Schad v. Commissioner

87 T.C. No. 36, 87 T.C. 609, 1986 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 52
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedSeptember 17, 1986
DocketDocket Nos. 26148-84, 28216-84
StatusPublished
Cited by49 cases

This text of 87 T.C. No. 36 (Schad 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
Schad v. Commissioner, 87 T.C. No. 36, 87 T.C. 609, 1986 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 52 (tax 1986).

Opinion

FEATHERSTON, Judge:

Respondent determined in docket No. 28216-84 that petitioner is hable to the extent of $300,000 as transferee of Joseph F. Colhns, deceased. Respondent also determined in docket No. 26148-84 a deficiency in the amount of $93,779 in petitioner’s 1983 income tax together with additions to tax in the amount of $9,193 under section 6651(a)(1),1 $4,689 under section 6653(a)(1), $5,521 under section 6654, and 50 percent of the interest due on $93,779 under section 6653(a)(2). The issues presented for decision are as follows:

(1) Whether petitioner is hable as a transferee of the assets of Joseph F. Colhns, deceased;

(2) Whether $174,679 seized from petitioner by agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in November 1983 during his attempt to purchase 600 pounds of marijuana and $14,200 used by him to purchase certain real estate are taxable to him as income for 1983; and

(3) Whether petitioner is hable for additions to tax under sections 6651(a)(1), 6653(a)(1), 6653(a)(2), and 6654 for 1983.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Petitioner was a legal resident of Ocala, Florida, when he filed the petitions in these cases. He filed his income tax return for 1983 with the Internal Revenue Service Center, Atlanta, Georgia, on January 25, 1985.

1. Transferee Liability Issue

Petitioner met Joseph F. Colhns (Colhns) in the Florida Keys in the fall of 1973 when petitioner was 19 and Colhns was 21 years of age. During 1977, petitioner worked for Collins in a boat repair business, and they were close personal friends.

In January 1977, Collins was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi on charges of conspiring to import, distribute, and possess marijuana. In December 1977, petitioner received $300,000 from Collins; Collins told petitioner at that time that if anything happened to him (Collins), the money would become petitioner’s. Collins was afraid to keep the money at his own house; he was fearful that certain individuals who had attempted to kill him a short time previously would try again if he kept the money.

On May 4, 1978, Collins died from gunshot wounds received in a gun battle in Key West, Florida, in which Collins was armed with a Thompson machine gun. During the month of May 1978, intestacy proceedings were instituted for the probate of Collins’ estate in Monroe County, Florida. The value of his estate, without taking into consideration the $300,000 transferred to petitioner and any tax liabilities of the estate, was $7,842.21 as of August 26, 1978. The personal representatives of Collins’ estate paid creditors $191.50 on claims against the estate and attorney fees of $658 in October 1978 and distributed the remainder to his parents. Petitioner did not turn over to the personal representatives of Collins’ estate or to Collins’ parents any of the money he received from Collins in December 1977.

In 1984, respondent determined that Collins received income of $300,000 for 1977 which he failed to report and, as a result, owed an income tax deficiency and additions to tax and interest as of May 17, 1984, in the total amount of $421,801.42. There is no evidence in the record challenging the correctness of this determination.

Taking into account Collins’ liability for 1977 income tax deficiencies, additions to tax, and interest, Collins’ transfer of the $300,000 to petitioner was made when Collins was insolvent or it rendered Collins and his estate insolvent. For respondent to have attempted to collect those liabilities from Collins’ estate would have been a useless gesture. Respondent determined that petitioner is hable as transferee to the extent of $300,000 of Collins’ unpaid taxes, additions to tax, and interest for 1977.

2. Income Tax Deficiency Issue

The income tax returns filed by petitioner for 1981, 1982, and 1983 state that he was a self-employed carpenter. The Schedules C attached to those returns show that his gross receipts ranged from $13,917 to $17,125 and that his net profit was approximately $14,000 per year. The schedules show no expenditures for cost of goods sold in any year except expenditures of $4,147.70 for such purpose for 1983.

In 1979, petitioner paid cash of $62,500 for some real property in Broward County, Florida. In 1980, he paid approximately $10,000 toward the purchase of a mobile home located in Ocala. In 1981, he paid cash of $6,000 for a 1980 Pontiac automobile. In the summer of 1983, he bought a 1982 pickup truck for cash of $10,000. In 1983, he also loaned $2,500 to one of his sisters and $1,400 to another sister.

In June 1978, petitioner attempted to transport 30 pounds of marijuana from Miami to Minnesota and was arrested at the Miami Airport. In 1981, he was stopped for speeding and the officer found some marijuana in his vehicle and arrested him on a misdemeanor charge. Petitioner was not convicted of a crime as a result of these arrests.

On November 4, 1983, petitioner received a telephone call from Robert A. Anslow (Anslow), whom he had known for 3 or 4 years, inviting him to come to Tallahassee and bring with him as much cash as he had available for investment in a business venture. Petitioner took $174,679 to Tallahassee. Anslow told petitioner that he wanted petitioner to buy 600 pounds of marijuana which had been offered for sale at a price of $320 to $330 per pound. Other individuals who had met Anslow and petitioner in Tallahassee were to assist in marketing the purchase.

Petitioner examined a sample of the marijuana and concluded that the price was too high and the quality was not satisfactory. Petitioner later went to inspect the remainder of the marijuana and was arrested by the purported sellers, who turned out to be agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Petitioner’s attempted purchase of the 600 pounds of marijuana was part of a larger transaction involving several hundred more pounds of marijuana. Seven other individuals, in addition to petitioner, were arrested in connection with the activity and six of them, including Anslow, pleaded guilty to violating portions of title 21 of the United States Code. Petitioner and petitioner’s brother were indicted on a charge of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute marijuana in violation of sections 841 and 846 of title 21 of the United States Code. Petitioner was found not guilty by a jury and a directed judgment of acquittal was entered in the case of petitioner’s brother.

In the course of the arrest of petitioner and others on or about November 5, 1983, Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents and other local law enforcement agents seized property that was in the possession of the individuals who were arrested. They seized approximately $174,000 in currency from petitioner. Forfeiture proceedings were instituted in the State court and none of the currency was returned to petitioner.

In the notice of deficiency issued to petitioner for 1983, respondent used the expenditures method of income reconstruction and determined that petitioner had taxable income of $200,879, consisting of the following:

Real estate purchase in Marion County. $14,200

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Bluebook (online)
87 T.C. No. 36, 87 T.C. 609, 1986 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 52, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schad-v-commissioner-tax-1986.