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LOVING SAVIOUR CHURCH, an unincorporated religious association, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Robert F. Cunningham, Robert F. Turner, George E. and 7 Unknown Persons, Appellees

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit1984-02-29No. No. 83-1612
728 F.2d 1085

Summary

Holding. The court affirmed the district court's judgment that the IRS properly levied upon property held in the name of Loving Saviour Church and the Anderson Business Trust to satisfy the Andersons' federal tax liabilities, applying both fraudulent conveyance and alter ego theories.

The Internal Revenue Service seized property titled in the name of Loving Saviour Church to satisfy federal income tax debts owed by Dr. Albert A. Anderson and his wife, Myrtle G. Anderson. The Andersons had transferred real estate, vehicles, and bank accounts to the church after obtaining divinity degrees and taking a vow of poverty, claiming the transfers were legitimate charitable gifts. However, the Andersons continued to occupy and control the property as their personal residence and business, with Dr. Anderson serving as pastor and trustee while also maintaining insurance on church assets in his own name.

The district court found the property transfers were shams designed to shield assets from tax liability. The court applied two separate legal theories to conclude the IRS could properly levy on the church-titled property. First, the transfers constituted fraudulent conveyances because the Andersons retained actual possession and control over the property. Second, the Loving Saviour Church operated as the alter ego of the Andersons, evidenced by factors including the family composition of church leadership, the Andersons' use of church funds for personal expenses, minimal church governance structures, and the lack of genuine consideration for the property transfers.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether property transferred to a church in the taxpayer's name can be levied upon by the IRS to satisfy the transferor's tax debt
  • Whether transfers of property to a church constitute fraudulent conveyances when the transferor retains actual control and possession
  • Whether a church entity is the alter ego of its founder-members for purposes of tax collection

Procedural posture

Loving Saviour Church appealed an adverse decision from the district court denying the church's request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the IRS levy and rejecting its claim for damages under federal tax statute.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

PER CURIAM.

The Internal Revenue Service levied upon and seized a building in Huron, South Dakota; a 40-acre tract of farmland; three motor vehicles and two bank accounts in connection with the federal income tax liability of Dr. Albert A. Anderson and Myrtle G. Anderson. Title to all the property was held by the plaintiff, Loving Saviour Church, an unincorporated association. The bank accounts were in the name of Loving Saviour Church and the Anderson Business Trust. This action for a preliminary injunction to secure the release of the property and for damages resulting from the levy was brought under 26 U.S.C. § 7426. Loving Saviour Church appeals from an adverse decision in the district court which held that the IRS properly levied upon the property to satisfy the Andersons’ tax liabilities.

Background

In 1975 the Andersons purchased some trust forms from a person involved in the tax protest movement, set up the A & M Family Trust, and transferred all their property to the trust. In 1976, a new A & M Family Trust and an Anderson Business Trust were set up to replace the 1975 trust. In 1977 the Andersons received Doctor of Divinity degrees from the Life Science Church and set up their own church which later became the Loving Saviour Church.

After taking a vow of poverty, Dr. Anderson transferred all the property from the A & M Family Trust and the Anderson Business Trust to the church for no consid eration. Dr. Anderson was named pastor and trustee of the new church. The other trustees were his wife, Myrtle Anderson; his daughter, Alice Olsen; and his sister-in-law, Verda F. Rhoads.

Dr. Anderson and his wife continued to occupy the property as a residence and a chiropractic clinic. They used the two expensive automobiles that were titled in the name of the church, which cars were insured in Dr. Anderson’s name. Dr. Anderson testified that he receives no benefit from his earnings as a chiropractor and that he lives on money given him by Loving Saviour Church.

The Andersons began having difficulties with the IRS soon after conveying their real estate to the trusts in 1975 and 1976. First, they were served a notice of deficiency for their 1976 and 1977 returns in the amount of $25,304 and $20,565, respectively. Although the Andersons petitioned to the United States Tax Court, that court dismissed their case by order of November 16, 1981, for failure to properly prosecute. The assessments were made upon these deficiencies on June 24, 1982. Next, in September 1982, the Andersons were assessed $52,886 for 1978 taxes; $57,469 for 1979 taxes; and $62,807 for 1980 taxes. The tax liens arose on the dates of assessment.

The issue decided by the district court in Loving Saviour Church v. United States, 556 F.Supp. 688 (D.S.D.1983) was to what extent the Andersons had property or rights to property to which the tax lien could attach. St. Louis Union Trust Co. v. United States, 617 F.2d 1293, 1300-01 (8th Cir.1980). Properly applying South Dakota law to the property question, Aquilino v. United States, 363 U.S. 509, 512-13, 80 S.Ct. 1277, 1279-80, 4 L.Ed.2d 1365 (1960), the district court used two distinct lines of analyses.

First, the district court considered whether the taxpayers had fraudulently conveyed the property to avoid the federal tax lien. Relying on Carr Enterprises, Inc. v. United States, 539 F.Supp. 528 (D.S.D.1982) the district court found that the property levied upon was in the possession of and under the control of the Andersons, and that they clearly controlled the Loving Saviour Church. Therefore, the court held that the property transfers to the church were a sham, constituted a fraudulent conveyance, and may be levied on to satisfy the Ander-sons’ tax liability.

Second, the district court found that the Loving Saviour Church was the alter ego of the Andersons. In so finding the court considered the following factors: 1) the An-dersons treated church assets as their own in that their residence, business and farmland comprised the church property; 2) Dr. Anderson carried insurance on church assets in his own name; 3) there were few internal controls in the church — Dr. Anderson was the minister and a trustee along with his wife, daughter, and sister-in-law; 4) church funds were used to pay personal expenses; 5) there was a close family relationship between the church officers and the taxpayer/founder; 6) the Andersons transferred property to the church for little or no consideration; 7) a car which was in the church’s name bore the personalized license “Myrtle”; and 8) the Andersons are fully supported by the funds and property of the Loving Saviour Church in whatever style they themselves choose.

We agree with the district court on both the fraudulent conveyance and alter ego theories and affirm its holding that the property held in the name of Loving Savi-our Church and the Anderson Business Trust may be levied on to satisfy the An-dersons’ tax liabilities.

. The Honorable John B. Jones, United States District Court, District of South Dakota, South-era Division.