- 28 - of the $9,312,992 present value of the Busch property at the time of decedent’s death. The need for employing a discount is dependent on whether decedent’s partial interest would have an effect on marketability. See generally Propstra v. United States, 680 F.2d 1248 (9th Cir. 1982); Estate of Bright v. United States, 658 F.2d 999 (5th Cir. 1981). Petitioner bears the burden of showing that a discount is appropriate and the amount of any such discount. See Rule 142(a); Estate of Van Horne v. Commissioner, 78 T.C. 728 (1982), affd. 720 F.2d 1114 (9th Cir. 1983). Both of petitioner’s appraisers selected a 40-percent discount to adjust the value to account for decedent’s one-half ownership in the Busch property. Petitioner argues that the expertise they have offered and respondent’s failure to provide expertise to address this point should result in the Court’s adopting a 40-percent discount. Petitioner also makes the argument that partition was not a viable option because of the 1982 experience of the Busch property owners in failing to obtain a division of the property into less than a 100-acre parcel for agricultural purposes. Respondent counters that the highest and best use of the property was residential development, and the estate and its coowner chose to sell the entire property to a single purchaser. Respondent also notes that among the sales offered as comparables by petitioner’s experts some smaller parcels appeared to be noPage: Previous 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011