Nelson v. Commissioner

47 T.C. 279, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 8
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedDecember 9, 1966
DocketDocket No. 978-64
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 47 T.C. 279 (Nelson 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
Nelson v. Commissioner, 47 T.C. 279, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 8 (tax 1966).

Opinion

Tannenwald, Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency in tbe estate tax of petitioner in the amount of $354,911.22.

The sole issue for our determination is what portion, if any, of an inter vivos trust set up for tbe benefit of tbe former wife of petitioner’s decedent is includable in bis estate.1

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of tbe facts have been stipulated and are found accordingly.

Petitioner is tbe Estate of Donald M. Nelson, deceased. The decedent died on September 29,1959, in Los Angeles, Calif., and his widow, Lena M. Nelson, is tbe duly appointed executrix of tbe estate. Petitioner’s estate tax return was filed with the district director of internal revenue, Los Angeles, Calif.

Decedent was continuously employed by Sears Roebuck & Co. from 1912 until 1942. In 1939 he became executive vice president and chairman of tbe executive committee. He held these positions until 1942 when he resigned to become Chairman of the War Production Board, a wartime agency of the United States in Washington, D.C., where he remained until 1944. On occasion during the years 1943 and 1944, decedent acted as personal representative of the President of the United States to the Republic of China and the Soviet Union.

During the period 1939-42, decedent’s salary from Sears Roebuck was $75,000 per year and he received an additional $25,000 to $30,000 annually from dividends on his holdings of Sears Roebuck stock. His total income for that period was in excess of $100,000 per year. In 1944, decedent earned approximately $15,000 in salary from the Government and approximately $42,500 of dividends on his Sears Roebuck stock.

Prior to his marriage to Lena, the decedent had been married to Helen W. Nelson from December 18, 1926, until January 19, 1945. Decedent and Helen bad no issue.

In 1931, after decedent became vice president in charge of merchandising of Sears Roebuck, he and Helen purchased a home at 595 L'ongwood Drive, Glencoe, Ill., for $75,000. They lived there together until decedent went to Washington, D.C., in 1942, and Helen continued to live there until their divorce in 1945. The house was a 14-room mansion with 3 acres of land and a private beach. It required a large domestic staff including a “live-in” couple, a laundress, and a gardener, as well as extra help for large parties. During their years together in Illinois, the Nelsons maintained four automobiles, entertained lavishly, and led an active social life which involved a circle of wealthy and successful friends and acquaintances.

During their marriage, the Nelsons traveled to Europe, South America, and the West Indies, as well as extensively within the United States. Decedent was a director of the Union Pacific Railroad and was provided with a private railroad car for trips within the United States. The Nelsons also owned a 65-foot yacht requiring a crew of 5 and having sleeping quarters for 14 passengers.

In early 1944 decedent informed Helen that he wanted a divorce. Helen informed decedent that she would agree to a divorce only if a property settlement could be worked out between them. Negotiations between the Nelsons’ attorneys about the terms of the settlement agreement continued for almost a year.

At the time of the divorce negotiations, Helen’s attorneys advised her that in a contested Illinois divorce proceeding she could expect to be awarded approximately one-third of her husband’s income as alimony. Decedent refused to enter into a settlement on that basis. At the time of the negotiations, Helen was seriously ill. She suffered from chronic emphysema, a serious lung condition, which, in addition to the physical discomfort it caused, burdened her with medical bills of about $5,000 annually. During the negotiations, Helen’s physician informed her that she should permanently move to Arizona because of her continuing lung condition. For this reason and because she was reluctant to undertake lengthy, expensive, and publicly embarrassing litigation, she agreed, shortly before January 17, 1945, to a settlement on decedent’s terms, despite the advice of her attorneys to hold out for a more satisfactory alimony award through the courts.

On January 17, 1945, Helen filed an action for divorce against decedent in the Superior Court of Cook County, Ill. Decedent immediately filed a formal answer and the attorneys for both parties filed a stipulation permitting the court to grant an immediate hearing.

On January 18, 1945, decedent and Helen entered into an agreement in order to settle their respective property rights, doAver rights, and the rights of Helen for alimony and attorneys’ fees in the event the court entered a decree of divorce in the pending action. The settlement agreement provided in pertinent part:

1. That upon the hearing of said divorce proceedings the wife will, in her testimony and by approval of the decree, waive any and all claims for alimony or attorneys’ fees in the event that the court shall indicate that a decree of divorce will be granted, and that such decree shall contain no reservation of jurisdiction by the court in connection with the payment of any alimony or attorneys’ fees, but shall recite that a complete and satisfactory property settlement has been agreed upon between the husband and wife.
2. That if and when a decree shall have been entered as aforesaid, immediately thereafter the husband agrees to pay, transfer and deliver to the wife, in full satisfaction and discharge of all claims for alimony and all other claims arising out of the marital status of said husband and wife, and the wife agrees to accept as and for and in full satisfaction and discharge of all such claims for alimony, dower and all other claims arising out of the marital status of said husband and wife, the following:
(a) A bill of sale to all and singular the furniture and furnishings contained in the building known as 595 Longwood Drive, Glencoe, Illinois, other than the personal property, furniture and furnishings contained in the room heretofore occupied by the husband and heretofore removed by him therefrom.
(b) The sum of seventy-five hundred dollars ($7500) in full payment for attorneys’ fees incurred by the wife.
(c) The husband agrees to execute and deliver upon the entry of the decree of divorce aforesaid a trust agreement, a copy of which is hereto attached, marked “Exhibit A”, identified by the signatures of the parties hereto, and incorporated herein as though fully set forth in the body of this agreement, and to deliver simultaneously with the execution thereof the certificates of stock, properly endorsed for transfer, specifically recited therein as constituting the corpus of the trust.
**&**#*
3. It is understood and agreed that the title to the property known as 595 Longwood Drive, Glencoe, Illinois, is owned by the parties hereto in joint tenancy.

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Nelson v. Commissioner
47 T.C. 279 (U.S. Tax Court, 1966)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
47 T.C. 279, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 8, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nelson-v-commissioner-tax-1966.