Outlaw v. United States

494 F.2d 1376, 204 Ct. Cl. 152
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedApril 17, 1974
DocketNo. 125-72
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 494 F.2d 1376 (Outlaw v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Outlaw v. United States, 494 F.2d 1376, 204 Ct. Cl. 152 (cc 1974).

Opinion

SkeltoN, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is a suit for the refund of income taxes and interest in the sum of $7,512.34, paid by the plaintiff under protest for the calendar years 1965, 1966, and 1967. The plaintiff, Algie L. Outlaw, joined by his wife, Meaka S. Outlaw, brings this suit.1

[156]*156The facts giving rise to this suit, all of which are stipulated by the parties, are generally described as follows, although the details of such facts will be more fully discussed under the various headings of this opinion set forth below. This method of handling the facts is for the purpose of shortening the opinion and avoiding a duplication of such facts.

The plaintiff, along with 40 other persons, organized a venture on January 15, 1965, by the execution of two agreements. The first was designated the “Cherry Hill Agreement” which Avas comprised of three groups of people as follows:

1. Real Estate Investors Group. This group was originally composed of 27 persons and ultimately 41 individuals of whom the plaintiff was one. They furnished the money for the venture which will be later described.

2. Founders Group. This group was composed of six persons who were experts in agriculture and agronomy who were to furnish expert agricultural advice and supervision of the work of the venture.

3. Financing Group. This group consisted of 13 persons who were on a standby basis and who were to be activated only in the event of successful future development of growing bamboo for the paper pulp industry.

The second instrument entered into by the persons composing the venture was an indenture of trust called “Cherry Hill Trust No. 1,” which was entered into by the plaintiff and the other persons in the venture with the Citizens and Southern National Bank of Savannah, Georgia, as trustee. These two instruments are referred to in the stipulation of facts as the “Constituent Instruments.” Each of them incorporated the other by reference.

The Trust was formed for the ownership of record title to, and management of, certain farm lands for investment in Georgia. The trustee was specifically empowered to engage in agriculture on those lands. An operating committee was established to give instructions to the trustee and the trustee acted upon directions received from the operating committee. The trustee engaged in farming operations including the commercial farming of row crops (lettuce, celery, onions, beets, radishes, okra, and the like) including the growing [157]*157and marketing of fresh produce which was harvested and sold to local chains and markets on the eastern seaboard. At the same time, the trustee, acting through the founders group, engaged in experimental growing of bamboo looking toward developing it for paper pulp purposes.

During each of the years 1965, 1966, and 1967, the Trust sustained net operating losses. These losses were allowed to flow through the Trust to the plaintiff and the other 40 persons in the venture and they deducted such losses from their Federal income tax returns. The Internal Eevenue Service audited the income tax returns of the 41 individuals involved and ruled that the Trust was an association taxable as a corporation and accordingly was required to deduct the losses as such for the years in question and that the plaintiff and the other individuals in the venture were not entitled to take their pro rata share of such losses as deductions on their individual income tax returns. The present suit is maintained only by the plaintiff, Algie L. Outlaw, however, a final decision on the tax liability of the other 40 persons in the venture is being held in abeyance awaiting the outcome of this suit by the plaintiff.

The question in this case is whether the Cherry Hill Trust is an association taxable as a corporation under Section 7701(a) (8) of the -Internal Eevenue Code of 1954. If it is such an association, then it is the entity which must take deductions for any tax losses for the years in suit. If not, then the plaintiff can deduct his pro rata share of such losses under Section 671 of the Internal Eevenue Code of 1954 which would allow the pass-through of income and losses to trust beneficiaries. We have carefully considered the facts and the law involved in this case and have concluded that the decision of the Internal Eevenue Service was correct and that the plaintiff is not entitled to recover.

The 'Internal Eevenue Code defines a corporation to include “associations, joint-stock companies, and insurance companies.” Section 7701(a)(3). Associations are further defined in the Treasury Eegulations, Section 301.7701-2 2 in pertinent part as follows:

[158]*158Characteristics of corporations.
(1) The term “association” refers to an organization whose characteristics require it to be classified for purposes of taxation as a corporation rather than as another type of organization such as a partnership or a trust. There are a number of a major characteristics ordinarily found in a pure corporation which, taken together, distinguish it from other organizations. These are: (i) Associates, (ii) an objective to carry on business and divide the gains therefrom, (iii) continuity of life, (iv) centralization of management, (v) liability for corporate debts limited to corporate property, and (vi) free transferability of interests. Whether a particular organization is to be classified as an association must be determined by taking into account the presence or absence of each of these corporate characteristics. The presence or absence of these characteristics will depend upon the facts in each individual case. In addition to the major characteristics set forth in this subparagraph, other factors may be found in some cases which may be significant in classifying an organization as an association, a partnership, or a trust. An organization will be treated as an association if the corporate characteristics are such that the organization more nearly resembles a corporation than a partnership or trust. See Morrissey et al. v. Commissioner (1935) 296 U.S. 344.
'(2) Since associates and an objective to carry on business for joint profit are essential characteristics of all organizations engaged in business for profit (other than the so-called one-man corporation and the sole proprietorship) , the absence of either of these essential characteristics will cause an arrangement among co-owners of property for the development of such property for the separate profit of each not to be classified as an association. * * *

As may be seen from the above-quoted Regulation, the Supreme Court decision in the case of Morrissey v. Commissioner, 296 U.S. 344 (1935), was the basis for the Treasury Regulations and that decision and the Regulations control the disposition of this case. The Morrissey case involved a situation where a Trust was created for the purpose of developing certain tracts of land and constructing and operating a golf course. The trustees were empowered to buy, sell, lease, and operate the land owned by the Trust and to con[159]

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494 F.2d 1376, 204 Ct. Cl. 152, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/outlaw-v-united-states-cc-1974.