Rutland v. Commissioner

1977 T.C. Memo. 8, 36 T.C.M. 40, 1977 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 430
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJanuary 17, 1977
DocketDocket No. 6438-74.
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1977 T.C. Memo. 8 (Rutland 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
Rutland v. Commissioner, 1977 T.C. Memo. 8, 36 T.C.M. 40, 1977 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 430 (tax 1977).

Opinion

HUBERT RUTLAND and RUTH RUTLAND, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Rutland v. Commissioner
Docket No. 6438-74.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1977-8; 1977 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 430; 36 T.C.M. (CCH) 40; T.C.M. (RIA) 770008;
January 17, 1977, Filed
Michel G. Emmanuel,Michael D. Annis and Joseph D. Edwards, for the petitioners.
Donald W. Williamson, Jr., for the respondent.

SCOTT

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

SCOTT, Judge: Respondent*433 determined deficiencies in petitioners' Federal income tax for the taxable years ending June 30, 1968 and 1969 in the amounts of $45,497.07 and $67,650.10, respectively, and additions to tax under section 6653(a), I.R.C. 19541 of $2,274.85 and $3,382.51, respectively. 2

Some of the issues raised by the pleadings have been disposed of by agreement of the parties. The issues remaining for decision are:

(1) Whether a transaction whereby petitioners acquired a building and cash and International Minerals and Chemical Corporation acquired land formerly owned by petitioners constitutes in part an exchange of like kind properties within the meaning of section 1031;

(2) whether, under a contract for sale of fruit by petitioners, amounts available for petitioners to draw by agreeing to pay interest in excess of the prime rate were constructively received in their taxable year ended June 30, 1969, even though*434 the amounts were not drawn;

(3) whether the fair market value of office space which petitioners furnished rent-free to a symphony society and a credit counseling service during their fiscal year ended June 30, 1969, pursuant to an unwritten agreement, is deductible as a charitable contribution under section 170.

FINDINGS OF FACT

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

Petitioners Hubert Rutland and Ruth Rutland were residents of St. Petersburg, Florida at the time of the filing of their petition in this case. Petitioners filed joint Federal income tax returns for the taxable years ended June 30, 1968 and 1969, with the District Director of Internal Revenue for the District of Florida.

Mr. Rutland is a well-known St. Petersburg businessman. During the years here in issue he was controlling shareholder, president and chairman of the board of directors of the St. Petersburg Bank and Trust Company, a Florida banking corporation. Mrs. Rutland, petitioners' daughter and their son-in-law, Robert N. Bussey, were also on the board of directors of the bank during the years here in issue. Mrs. Rutland also held the position of vice president of the bank.

*435 Petitioners owned approximately 28,560 acres of land situated in Manatee County, Florida. Officials of International Minerals and Chemical Corporation (IMC) believed this land contained commercially recoverable deposits of phosphate rock. On May 4, 1965, petitioners entered into a "Lease and Agreement" with IMC which, in part, gave IMC the right to purchase 2,500 acres of the Manatee County land for $500 per acre. The agreement was thereafter supplemented and amended on March 31, 1966, and July 7, 1967. The early drafts of the "Lease and Agreement" provided for an exchange of properties if desired by Mr. Rutland. Section 2 of Article IV of the third early draft provided as follows:

The owners [the Rutlands] shall convey such property to IMC or its nominee by general warranty deed by payment of the purchase price. The purchase price for such property shall be $500.00 per acre and the owners shall have the right to select either of the following plans for payment:

1. Cash upon closing;

2. Other terms which may be acceptable to owners and IMC;

3. An exchange for real property to be designated by owners which may be available for purchase by IMC at a price not exceeding*436 the purchase price of the property being purchased hereunder, with the additional costs of the transfer and exchange to be borne by owners and with no obligation by way of warranty of the title to the selected property on the part of IMC in such exchange; any additional balance due on the purchase price of the property being purchased hereunder to be paid in cash at closing, or

4. Any combination of the above plans acceptable to both owners and IMC.

The fourth, fifth and sixth drafts of the agreement contained only items 1 and 2 above. The seventh and final draft provided only that "[The] purchase price for the property shall be $500.00 per acre," the other language being eliminated because the "Lease and Agreement" was to be submitted to the Internal Revenue Service for a ruling as to whether the disposition of the Manatee County land under the agreement would be considered as a sale of a capital asset. There, however, was an oral agreement between Mr. Rutland and IMC that IMC would cooperate with Mr. Rutland in effecting an exchange of third-party property that Rutland might like IMC to acquire and convey to him in full or partial consideration for his conveyance to IMC*437 of 2,500 acres of Manatee County land.

On June 3, 1965, counsel for IMC submitted to the Internal Revenue Service, Washington, D.C., on behalf of petitioners, a request for a ruling that the disposition of the Manatee County land under the "Lease and Agreement" dated as of May 4, 1965, would be considered as a sale of a capital asset. No mention of an exchange was made in the ruling request.

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1977 T.C. Memo. 8, 36 T.C.M. 40, 1977 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 430, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rutland-v-commissioner-tax-1977.