Swaim v. Commissioner

50 T.C. 336, 1968 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 122
United States Tax Court·Decided May 21, 1968·No. Docket No. 2929-67·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

Fat, Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency of $11,682.91 in petitioner’s income tax for the taxable year 1964.

The petition in this case, in addition to raising issues with respect to the taxable year 1964, requested a refund of income taxes for the taxable years 1960, 1961, and 1962. By an order dated October 30, 1967, this Court dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction insofar as it related to the taxable years 1960,1961, and 1962.

Petitioner failed to discuss on brief certain issues mentioned in her pleadings and at the trial herein. We therefore conclude that she abandoned these issues. The issues left for decision are: (1) Whether petitioner received income under section 453(a)1 in the taxable year 1964 when she received payment on an installment obligation held by her and (2) whether respondent is estopped from litigating the first issue with petitioner.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts were stipulated. The stipulation of facts, together with the exhibits attached thereto, is incorporated herein by this reference.

Mildred F. Swaim, the petitioner (hereinafter referred to as Mildred), filed a Federal individual income tax return for the taxable year 1964- with the district director of internal revenue for the district of Kentucky. She was a legal resident of Louisville, Ky., when she filed the petition in this case.

Mildred married Harry L. Swaim (hereinafter referred to as Harry) on March 21, 1925. They were subsequently divorced. They remarried on June 12,1930.

In 1945 Mildred and Harry bought a home and farmland near Jeffersontown, Ky. (hereinafter referred to as the Jeffersontown property) . They took title to the property in joint tenancy.

On September 8, 1959, Mildred and Harry sold the Jeffersontown property to Berkley Homes, Inc., for a net price of $411,860.90. As payment therefor, Mildred received a downpayment (including the option price) of $41,980.46 and three promissory notes in the total amount of $176,950. The notes were equal in amounts and were due on September 8, 1960, September 8, 1961, and September 8, 1962. Harry received a downpayment of $21,980.46 and three promissory notes in the total amount of $176,950. The notes payable to him were equal in amounts and were payable at the same times as the notes received by Mildred. Both Mildred and Harry elected to report their profit on this sale on the installment method pursuant to section 453.

Mildred collected the proceeds of the 1960 note payable to her, and Harry collected the proceeds of the 1960 note payable to him.-

On September 20, 1960, Mildred instituted divorce proceedings against Harry in the Fourth Division of the Chancery Branch of the Jefferson Circuit Court in Louisville, Ky. (hereinafter referred to as Jefferson Circuit Court). This proceeding was adversary in character.

On April 23, 1962, the Jefferson Circuit Court promulgated its “Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law” in Mildred’s divorce suit. This document contains findings of fact to the effect that Harry provided all the money for the purchase of the Jeffersontown property. The document also contains the following pertinent passages:

Under the [Kentucky] restoration statutes and the cases of Hicks v. Hicks, 290 SW (2) 483 and Eckhoff v. Eckhoff, 247 SW (2) 374, [the] properties acquired by the plaintiff [Mildred] as a result of her marriage to the defendant [Harry] must be restored to him before an award of alimony can be made.
Under the decision of the Court of Appeals and the Kivett case [312 SW (2) 884] it would appear that restoration should be made insofar as possible, of the identical property which was delivered or conveyed to tbe plaintiff. This would mean that the house on Glenwood Road, the furniture located therein, the two [remaining installment notes from the sale of the Jeffersontown property] and the investments purchased by the plaintiff would have to be re-transferred to the defendant before an award of alimony could be made. However, since the defendant’s estate is substantial and the award of alimony will be made on a lump sum basis, the Court will not require the plaintiff to actually transfer any of the aforementioned assets to the defendant unless the award of one-third of the estate of the defendant is less than the value of the property which should be restored to him.
*******
Under the rule in the Heustis case, 346 SW (2) 778, plaintiff is entitled to at least one-third of [Harry’s] property. In view of the length of the marriage of the parties, the Court believes that a total award of $180,000.00 would be appropriate. The question now arises as to what property the $180,000.00 should comprise. The Court finds that the plaintiff is entitled to title in the Glenwood Road property residence with a value of $40,000.00, the furniture with a value of $5,000.00, the investments acquired by her amounting to $42,458.96, and one of the two installment notes owing to her in the sum of $58,983.83. This leaves a balance of $33,557.21 after the plaintiff has assigned to the defendant the final installment note from Berkley Homes, Inc. owing to her in the sum of $58,983.83. The Court believes that it would be equitable 'to require the defendant to pay this balance of $33,557.21 in a first installment of $10,000.00 due forty (40) days after date of judgment, and the balance of $23,557.21 to be paid in eleven (11) annual installments, commencing ninty (90) days from date of judgment. * * *

On June 14, 1962, tbe Jefferson Circuit Court promulgated its “Judgment” in Mildred’s divorce suit. Tbe judgment granted Mildred a final divorce against Harry. It also listed in detail all the properties of which Harry was to be the rightful owner following the divorce. The judgment contained the following provisions relative to Mildred’s property rights:

3. The plaintiff, Mildred F. Swaim, is hereby directed and ordered to assign to the defendant, Harry L. Swaim, all of her right, title and interest in and to the final installment of a $58,983.33 promissory note made payable to her from Berkley Homes, Inc., being the installment due on September 8, 1962.
4. The plaintiff, Mildred F. Swaim, is adjudged to be the sole owner of the following property:
*******
(c) Plaintiff is likewise entitled to retain and receive payment on the installment note from Berkley Homes, Inc., payable to her, insofar as the installment due and payable on September 8,1961, is concerned, being in the principal amount of $58,983.34.
* * * * * * *
The above amounts are adjudged to the plaintiff as a portion of the lump sum alimony due her under the terms of this judgment.

On July 5, 1962, the Jefferson Circuit Court promulgated an “Amended and Supplemental Judgment” in Mildred’s divorce suit. Among other things, this document ordered Mildred to keep the 1962 installment note instead of the 1961 note and to transfer to Harry the 1961 note instead of the 1962 note.

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

Swaim v. Commissioner, 50 T.C. 336, 1968 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 122 (tax 1968).

50 T.C. 336 (Swaim v. Commissioner) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Remley v. Commissioner
1982 T.C. Memo. 14 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)
Salazar v. Commissioner
1980 T.C. Memo. 395 (U.S. Tax Court, 1980)
Gerlach v. Commissioner
55 T.C. 156 (U.S. Tax Court, 1970)
Swaim v. Commissioner
50 T.C. 336 (U.S. Tax Court, 1968)