Zongker v. Commissioner

39 T.C. 1046, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 169
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 26, 1963
DocketDocket No. 82847
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 39 T.C. 1046 (Zongker 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
Zongker v. Commissioner, 39 T.C. 1046, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 169 (tax 1963).

Opinion

Fisher, Judge:

Respondent has determined deficiencies in petitioners’ income tax and liability for additions to tax under section 294(d) (1) (A), section 294(d) (2), Code of 1939, and section 6651(a), Code of 1954, for the calendar years 1953 and 1955 as follows:

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The questions in issue are: (1) Whether petitioners’ gain in 1953 from the sale of the stock of a corporation in which they owned a one-half interest is taxable as capital gain or whether the corporation was a collapsible corporation within the meaning of section 111(m), Code of 1939, so that the gain is taxable as ordinary income; (2) the value at the date of such sale of a one-half interest in a tract of land which was transferred to petitioners at its book value as part consideration for their stock; and (3) whether petitioners are liable for the proposed additions to tax.

Some of the facts have been stipulated.

FINDINGS 03? PACT.

The stipulated facts are found accordingly.

Petitioners are husband and wife and are residents of Wichita, Kans. They filed joint income tax returns for 1953 and 1955 with the district director of internal revenue at Wichita, Kans.

In 1952 petitioners became the owners of a one-half interest in the Park City Development Company, Inc., a corporation newly organized to engage in a real estate development known as Park City Addition, located in Sedgwick County about 3 miles north of Wichita, Kans.

The Park City Development Company, Inc. (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the corporation), was organized July 22,1952. Its purpose, as stated in its articles of incorporation, was:

The purchase, platting, developing, and subdividing oí real property, and the sale, conveyance, and/or mortgaging thereof and all acts necessary and incidental to carry out and effectuate the above purpose.

The corporation’s capital stock was issued, 100 shares to petitioner, E. J. Zongker, 20 shares to his wife, Charleen Zongker, 80 shares to Donald Morris, and 40 shares to Geneva Morris, wife of Donald. The officers of the corporation, who also served as directors, were E. J. Zongker, president, Donald Morris, vice president, and Geneva Morris, secretary. E. J. Zongker and Donald Morris, with another associate, Orley H. Zongker, were also the organizers of Park City Improvement District, a municipal corporation, organized July 25,1952.

Park City Development Company, Inc., commenced business in February 1953. On February 2,1953, it acquired an option to purchase 100 acres of farmland located 3.7 miles north of Wichita for $52,000. The option was to expire August 1,1953, unless exercised on or before that date. The tract was platted in April 1953. It contained 474 residential lots and a commercial area of approximately 16 acres.

It was the intention of the corporation’s organizers to sell off the residential lots and hold the commercial acreage for later development. They did not intend that the corporation engage in the construction of houses on the residential lots.

On January 28, 1953, the corporation entered into a contract to sell to three individuals, J. E. Ahlf, C. G. Owens, and Lloyd E. Forsse, 100 of the residential lots for $500 each, with an option to purchase 192 additional lots at the same price and also an option to purchase a 20-percent interest in the 16-acre commercial tract for $3,125 per acre. By supplemental contract dated June 10,1953, the corporation agreed to sell to the same parties (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the purchasers), 100 additional lots for $400 each. Ip each instance the sale of the lots was to be conditioned upon “the letting of proper contracts for the construction and installation of sewer, and gas and water utilities and the curbing and guttering and surfacing of streets, on or before the 15th day of August 1953.” The corporation agreed to use the proceeds from the sale of the additional 100 lots as a partial deposit on the gas utility. The total deposit required was approximately $52,000.

By further agreement dated August 7, 1953, which was said to supersede the previous agreements, the purchasers agreed to pay the balance of the purchase price for the first 200 lots, $54,000, by depositing the balance required by the gas company and paying the remainder in cash to the corporation. The purchasers further agreed to give the corporation a promissory note for $40,000 which was to be paid out of the refunds of the gas deposits. It was further agreed that the purchasers should have an option to purchase 200 lots at a price of $500 each, the purchasers to pay all taxes and special assessments thereon incurred after January 1,1954. This option was to run to July 15,1954. The purchasers were also given the option to purchase a 20-percent interest in the 16-acre commercial tract for $3,125 per acre.

Pursuant to the agreement of August 7, 1953, the purchasers deposited $52,233 with the gas company and paid the corporation $1,767. The gas company had previously entered into an agreement with a partnership composed of Ahlf, Owens, and Forsse to construct a gas line to supply Park City Addition. The gas company agreed to refund the $52,233 deposit at the rate of $249.40 as each residence was connected for gas service.

On July 17, 1953, the purchasers paid the corporation $36,000 in cash to apply on the purchase price of the lots which it had acquired. The corporation in turn paid this amount over to the fee owners and received a deed to the entire property, except for a 16-acre tract which was to be acquired by Park City Improvement District as the location for a sewage disposal system. At the same time, petitioner and Donald Morris agreed individually that if Park City Improvement District did not acquire the property it would pay the balance of the purchase price of the entire 100-acre tract, $16,000, out of the proceeds for the refund of the gas deposits or the sale of lots.

On November 16,1953, petitioner and his wife and Donald Morris and his wife sold all the corporation’s stock, i.e., 240 shares of common stock, to Ahlf, Owens, and Forsse for a stated price of $78,574.48. In determining the sales price of the stock all of the corporation’s assets were valued at book value, except that the remaining 274 residential lots were valued at $382 each. The sales price of $78,574.48 was computed as follows:

Net worth of the corporation at book value:
Capital stock_ $24, 000. 00
Surplus_ 9, 100. 94
- $33, 100. 94
Value of residential lots_ 104, 688. 00
Real estate at book value:
Developed real estate account_ $42, 791. 58
Purchase contract account_ 24, 000. 00
66, 791. 58
Less commercial tract at book value— 7, 597. 12 59,194. 46
Excess of value of 274 residential lots at

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Related

Lynch v. Commissioner
1983 T.C. Memo. 173 (U.S. Tax Court, 1983)
Day v. Commissioner
55 T.C. 257 (U.S. Tax Court, 1970)
Zongker v. Commissioner
39 T.C. 1046 (U.S. Tax Court, 1963)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
39 T.C. 1046, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zongker-v-commissioner-tax-1963.