). Based upon his interest in financially supporting*242 UMKC, Miller Nichols founded T.A.D.C. with the Kemper family.

T.A.D.C. was founded for the purpose of obtaining real property in close proximity to UMKC, to be held for later transfer to UMKC. For the most part, T.A.D.C. acquired residential real property on the northern side of the UMKC campus that the UMKC trustees had designated as an area of interest for future expansion of UMKC. After acquiring property, T.A.D.C. would hold the property until such time that a transfer to UMKC could be effected, either by bargain sale or by gift.

J.C. Nichols was employed by T.A.D.C. to manage the properties held by T.A.D.C. for later transfer to UMKC. In the course of managing the properties, J.C. Nichols rented the properties to third parties, generally faculty and students of UMKC until UMKC was in a position to accept a transfer of the properties. Since it was unknown when this might occur, J.C. Nichols generally rented the residential properties that T.A.D.C. owned on a month-to-month basis.

During the late 1950s, T.A.D.C. acquired the property at 48th & Troost, which at one time was used as a storage and maintenance facility for trolley cars. The property was located on the northern*243

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1984 T.C. Memo. 440, 48 T.C.M. 894, 1984 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/metro-auto-auction-inc-v-commissioner-tax-1984.