Alice Berger, et al. - Page 45

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          him.  Alice Berger was awarded Woodbine; she alone reaped the               
          benefits of ownership from March 14 until November 17, 1989.                
               Among the eight factors under State law recited by Grodt &             
          McKay Realty, Inc. v. Commissioner, supra, only factor (1), legal           
          title (and that only to the extent of one-half ownership of the             
          real property), clearly remained with Howard Berger in the period           
          between March 1 and June 23, 1989.  We have just seen that for              
          purposes of factor (8), Alice Berger was the party receiving                
          profits from the operation and sale of the property during that             
          period.  In addition, the terms of the settlement agreement                 
          rendered the transfer of full ownership to Alice Berger legally             
          enforceable, for purposes of factor (4); gave her the right of              
          possession, for purposes of factor (5); probably transferred to             
          her the risk of loss, for purposes of factor (7); and left her              
          with the obligation to pay property taxes, for purposes of factor           
          (6).  The terms of the settlement agreement also manifested the             
          intent of the parties to complete the transfer, for purposes of             
          factor (2), which was done in due course.12  This leaves only the           
          acquisition of an equity in the property, factor (3),                       

          12Alice Berger tries to make something of the fact that the                 
          transfer documents of June 23 and Nov. 17, 1989, were nothing               
          more than conveyances of real property.  She argues that she                
          never received and never transferred the Woodbine business,                 
          including the bank accounts and receivables, and so she should              
          not be taxed on the income of the business, nor treated as having           
          sold these assets.  We are satisfied, however, on the basis of              
          the entire record, that she had the benefits and burdens of                 
          ownership of the business during the period Mar. 14-Nov. 17,                
          1989, as evidenced by the substantial draw payments she received            
          during this period, and that the $680,000 price she received was            
          based on the Woodbine assets and business in their entirety.                



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