Turner Construction Co. v. United States

270 F. Supp. 918, 13 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1449, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8737
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedApril 16, 1964
DocketCiv. No. 135-257
StatusPublished

This text of 270 F. Supp. 918 (Turner Construction Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Turner Construction Co. v. United States, 270 F. Supp. 918, 13 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1449, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8737 (S.D.N.Y. 1964).

Opinion

OPINION, FINDINGS OF FACT and CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

LEYET, District Judge.

The plaintiff-taxpayer, Turner Construction Company (Turner), seeks to recover $67,829.77 of income tax. deficiencies assessed by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Turner paid the deficiencies and preserved its right to recover the amount by the timely filing of claims for refund. This action presents three separate and distinct claims' for refund.

The case was tried to the court without a jury. After hearing the testimony of the parties, examining the exhibits, the pleadings, the briefs and proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law, this court makes the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law:

FINDINGS OF FACT

I.

THE TAX TREATMENT OF THE TRANSACTION OF JUNE 1951 INVOLVING THE STOCK OF RIVER CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION.

1. River Construction Corporation (River) was incorporated as a Delaware corporation on April 29, 1947. The purpose of the formation of River was to bid on the construction of Lock No. 27 on the Chain of Rocks Canal near Granite City, Illinois, an aid to the navigation of the Mississippi River for the United States Army, Corps of Engineers; and, if successful, to perform such construction project.

2. River’s original stockholders and their stock subscriptions were as follows:

20% Turner Construction Company 5000 shs. at $100 $500,000
20% Raymond Concrete Pile Company 5000 shs. at $100 $500,000
20% Winston Bros. Company 5000 shs. at $100 $500,000
20% Spencer, White & Prentis Inc. 5000 shs. at $100 $500,000
10% A1 Johnson Construction Co. 2500 shs. at $100 $250,000
10% Morrison-Knudsen Company Inc. 2500 shs. at $100 $250,000

Turner paid $500,000 for its stock on or about June 24, 1947.

3. An agreement among the stockholders (each was a corporation) of River, dated May 1, 1947, provided, among other things, that unless River was the successful bidder on the construction project it would be dissolved, and that if it were awarded such contract it would not undertake any other project until Lock 27 was substantially completed, and then only by unanimous consent of the stockholders. The agreement also provided that each of the stockholders would be represented on the six-man board of directors, that none would sell its stock without the consent of the others, and that each stockholder would give River, without charge, the benefit of the advice and experience of its officials. (Ex. 7)

4. On May 28, 1947, River submitted its bid for the construction of Lock 27 of the Chain of Rocks Canal to the United States Army, Corps of Engineers, in the sum of approximately $17,394,000, and was finally awarded the contract in the sum of $16,626,000. The contract, thereafter from time to time, was increased and decreased by modification until the final contract award became $17,710,866.48. Before Lock 27 was finished the United States Army, Corps of Engineers, awarded River a contract for the installation of a 54" pipe line under the Chain of Rocks Canal. This [921]*921pipe line contract, as finally adjusted, amounted to $613,873.54.

5. In June 1947, each of the six stockholders made commitments in writing to the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Co. and its co-sureties (1) to pay the amounts of their original stock subscriptions indicated above and (2) if at any time additional funds were required to finance the contract, Turner, Raymond Concrete & Pile Company, Spencer, White & Prentis, Inc. (Spencer) and Winston Bros. Company would each pay an additional $300,000 and A1 Johnson and Morrison-Knudsen would each pay an additional $150,000 to the capital account of River.

6. The construction work for the project was performed by River under the direction of a project manager. Fred Spencer, an employee of Spencer, was the first project manager. Thereafter, in March 1950, he was replaced by Robert Dunlop. However, in addition to the project manager, representatives of the six stockholders actively aided in the project by visiting the project, counsel-ling and advising.

7. By 1950 the stockholders realized that the construction project would incur substantial financial losses. To meet its financial requirements River borrowed substantial funds from banks and from its stockholders. Turner loaned $120,000 on March 20, 1950. This loan was repaid on July 31, 1951. Spencer also loaned $120,000 which was repaid on July 30, 1951.

8. In early 1950, A1 Johnson Construction Co. and Winston Bros. Co. expressed a desire to terminate their interests in River. The other stockholders, however, were unwilling to make an agreement with Winston Bros, or A1 Johnson or retire their stock for any more than it would ultimately be worth after the Lock 27 and pipe line jobs were completed and the accounts closed. At the time there were pending claims against the Army Corps of Engineers of contingent and uncertain value, and in addition the amount of the losses which would finally result on the jobs could not then be determined. (Ex. 8)

9. An agreement was finally reached whereby River agreed to redeem the A1 Johnson and Winston Bros, stock for $36 per share, subject to a reduction in the redemption price equal to the retiring shareholders’ pro rata share of the final losses to be incurred on the Lock 27 and pipe line jobs. (Ex. AC, pp. 31, 32) Five per cent of the agreed amount was to be paid down, and non-interest bearing, non-assignable, non-negotiable notes, subordinate to all claims and payable only upon the closing of all accounts and settlement of all of River’s obligations were to be given for the balance.

The price of the stock, $36 a share, was fixed by subtracting the expected loss from the original capital stock and then adding an amount equal to the maximum conceiváble amount which any of the stockholders thought could be recovered on the claims and, dividing the total by the number of shares. They then added an amount for “contingent recoveries” so that there was no possibility that the stock would be worth $36 per share. (24;1 Ex. 15)

10. In order to consummate the transaction relating to the redemption of the A1 Johnson and Winston Bros, stock, River’s capitalization was reduced from $100 to $25 per share and $1,875,000 was transferred on the books from the capital stock to a capital surplus account. On December 20,1950, Winston Bros. Co. and A1 Johnson transferred to River their stock and received notes for $171,-000 and $85,500 respectively.

11. In May 1951, the remaining stockholders other than Morrison-Knudsen Company decided to withdraw in a similar manner to A1 Johnson and Winston Bros. Co. On May 18, 1951, a stockholders’ meeting was held and the stockholders had discussions with respect to the value to be assigned to the shares of stock, the pending claims and their validity. The stockholders then esti[922]*922mated that the losses would be about $1,-900,000. (Ex. 15) The possibility of further losses in closing out the job and the contingent value of the claims made it impossible to reach any agreement as to a realistic fixed value of the stock. (Ex. AC, p. 20)

12. In June, 1951, the construction project was substantially complete.

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Bluebook (online)
270 F. Supp. 918, 13 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1449, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8737, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/turner-construction-co-v-united-states-nysd-1964.