Williams v. Harrington

460 So. 2d 533
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedDecember 12, 1984
Docket84-384
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 460 So. 2d 533 (Williams v. Harrington) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. Harrington, 460 So. 2d 533 (Fla. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

460 So.2d 533 (1984)

Sarah H. WILLIAMS and Robert D. Harrington, Jr., Appellants,
v.
Mary Ann H. HARRINGTON, Appellee.

No. 84-384.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.

December 12, 1984.

*534 Joe B. Cox and John F. Spindler of Cummings & Lockwood, Naples, for appellants.

Thomas E. Maloney of Maloney & Crane, Chartered, Naples, for appellee.

LEHAN, Judge.

In this proceeding involving a surviving spouse's petition to determine her elective share of her deceased husband's estate pursuant to § 732.201, Florida Statutes (1981), the residuary beneficiaries appeal a judgment granting relief requested by the surviving spouse. We reverse and remand.

We conclude that the trial court, by applying perceived equitable concepts to adjust the number of shares of corporate stock to be distributed to the surviving spouse and by adjusting the surviving spouse's elective share to compensate her for certain taxes incurred by her as a result of early, partial distributions, departed from the governing statutes. Also, we conclude that the trial court erred in accelerating the remainder interest in a trust after the trial court extinguished the surviving spouse's lifetime interest therein when the matter of that acceleration had been neither pleaded nor tried by implied consent.

As their first point on appeal, the residuary beneficiaries contend that the trial court erred in permitting the personal representative to use the same "blockage discount" on corporate stock to value that stock for two different purposes. The trial court used that same discount to value the net probate estate as of the date of decedent's death for the purpose of determining the amount of the surviving spouse's 30% elective share and to value that stock at the times of later distributions thereof for the purpose of determining the number of shares necessary to constitute that amount. The residuary beneficiaries contend that the evidence showed that the true blockage discounts at the times of those distributions were less than that at the date of death. They contend that the applicable statute provides for valuing distributions at the times of those distributions and therefore requires the use of lesser discounts at those times. We agree.

After decedent's will was admitted to probate, the surviving spouse chose to take a 30% elective share pursuant to section 732.201. A substantial portion of the estate consists of a large number of shares of corporate stock. That stock was thinly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The sale of large blocks of stock of the size held by the estate would depress the sale price below the quoted market price. Therefore, to determine the fair market value of the stock the personal representative reduced the stock market price by a "blockage discount." A blockage discount is a reduction in the price or value of stock when the stock is to be sold in a block that is larger than that which can be sold at existing quoted prices because of a small average trading volume of the stock on a stock market.

The personal representative determined that $5.00 was the appropriate blockage discount to use in determining the fair market value of the stock on the date of decedent's death. The personal representative used that $5.00 discount to calculate, as of *535 the date of death, the value of the entire estate and of the 30% elective share.

The personal representative also used that same $5.00 discount to determine the value of shares distributed on several later dates to the surviving spouse in satisfaction of her elective share. The residuary beneficiaries, however, argued in the trial court and argue on appeal that smaller blockage discounts were applicable to the shares when distributed to the surviving spouse because the volume of trading in the corporate shares on the stock market had increased on the dates of distribution and because the distributions consisted of smaller blocks of stock than those on the basis of which the $5.00 discount was arrived at.

The personal representative testified that, for reasons of equity, the same $5.00 discount was used for all calculations. The personal representative also testified, however, that if the shares distributed to the surviving spouse had been sold on the market on the dates of the various distributions, the actual blockage discount would have been less than $5.00 and would have ranged from approximately $1.00 to $3.00 depending on the date. Of course, the smaller the discount the higher the value of the shares. A smaller discount at date of distribution would result in a higher share value and a lower number of shares to be distributed to constitute a given total value of the distributions.

In the amended final judgment, the trial court found that "the use of one blockage discount to value the net probate estate and a different blockage discount to value the same stock at time of distribution is not proper." We do not agree. The evidence showed that a blockage discount is a key factor bearing upon the actual market value of stock at a given time. If, as here, the application of a lower blockage discount results in a value per share which is higher on the date of distribution than on the date of death, this would mean that fewer shares would be distributed to satisfy the 30% elective share based upon the value of the elective share at date of death pursuant to section 732.207, Florida Statutes (1983). We use the terms "lower," "higher," and "fewer" in comparison with values of shares and numbers of shares distributed if the distribution had occurred on the date of death. The evidence indicates that the foregoing state of affairs is simply a result of changing stock market trading volumes and values.

The surviving spouse argues on appeal that the trial court might have applied the $5.00 discount to the distributed stock on the basis that the court actually had determined that a $5.00 discount accurately reflected market values at the time of the distributions. However, as noted above, the trial court explicitly found that the use of different discounts would not be proper. Nor have we been directed to, or found, evidentiary support which would fully sustain the surviving spouse's argument.

Accordingly, on remand we direct that the distributions to the surviving spouse be recalculated based upon the fair market values of the stock on the dates of distribution using appropriate blockage discounts on those dates shown by the evidence.

We need not address the well argued and arguable equitable contentions of the surviving spouse in support of the trial court's approval of the use at the dates of distribution of the same blockage discount which was applicable at date of death. The legislature has said in section 732.214, Florida Statutes (1983) that the values of assets distributed to satisfy that elective share shall be as of the date of distribution. Arguments that those values should be otherwise determined should be addressed to the legislature.

The surviving spouse argues that if we determine on this appeal that there was error in the amount of the blockage discount applied to the distributions to the surviving spouse, we should on remand provide that the trial court also reconsider the blockage discount applied to calculate the net probate estate — and therefore the value of the elective share — at date of *536 death. We cannot agree. There appears to be competent substantial evidence to support the $5.00 blockage discount applied to the valuation at date of death.

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460 So. 2d 533, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-harrington-fladistctapp-1984.