United States v. Davenport

412 F. Supp. 2d 1201, 97 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 603, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40178, 2005 WL 3747955
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 28, 2005
DocketCIV-00-2092-L
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 412 F. Supp. 2d 1201 (United States v. Davenport) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Davenport, 412 F. Supp. 2d 1201, 97 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 603, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40178, 2005 WL 3747955 (W.D. Okla. 2005).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

LEONARD, District Judge.

On December 19, 2000, plaintiff filed this action to reduce tax assessments for tax years 1990 through 1993 to judgment and to foreclose federal tax liens against real property 1 held by defendants Tommy D. and Linda Jean Davenport (“Davenports”). On October 18, 2005, the court entered *1203 partial summary judgment in favor of plaintiff, holding that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) lien for tax year 1990 attached to the property at issue in this case on April 18, 1994. The court found genuine issues of material fact existed with respect to plaintiffs claim that the Davenports’ transfers of property to various trusts constitute fraudulent conveyances. The court also declined to rule on plaintiffs claim that the trusts are nominees of the Davenports.

This matter was tried to the court without a jury on November 14-18, 2005. Pri- or to trial, the parties settled all issues regarding tax year 1991. With respect to 1990, the parties settled all issues except the amount of income due to cancellation of indebtedness, whether that income was capital or ordinary income, and whether the Davenports could take a worthless stock deduction. The only issue remaining with respect to tax years 1992 and 1993 is the Davenports’ filing status. The IRS calculated the Davenports’ tax liability for those years using a filing status of “married filing separately”; the Davenports contend the filing status should be “married filing jointly.” The final issue for decision concerns the effect of the Davenports’ transfer of property to various trusts in 1994. In accordance with Fed. R.Civ.P. 52(a), this memorandum opinion constitutes the court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law on .the remaining issues.

The evidence demonstrates the Davenports timely filed federal income tax returns for 1990 and 1991. Plaintiffs Exhibits 41, 47. In February 1993, the IRS began an audit of the Davenports’ 1990 income tax return. On February 5, 1993, Kent Brown, an IRS revenue agent, contacted Mrs. Davenport to discuss the audit and to schedule an appointment. The IRS also sent a letter to the Davenports notifying them of the examination and a prescheduled February 26, 1993 meeting; the letter also requested the Davenports provide substantiating documents. Plaintiffs Exhibit 26. On February 22, 1993, Mrs. Davenport requested that the February 26, 1993 meeting be rescheduled because she had been ill and had been unable to gather documents from storage. On March 19, 1993, Brown contacted Mrs. Davenport to confirm the rescheduled meeting. Mrs. Davenport informed Brown that the Davenports would not attend the meeting, nor would they provide the requésted documents. Mrs. Davenport referred Brown ■ to the taxpayers’ written correspondence. This correspondence included a document executed March 15, 1993 entitled “Demand for Jurisdiction/Authority, Information from Internal Revenue Service, and Notice of Challenge and Disclaimer of Same”, which asked the IRS to inform the Davenports of its jurisdictional authority. Plaintiffs Exhibit 28 at 1-4. The Davenports indicated they “rescind[ed] any and all signatures we have placed upon any and all documents which are in effect with your agency.” Id. at 2. In addition, the Davenports separately revoked all “U.S. Individual Income Tax returns, forms 1040 and attachments” ever filed with the IRS; Mr. Davenport’s revocation was for tax years 1949 through 1992, while Mrs. Davenport revoked returns filed from 1955 through 1992. Id. at 5, 6. Also on March 15, 1993, the Davenports revoked the powers of attorney given to their attorney, Michael L. Teter, and their accountant, Robert Call, to represent them before the IRS. Plaintiffs Exhibit 29 at 2, 3. The IRS received these documents on March 22, 1993. Id. at 1.

Because the Davenports did not provide the IRS with any documentation supporting their 1990 return, Browp assumed the deductions reflected in the return were unverified. Given the revocation of the powers of attorney, Brown could not con *1204 tact the Davenports’ attorney or accountant to discuss the audit issues. On October 21, 1993, the IRS issued a statutory notice of deficiency to the Davenports. Plaintiffs Exhibit 42. In their 1990 tax return, the Davenports had included $291,149.76 as capital income based on forgiveness of $486,092.02 in debt by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). The IRS, however, treated the entire $486,092 as ordinary income and recalculated the tax owed accordingly. Id. at 6. In addition, the IRS disallowed the Davenports’ deduction for capital losses based on worthless stock of two corporations, Frac Tanks, Inc. and Shelly Operating Company. Id. On April 18, 1994, the IRS issued an assessment against the Davenports for federal income taxes, penalties, and interest for tax year 1990. Plaintiffs Exhibit 74 at 2. On August 10, 1994, the IRS filed notice of its tax lien based on this assessment with the Register of Deeds of the County Clerk of Payne County, Oklahoma. United States v. Davenport, Case No. CIV-00-2092-L, order at 2 (W.D.Okla. Oct. 18, 2005) (Doc. No. 138).

On August 1, 1994, the IRS issued a letter to the Davenports notifying them their 1992 tax return was overdue. Plaintiffs Exhibit 115. When no returns were filed for tax years 1992 or 1993, the IRS prepared substitutes for returns for those years. Although the substitute returns are not of record, Brown testified that the returns were prepared with a filing status of married filing separately and the notices of deficiency for those years reflect that status. See Plaintiffs Exhibit 49 at 23; Plaintiffs Exhibit 50 at 16. Brown indicated this is standard IRS procedure because married filing jointly is an election that must be made by the taxpayers and where no return is filed, that choice has not been made. There is no dispute the Davenports were married to each other at all times during 1992 and 1993 and remain so today.

In September and October 1988, the FDIC began collection efforts against the Davenports for loans made by Citizens Bank of Krebs, First State Bank of Oilton, and Citizens Bank of Drumright. Defendants’ Exhibit 9N. The Davenports, through their attorney Michael L. Teter, entered into negotiations with the FDIC to resolve the outstanding indebtedness. As part of that effort, Teter prepared a written proposal that was transmitted to the FDIC on January 20,1989. Plaintiffs Exhibit 43. Included within the proposal was a balance sheet dated December 31, 1988, which reflected the Davenports had a negative net worth of $266,245.40. Id. at 182. The balance sheet reflected a zero value for the stock of Frac Tanks, Inc. and Shelly Operating Company and a total fair market value of the Davenports’ real estate holdings of $456,750.00. Id. at 184-86. While the Davenports’ determination of the fair market value of the 27 parcels was not supported by appraisals, the undisputed evidence established the FDIC had the properties appraised. In 1990, the Davenports and FDIC reached a settlement under which the Davenports paid the FDIC $220,000.00 in cash. In return, the FDIC forgave debt totaling $563,176.89. 2

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412 F. Supp. 2d 1201, 97 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 603, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40178, 2005 WL 3747955, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-davenport-okwd-2005.