- 20 - the debt owed to the sole shareholder was preferred over the liabilities owed to the States of Pennsylvania and Ohio and respondent. It is clear that petitioner through its agent, Mr. Self, Jr., had knowledge of all the operative facts and circumstances concerning Self Oil’s dire situation and its scheme to transfer its assets before the commencement of collection activities. Accordingly, we hold that 12 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. section 5108 does not provide petitioner relief from liability as a transferee.13 We disagree with petitioner’s self-serving argument that the sale as consummated “was a far better result than what would have occurred in a liquidation.” Self Oil and petitioner did not have the right to pick and choose which creditors got paid. Among those creditors paid was Mr. Self, Sr., who received hundreds of thousands of dollars from petitioner. We agree with respondent that Self Oil and petitioner structured the transaction in such a way as to provide Mr. Self, Sr., with a preferential repayment status. Clearly, “Transactions between a debtor-corporation and 13Since 12 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. sec. 5108(a) (West 1999) is a conjunctive test, in light of our holding, we need not analyze or determine whether petitioner paid a “reasonably equivalent value” for the assets transferred. In Hagaman v. Commissioner, 100 T.C. 180, 184 (1993), we explained that inquiries into the adequacy of consideration “often are unnecessary because respondent will be permitted to prove a fraudulent transfer [under State law] by demonstrating actual intent to defraud.”Page: Previous 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011