Wallace v. Commissioner

56 T.C. 624, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 110
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJune 23, 1971
DocketDocket No. 186-69
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 56 T.C. 624 (Wallace 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
Wallace v. Commissioner, 56 T.C. 624, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 110 (tax 1971).

Opinion

Simpson, Judge:

The respondent determined deficiencies in the income tax of the petitioner of $52,192.30 for 1964 and $2,594.25 for 1965. The issue for decision is whether the petitioner is entitled to deduct certain amounts paid to settle the liability of himself and his younger son with respect to lawsuits brought against them by the petitioner’s elder son, and amounts paid for related legal services, as ordinary and necessary business expenses, or as ordinary and necessary expenses incurred for the production of income, or as expenses for the management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for the production of income.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of tbe facts have been stipulated, and those facts are so found.

For the taxable years 1964 and 1965, the petitioner, William F. Wallace, Sr., filed individual Federal income tax returns with the district director of internal revenue, Austin, Tex. He maintained his residence in Corpus Christi, Tex., at the time the petition was filed in this case.

From 1917 until April 1964, the petitioner was married to Mary Ethyl Pope Wallace (Mrs. Wallace) . Their marriage was terminated by divorce. Three children were bom of that marriage: William F. Wallace, Jr. (William, Jr.); Robert P. Wallace (Robert); and Dorothy Wallace Putnam.

During the years in issue, and for a number of years prior thereto, the petitioner was the president and a shareholder of the United Savings Association (the association) of Corpus Christi, Tex. He was also a principal founder and organizer of the association, which was organized in 1949. In addition, he controlled three banks prior to the divorce settlement.

Each depositor in the association was entitled to certain voting rights in corporate affairs. However, the signature card that a depositor was required to sign when opening his account contained language to the effect that he designated certain individuals, identified by either name or title, as those entitled to vote as his proxy at any meeting of the association at which he was not personally present. The original signature card named the petitioner as the person entitled to exercise such voting power as proxy, and stated that should the petitioner be unable to so act, the secretary of the corporation would succeed to such power. Robert has at all times been the secretary of the association, and at some time, the signature card was modified to designate Robert by name as the person to act as proxy for the depositor in the event of the petitioner’s inability to do so. The petitioner might not be able to control and dominate the business affairs of the association solely by virtue of the stock owned by himself and his family; such control and domination was virtually assured by his being designated as proxy by the depositors of the association.

Both of the petitioner’s sons were attorneys; William, Jr., the elder son, was admitted to the bar in 1941, and Robert, in 1948. William, Jr., acted as the attorney for the association; he performed legal services incident to its formation. He drew up all of the required papers, including the original signature card containing the proxy designations. He knew of the decision, made by the petitioner, that Eobert should occupy the office of secretary of the corporation; William, Jr., offered no objection to such decision at that time.

The petitioner and all three of his children were among the original subscribers to stock in the association. However, of the children, only William, Jr., did not receive the shares for which he had subscribed, because he failed to make the required payment therefor. Eobert signed a note payable to the petitioner, on the basis of which the petitioner paid for the stock for which Eobert subscribed; a similar offer was made to William, Jr., but he would not sign such a note to the petitioner. William, Jr., did subsequently obtain stock in the association; he purchased a small number of shares from a friend, and later on, in 1959, the petitioner and his wife gave 500 shares of stock'to each of their children, including William, Jr.

The Wallace Insurance Agency (W.I.A.) is an insurance agency owned in equal shares by the petitioner’s three children. Eepresenta-tives of the association sometimes recommended to borrowers that they place their hazard insurance with W.I.A. Also, W.I.A. handled the insurance that the association needed for itself. William, Jr., received income as ah insurance agent through his interest in W.I.A.

There were strains in the relationship between William, Jr., and the petitioner. For example, there was a dispute between them with respect to a bill for legal services rendered by William, Jr., in connection with obtaining the corporate charter for the association. Subsequently, William, Jr., refused to pay, by note or otherwise, for the association stock for which he had subscribed. Also, William, Jr., made certain demands with respect to the insurance business of W.I.A. which his father considered unreasonable and embarrassing, and there was “considerable argument” between them about William, Jr.’s other legal fees charged for the association’s business.

Such disagreements reached a climax on or about March 15, 1960, when William, Jr., visited the petitioner’s home, at a time when the petitioner was there alone, and threatened to kill the petitioner and Eobert if the petitioner did not accede to certain demands. William, Jr., demanded that he be made the vice president, secretary, and a director, of the association, and that notice of such actions be placed on the front page of the local daily newspaper the next day.

After such threats were made, the petitioner had a conference which included Eobert, the family physician, and three attorneys. One of the attorneys, Charles Lyman, agreed to represent the petitioner, Eobert, and the association in connection with the demands made by William, Jr. Upon Mr. Lyman’s advice, on March 26, 1960, the petitioner swore out a complaint against William, Jr., on the basis of his threat. The immediate result of such action was that William, Jr., was put in jail, where he remained until his release was obtained on a peace bond.

On March 28,1960, the petitioner filed actions in the County Court of Nueces County, Tex., to have William, Jr., declared to be of unsound mind, to have a guardian appointed for him, and to have him hospitalized as a mentally ill person. William, Jr., traveled to Philadelphia to be examined by psychiatrists, and as a result of the psychiatrists’ report, the County Court found that William, Jr., was of sound mind, was not mentally ill, was not in need of the appointment of a guardian, and that the proceeding initiated by the petitioner should be dismissed.

On May 2,1960, William, Jr., filed suit (the 1960 suit) in the District Court of Nueces County, Tex., against the petitioner, Robert, and the association. William, Jr., alleged that he had subscribed to 150 shares of stock in the association at the time that corporation was being established, including a subscription for 50 shares in the name of his wife, the rights to which subscription he said he acquired by virtue of a property settlement. He stated that he endorsed such subscriptions over to the petitioner with the agreement and understanding that the petitioner would hold the stock on behalf of William, Jr., with the latter retaining the beneficial and equitable ownership of it.

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Wallace v. Commissioner
56 T.C. 624 (U.S. Tax Court, 1971)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
56 T.C. 624, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 110, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wallace-v-commissioner-tax-1971.