BHC Trust - Page 5




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            to the Court for filing have the capacity to litigate in this                              
            Court.  See Rule 60(c); see also David Dung Le, M.D., Inc.  v.                             
            Commissioner, 114 T.C. 268 (2000); Renaissance Enters. Trust v.                            
            Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2000-226.                                                         
                  Whether petitioner has the capacity to litigate in this                              
            Court is determined by applicable State law, which, in this case,                          
            appears to be the law of Virginia.4  See Rule 60(c).  On the                               
            basis of our review of that law and of the trust instrument, we                            
            are unable to conclude that Mr. Jablonski, the only signatory on                           
            the petition, had the requisite capacity to petition this Court                            
            on petitioner’s behalf.  Accord Mendenhall v. Douglas L. Cooper,                           
            Inc., 387 S.E.2d 468 (Va. 1990); Raney v. Four Thirty Seven Land                           
            Co., 357 S.E.2d 733, 736 (Va. 1987); Fisher v. Dickenson, 4 S.E.                           
            737 (Va. 1888); cf. Walt Robbins, Inc. v. Damon Corp., 348 S.E.2d                          
            223, 226 (Va. 1986) (the trustee of an antecedent deed of trust                            
            is a necessary party in a suit to enforce a mechanic's lien).                              
            Petitioner is purportedly an irrevocable trust, and Mr. Jablonski                          
            is not petitioner’s trustee;5 Mr. Jablonski is listed on the                               



            4 In addition to the fact that petitioner’s mailing address                                
            is in Alexandria, Virginia, the trust instrument was executed in                           
            that city.                                                                                 
            5 The record does contain a letter dated Mar. 24, 2000, from                               
            Mr. Jablonski to respondent’s counsel, that Mr. Jablonski signed                           
            as “Trusttee” (sic).  However, the trust instrument does not name                          
            Mr. Jablonski as trustee.  The record as a whole does not support                          
            a finding that Mr. Jablonski is petitioner’s trustee.                                      





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