Pleasanton Gravel Co. v. Commissioner

85 T.C. No. 49, 85 T.C. 839, 1985 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 15
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedNovember 25, 1985
DocketDocket No. 22723-81
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 85 T.C. No. 49 (Pleasanton Gravel Co. 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
Pleasanton Gravel Co. v. Commissioner, 85 T.C. No. 49, 85 T.C. 839, 1985 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 15 (tax 1985).

Opinion

Kórner, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies in Federal income tax against Pleasanton Gravel Co., Successor in Interest to Rio Gravel, Inc. (hereinafter petitioner), as follows:

Tax year ended Deficiency
July 31,1968. $6,588
July 31,1969. 13,498
July 31,1970. 12,700
July 31,1971 . 17,233
June 30,1972. 20,616

After concessions, the issues remaining for decision are: (1) Whether, for the taxable years ended July 31, 1968, through June 30, 1972, Rio Gravel, Inc., a corporation which was merged into petitioner, was a personal holding company subject to the personal holding company tax imposed by section 541;1 and (2) whether respondent is barred from the assessment and collection of the deficiencies herein, due to the expiration of the applicable period of limitation.

This case was submitted to the Court under the provisions of Rule 122, upon a set of stipulated facts and exhibits. The stipulation of facts and joint exhibits attached thereto are incorporated herein by this reference and form the basis of our findings of fact.

FINDINGS OF FACT

At the time of filing its petition, petitioner was a California corporation with its principal office in Pleasanton, California. At all times herein pertinent, the stock of petitioner was owned by its president, George W. Jamieson. Rio Gravel, Inc. (hereinafter Rio Gravel), was a California corporation, the stock of which at all times herein relevant was owned by Jamieson Co., a partnership consisting of George W. Jamieson and George G. Jamieson. George G. Jamieson died on February 5, 1971, and his interest in Jamieson Co. was subsequently purchased by George W. Jamieson, who continued the business as a sole proprietorship. Thus, in effect, after the death of George G. Jamieson, the stock of Rio Gravel, as well as the stock of petitioner, was all owned by George W. Jamieson.

On January 1, 1959, Rio Gravel entered into an agreement2 with Jamieson Co. concerning the removal of sand and gravel deposits from land owned by Rio Gravel. By this agreement Rio Gravel purported to "sell and grant to Buyer [Jamieson Co.] forever, all the rock, sand and gravel deposits in, on and under” property situated in the Township of Washington, in Alameda County, California. Pertinent terms and conditions of the agreement were as follows:

1. Buyer shall have the right to operate upon the premises described in "Exhibit A” hereto such number of gravel pits and quarries as may be proper under approved quarrying procedures and to excavate and remove from the said premises such rock, sand and gravel as may be proper and profitable under good quarrying practices. * * *
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3. The Buyer shall pay to Seller for every ton of rock, sand or gravel removed by Buyer ten cents (.10$ for each ton so removed until Buyer shall have removed three million tons. After Buyer has removed three million tons, the price to be paid by Buyer for each ton so removed will depend upon the average wholesale price in Washington Township, County of Alameda, State of California, during the month of removal for the materials so removed, but in no event shall Buyer pay less than five cents (.05 a ton for each ton of rock, gravel or sand removed from the premises described in "Exhibit A.” Attached hereto as "Exhibit B” is a schedule setting forth the price that will be payable by Buyer for each ton of rock, gravel or sand removed in excess of three million tons (Column III) based on the base wholesale price per ton in Washington Township, County of Alameda, State of California, for rock and gravel (Column II) or sand (Column I).
Buyer shall deliver to Seller a report in writing showing the number of tons of gravel, rock and sand removed from said premises during the preceding month on or before the 15th day of the calendar month next succeeding the calendar month in which Buyer makes its first removal of gravel, rock or sand from said premises and shall deliver to Seller a like report on or before the 15th day of each calendar month thereafter that Buyer is conducting quarry operations on the premises, and Buyer shall pay to Seller a sum equal to the total purchase price for all gravel, rock and sand as shown in the report due on the 15th day of the preceding month.
4. If at any time during quarrying operations Buyer determines that rock, gravel and sand can no longer be profitably quarried and removed from the lands described in "Exhibit A” hereto, Buyer shall have the option to terminate this agreement upon sixty (60) days notice to Seller.
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6. Buyer may erect upon the lands particularly described in "Exhibit A” hereto such machinery, trackage and roads as it may deem necessary or convenient for the proper and economical operation of the gravel pits and quarries upon said premises. All of such machinery and trackage shall at all times be the property of Buyer and it may remove the same at any time prior to the termination of this agreement or within a period of sixty (60) days thereafter. Any such machinery and trackage not so removed by Buyer within sixty (60) days after the termination of this agreement shall be deemed to be abandoned by Buyer and shall become the property of Seller.
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9. Buyer shall keep the lands described in "Exhibit A” free from any liens arising out of any work performed for, materials furnished to or obligations incurred by Buyer.
10. Buyer shall, at its sole cost and expense, comply with all the requirements of all Municipal, State and Federal authorities now in force or which hereafter may be in force pertaining to its operations upon said premises, and shall faithfully observe in its operations on said premises all Municipal ordinances and State and federal statutes now in force or which may hereafter be in force. * * *
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In the event that the base wholesale price for sand shall exceed $6.50 per ton, and in the event that the base wholesale price for rock or gravel shall exceed $6.40 per ton, then the purchase price to be paid by Buyer to Seller shall increase one cent (.01?!) per ton for each full twenty cents (.20?!) that the base wholesale price exceeds $6.50 per ton for sand and $6.40 per ton for rock and gravel.[3]

Rio Gravel’s primary source of income during the years in issue was the proceeds received from Jamieson Co., pursuant to their agreement.

On July 11, 1972, Rio Gravel merged into petitioner, with petitioner being the surviving corporation. The agreement of merger provided (among other provisions):

Upon such merger the separate corporate existence of Rio Gravel, Inc.

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Pleasanton Gravel Co. v. Commissioner
85 T.C. No. 49 (U.S. Tax Court, 1985)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
85 T.C. No. 49, 85 T.C. 839, 1985 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 15, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pleasanton-gravel-co-v-commissioner-tax-1985.