Scharf v. Commissioner

1973 T.C. Memo. 265, 32 T.C.M. 1247, 1973 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 22
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedDecember 4, 1973
DocketDocket No. 2351-72.
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1973 T.C. Memo. 265 (Scharf 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
Scharf v. Commissioner, 1973 T.C. Memo. 265, 32 T.C.M. 1247, 1973 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 22 (tax 1973).

Opinion

MORRIS N. SCHARF and FRANCES S. SCHARF, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Scharf v. Commissioner
Docket No. 2351-72.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1973-265; 1973 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 22; 32 T.C.M. (CCH) 1247; T.C.M. (RIA) 73265;
December 4, 1973, Filed.
Harold Kamens and Rexford L. Lyon, for the petitioners.
John P. Reis, for the respondent.

DAWSON

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

DAWSON, Judge: Respondent determined the following deficiencies in petitioners' Federal income taxes:

YearDeficiency
1968$ 804.76
19693,406.21
*23 2

The issues for decision are: (1)Whether fire insurance proceeds received in 1968 are includable in petitioners' income as long-term capital gain or whether they constituted a nontaxable return of capital; (2) whether petitioners are entitled to a charitable contribution deduction for a building donated to a volunteer fire department for use in fire drills or, alternatively, whether petitioners are entitled to an abandonment or demolition loss as a result of its use by the fire department; and (3) whether petitioners are entitled to deduct a loss for a building demolished by a lessee prior to the effective date of the lease.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some facts have been stipulated by the parties and are found accordingly.

Morris N. Scharf and Frances S. Scharf (herein called petitioners) are husband and wife whose legal residence was in Ramsey, New Jersey, when they filed their petition in this proceeding. They filed their joint Federal income tax returns for 1968 and 1969 with the district director of internal revenue at Newark, New Jersey.

Morris N. Scharf (herein called petitioner) is an attorney and a real estate broker. He has also served as a municipal magistrate for*24 approximately 30 years. 3

Margolin Property

In 1949 the petitioner purchased some property (herein referred to as the Margolin property) at a cost of $15,000. He allocated the purchase price for Federal income tax depreciation purposes as follows: $13,500 to the building and $1,500 to the land. From 1949 until 1967, the building was leased successively to various tenants for whom the petitioner made alterations and repairs. Other repairs and improvements to the building were made and paid for by the tenants. At no time between 1949 and 1967 did the petitioner increase his reported basis in the Margolin building to reflect the cost of any capital improvements he may have expended. Since all records with respect to any capital expenditures were destroyed in the cellar storage room of petitioner's office building when it was flooded in August 1970, petitioner estimated that he expended at least $7,500 of his own funds for capital improvements for lessees of the Margolin building between 1949 and 1967. Petitioner claimed depreciation of $12,000 on the Margolin building over this 18-year period, using a cost basis of $13,500.

Respondent reallocated the purchase price of*25 $15,000 for the Margolin property as follows: a cost basis in the building of $12,000 and a cost basis in the land of $3,000. The effect of such reallocation is that the Margolin building would be fully 4 depreciated for Federal income tax purposes by the end of 1967, leaving a basis of zero against which any future deductions or return of capital for the building may thereafter be applied.

On October 29, 1967, a fire partially destroyed the Margolin building. As a result of this fire, petitioner received in 1968 insurance proceeds totaling $5,914.05, which respondent determined to be taxable as a long-term capital gain. Petitioner did not report this amount as gain in 1968, treating it instead as a return of capital.

The Margolin building was so badly damaged by the fire in 1967 that it could not be rented without substantial renovation. By early 1968 the building was about to be condemned because of its unsafe condition. In addition, steadily rising land values in that area had made the land far more valuable than the damaged building, and the petitioner decided it would not be economically feasible to restore the existing building.

With the encouragement of municipal*26 authorities, the petitioner arranged for the Mahwah Volunteer Fire Department to use the building to conduct fire drills and test the use of its new fire equipment. During three ensuing fire drills conducted by the fire department with petitioner's consent, the Margolin building was completely burned down. After the fire there was debris around the building which petitioner covered and filled in. He also had 5 the rest of the foundation and the chimney pushed over to avoid injury to persons nearby.

On their 1968 Federal income tax return the petitioners claimed a deduction for a charitable contribution of $13,131.65 for the value of the fire-damaged building donated to the volunteer fire department. Respondent disallowed the claimed charitable deduction in its entirety. By an amendment to their petition filed February 15, 1973, the petitioners alleged that the value of their charitable contribution is $28,500 rather than the $13,131.65 originally claimed on their Federal income tax return for 1968, and that they are entitled to an increased charitable contribution carryover to 1969 and subsequent years.

The Margolin building was given by the petitioner to the fire department*27 partly for the purpose of having it burned down. The transfer was not evidenced by any deed or other formal conveyance.

Donations of buildings for use in fire drills provide a rural fire department with opportunities to determine its "firematic" skills under controlled conditions.

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Bluebook (online)
1973 T.C. Memo. 265, 32 T.C.M. 1247, 1973 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 22, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scharf-v-commissioner-tax-1973.