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U.S. Tax Court, T.C. Memo, 2012-126, May 1, 2012: Tax Court finds taxpayers’ appraisals not credible to rebut IRS appraisal, resulting in zero value for tax deduction purposes to historic preservation easement to NAT. Deductions were allowed for “required” cash contributions and accuracy-related penalties were disallowed. The unit owners of a condominium building (Cobblestone) in a New [...] US Tax Court, 138 T.C. No. 16, April 3, 2012: The so-remote-as-to-be-negligible standard of Treasury Regulations cannot be used to excuse the failure to comply with a particular requirement of Treasury Regulations for a qualified conservation contribution. In this case, the taxpayer failed to obtain a subordination of a mortgage to a qualified conservation contribution at [...] United States Tax Court, T.C. Memo. 2012-72, March 19, 2012: Where taxpayer presented credible evidence that reserved rights were not inconsistent with conservation purposes and IRS presented none to contrary, taxpayer satisfies burden of proof despite sparse record; state law determines whether unrecorded baseline documents may be incorporated by reference in conservation easement; appraisal revised by [...] US Tax Court, T.C. Memo. 2012-8, Jan. 10, 2012: A charitable organization’s contribution acknowledgment letter that omitted items of value the taxpayer received in consideration was not a valid acknowledgment letter, the taxpayer did not act reasonably in relying on the letter, and therefore the taxpayer could not take a deduction for the contribution. A taxpayer-donor claiming [...] US Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, No. 11-2078, February 8, 2012: Upholds the Tax Court decision that value of house donated to fire department on condition it be destroyed did not exceed the fair market value of the benefit the taxpayer received in return by house’s destruction. The opinion upholds the decision of the Tax Court in [...] US Tax Court, 2012 TC Memo 35, February 6, 2012: Determines fair market value of conservation easement by analyzing highest and best use and comparable sales, rejecting taxpayers’ claim that highest and best use was other than the properties’ present use. At issue was the value of property before donation of conservation easements donated as qualified conservation [...] U.S. Court of Appeals, Dist. of Columbia Circuit, No. 10-7135 February 3, 2012: Holds that City has standing in federal court to challenge Conrail sale of historic structure formerly used for rail purposes. Conrail sold a six-block, half-mile long stone structure it owns “in the heart of Jersey City’s historic downtown” (Harsimus Embankment) to developers. The State [...] US Tax Court, T.C. Memo. 2012-1, January 3, 2012: Colorado conservation easement extinguishable by mutual consent of the parties does not guarantee protection in perpetuity under state law as required by Internal Revenue Code. Petitioners (Carpenter) sought a federal qualified conservation contribution tax deduction for a conservation easement granted to a charitable nonprofit that the IRS agreed [...] U.S. Tax Court, T.C. Memo. 2011-238, October 3, 2011: Denies a contribution deduction for a facade easement based on appraisal defects. Holds: appraisal was not qualified because it did not properly apply the comparable sales method to the “after” value; appraisal adequately stated the method and specific basis for the valuation even if wrong; appraisal summary [...] U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, No. 10-30918, September 26, 2011: Denies standing of neighborhood group to challenge National Historic Preservation Act section 106 review of related action in another neighborhood. Friends of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church (Friends) a nonprofit unincorporated association dedicated to protecting a Roman Catholic church located in the Gentilly neighborhood of New [...] US District Court, W.D. Penn., No. 2:11cv889, Sept. 9, 2011: Allows redevelopment demolition of building eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historical Places to proceed by dismissing claims under National Historic Preservation Act, Department of Transportation Act and National Environmental Policy Act because Court found no evidence of federal action. At issue is the proposed [...] Dist. Court, D. Idaho, CIV. 1:10-186 WBS, August 29, 2011: Orders production of landowner’s attorneys’ documents related to appraisal of conservation easement value, in suit by landowner against US. The Peskys donated a conservation easement to The Nature Conservancy in 2002. The IRS refused their claim for a qualified conservation contribution tax deduction and assessed a deficiency. [...] Washington, DC, July 13, 2011: The US District Court for District Of Columbia has enjoined Trust for Architectural Easements from various activities regarding historic preservation easements in a civil suit brought by the Justice Department on behalf of the IRS. A DOJ press release summarizes the injunction as follows: “The injunction order bars the defendants from promoting the [...] U.S. District Court, W.D. Virginia, Charlottesville Division, No. 3:09-CV-00079, June 30, 2011: Memorandum opinion finds the land trust holder of a conservation easement has standing to sue under the federal Clean Water Act because the alleged injury to the property rights of the land trust “provide an irrefutable basis for standing,” and at the pleading stage [...] US Tax Court, 2011 TC Memo 153, June 29, 2011: Tax deduction for conservation easement donated to county denied because owner-county conditional settlement agreement calling for donation was not an “acknowledgment” of the donated property as required by Internal Revenue Code section 170(f)(8). The taxpayer settled a dispute with the county government by entering into a settlement [...] US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, No. 10-1063, June 21, 2011: upheld the US Tax Court 2009 ruling in Simmons v. Commissioner, that a historic preservation façade easement was granted in perpetuity even if it allowed the Grantee to consent to façade changes and did not spell out what would happen to the easement [...] US Tax Court, T.C. Memo. 2011-109, May 23, 2011: Follows the holding in Tempel v. Commissioner (US Tax Court, 136 T.C. No. 15, April 5, 2011), that Colorado State conservation easement tax credits are capital assets that qualify for capital gain treatment and the holding period for the assets sold begins at the time that the [...] US Tax Court, T.C. Memo. 2011-84, April 12, 2011: Denies preservation easement tax deduction because local law already protects property and because mortgage subordination reserves insurance and condemnation proceeds priority to lender. The taxpayer/petitioner donated a façade easement and “unused development rights” (UDRs) to Trust for Architectural Easements (formerly known as National Architectural Trust) on a townhouse [...] US Dist Ct, W.D. KY, Louisville Div., No. 3:10-CV-539-H, April 8, 2011: Allows neighboring property owner and historic preservation groups to intervene to challenge an agreement between the County and Iron Quarter to demolish landmark buildings. Property owner Iron Quarter LLC (“Iron Quarter”) sought to demolish landmark buildings (“landmarks”) in Louisville. The County denied a demolition order. [...] US Tax Court, 136 T.C. No. 15, April 5, 2011: Holds transferable Colorado conservation easement tax credits are a capital asset, but the transaction costs to establish the easement are not basis of the asset, and asset holding period began only when the easement donation was complete and the credits were granted by the state. The Petitioner, [...] |
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