Mercer Estate
Mercer Estate
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
Appellants, executors of the Estate of Mary Whitner Mercer, complain of a decree of the Orphans’ Court of Berks County which dismissed their appeal from the transfer inheritance tax appraisement of 3% noncumulative second preferred stock belonging to the decedent at its par value of $100 a share.
Appellants contend that the value of the 3% noncumulative second preferred stock of this closely held corporation, for the purpose of imposing the Pennsylvania Transfer Inheritance Tax, is the market value of the stock. At the trial they produced three witnesses with substantial background in financial matters who testified that, in their opinions, the value of the stock was approximately 25% to 40% less than the value determined by the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth’s testimony pointed out that in 1955 in a recapitalization of the common stock there was issued $700,000 worth of 3% noncumulative second preferred non-voting stock with a par value of $100 a share. That this recapitalization replaced the equity which the common shareholders had in the capital and surplus of the company and, along with the redistribution of the 6% noncumulative first preferred and the new common stock of the company, represented a reallocation of the capital and surplus of the company.
Further, the Commonwealth’s testimony showed that 4,142 shares of 6% preferred stock at $100 par, and 7,000 shares of the aforementioned 3% noncumulative second preferred stock were issued, but that only 100 shares of common stock were issued; that the corporation had assets on January 31, 1958 of over $2,-052,774.47 and liabilities as of the same date of only $278,362.49; that the average earnings five years prior to the date of decedent’s death were $117,243.51, and that there was no funded debt, no mortgages and a long history of total earnings sufficient to pay all dividend requirements.
Since the determination of “clear value” for inheritance tax purposes is a factual question, McLure Appeal, 347 Pa. 481, 32 A. 2d 885 (1943), the only question before this Court is whether the finding of the lower court is supported by competent evidence. Moffett Estate, 369 Pa. 159, 85 A. 2d 109 (1952). In light of the facts as set forth, there can be little doubt that the court below was fully justified in adopting the Commonwealth’s assessment.
Decree affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.