Shayegan v. Baldwin

9 N.J. Tax 452
CourtNew Jersey Tax Court
DecidedDecember 28, 1987
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 9 N.J. Tax 452 (Shayegan v. Baldwin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shayegan v. Baldwin, 9 N.J. Tax 452 (N.J. Super. Ct. 1987).

Opinion

CRABTREE, J.T.C.

This is an inheritance tax case wherein plaintiffs seek review of defendant’s determination that certain securities registered in decedent’s name were includible in decedent’s estate pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:34-1(a) as transfers of property by will.

Plaintiffs are the executors under the will of Ali Shayegan, who died on May 11, 1981. The decedent’s will left his entire estate, either outright or in trust, to his surviving spouse, Badri Shayegan. The subject matter of this litigation is a portfolio of marketable securities, valued at $407,059, registered in the decedent's name at the time of his death. The securities were purchased with Badri Shayegan’s funds, which were gifts to her from her family in Iran.

Ali and Badri were born in Iran. Their marriage in 1935 was arranged by Badri’s father, to whom Ali paid a small sum at the time of the wedding. Badri’s father gave her a house and a garden as a dowry. Badri’s family was wealthy; by comparison Ali was a man of modest means.

Ali emigrated to the United States in 1958, followed soon thereafter by Badri and their children.

For the next 20 years, money was remitted from Iran to the Shayegans in the following amounts:

To Ali To Badri
1958-1974 $110,169 $103,145
1975-1980 19,990 670,210

[455]*455All remittances to Badri were in her maiden name; all such sums were turned over to Ali. The sources of the funds sent to Badri were proceeds from assets left in Iran when the couple emigrated to the United States and a portion of an inheritance received by Badri’s mother. None of the funds in question was a belated payment of a dowry.

Badri’s uncontradicted testimony before a hearing examiner disclosed that she never intended a gift to her husband of the funds turned over to him. In keeping with Iranian custom and tradition Ali exercised exclusive management and control over all accounts (checking, saving and investment), whatever the registration of the accounts might have been, i.e., joint names, his name or her name. Badri admitted that she lacked knowledge about financial matters so she was content to allow Ali to make all the investment decisions. She referred, however, to the sums sent to her as “my own money” and she testified that Ali acknowledged that the money invested belonged to her and that he simply managed it. Ali’s stock broker also testified that Ali acknowledged that the invested sums all came from Badri. Whenever Badri requested money, Ali gave it to her.

Defendant assessed a tax of $18,679.79 with respect to the aforesaid securities portfolio. Plaintiffs have paid the tax in full, plus interest. Plaintiffs argue that the purchase of the securities with the wife’s funds, title being registered in decedent’s name, raises the presumption of a resulting trust in the wife’s favor, with the decedent holding title as a trustee. Plaintiffs contend that the presumption has not been rebutted.

Defendant argues that the facts raise the presumption of an inter vivos gift from the wife to the husband and that this presumption has not been rebutted.

It is well settled that a resulting trust will be declared in favor of the one paying the purchase price of property transferred to another unless it is shown that the payor manifested an intention that no resulting trust should arise. Strong v. Strong, 136 N.J.Eq. 103, 40 A.2d 548 (E. & A.1944); Bacon v. Bacon, 6 N.J. 117, 77 A.2d 802 (1951); Weisberg v. Koprowski, [456]*45617 N.J. 362, 111 A.2d 481 (1955); Bogert, Trusts & Trustees (2 rev. ed. 1977), § 454. The rule has been applied in an inheritance tax case to support a conclusion that property in a decedent’s name was excluded from the taxable estate to the extent that the purchase money for the property was provided by another. In re Estate of Rauch, 167 N.J.Super. 497, 401 A.2d 271 (App.Div.1979).

The rule raises only a rebuttable presumption, however, designed to provide guidance to the court in determining true intent. Weisberg v. Koprowski, supra 17 N.J. at 371, 111 A.2d 481; Turro v. Turro, 38 N.J.Super. 535, 120 A.2d 52 (App.Div.1956); Exadaktilos v. Cinnaminson Realty Co., Inc., 167 N.J.Super. 141, 400 A.2d 554 (Law Div.1979), aff’d o.b. per curiam 173 N.J.Super. 559, 414 A.2d 994 (App.Div.1980). A contrary presumption, namely, that a gift or advancement was intended and not a resulting trust arises when certain relationships, such as blood or marriage, exist between the payor and the transferee. Weisberg v. Koprowski, supra 17 N.J. at 372, 111 A.2d 481. The presumption of a gift, when such a relationship is present, supersedes the presumption of a resulting trust and casts the burden of proof upon the party attempting to establish the trust. Turro v. Turro, supra 38 N.J.Super. at 540-542, 120 A.2d 52; Exadaktilos v. Cinnaminson Realty Co., Inc., supra 167 N.J.Super. at 148, 400 A.2d 554; Restatement, Trusts 2d, §§ 442, 443. Thus, when a husband purchases property in the name of his wife a gift is presumed. Strong v. Strong, supra; Bacon v. Bacon, supra. A different rule applies where title to property purchased with the wife’s funds is placed in the husband’s name. In that case no gift is presumed and the husband presumptively holds the property in resulting trust for his wife. Van Inwegen v. Van Inwegen, 4 N.J. 46, 71 A.2d 340 (1950); Rayher v. Rayher, 14 N.J. 174, 101 A.2d 524 (1953); Graham v. Onderdonk, 33 N.J. 356, 164 A.2d 749 (1960).

Bogert explains why courts have established an exception to the resulting trust rule when the husband is the payor and his wife the grantee of property:

[457]*457... equity takes the position that the normal, reasonable inferred intent arising from the mere purchase and form of the [title] is an intent to make a gift to the wife. The court takes cognizance of the legal and moral duty of a husband to support his wife and of the high degree of love and affection usually running from husband to wife, recognizes that gifts from husbands to wives are well known to be of common occurrence, ...

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Shayegan v. Baldwin
566 A.2d 1164 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
9 N.J. Tax 452, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shayegan-v-baldwin-njtaxct-1987.