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Mercantile Trust v. Comm Lessons

As with any other area of law, the law of Sec. 1031 has gradually developed over the course of time. When Sec. 1031 was first introduced in the early 20^th century, its contours were still unclear. The lawmakers who created the section had a sense of what it meant, but its operation, in practice, was still far from clear. As courts have interpreted Sec. 1031, they’ve broken down the main Sec. 1031 paragraph into different elements (or requirements).

Over the years, the boundaries of those elements have been clarified more and more, as cases have been heard. Even now, with the emergence of the Sec. 1031 industry, the delayed exchange regulations, and other authorities, it’s still important to know about the roots of Sec. 1031. To truly understand something, you need to understand it at its core. We can’t expect to master something simply by studying its final composition. Instead, we have to look back and see how a Code section developed. In this way, we can have a better sense of how it might continue to evolve in the future.

Mercantile Trust Was Pivotal

In this post, we’re going to take a look at one of the more pivotal cases in the development of the Sec. 1031 case law. The case is Mercantile Trust Co. v. Commissioner (1935), and it was a landmark decision in its time. Mercantile added a good deal of clarification to multiple Sec. 1031 elements. In this post, we will cover the basic factual scenario of Mercantile, point out the ways in which it added to the case law of Sec. 1031, and why it’s still important today.

First, the Facts

The facts of the Mercantile case are as follows. Mercantile Trust Co. owned a piece of commercial property and wanted to conduct a Sec. 1031 exchange. However, instead of engaging in a direct swap, the Mercantile Trust Co. used an intermediary to obtain a suitable replacement property. Mercantile Trust Co. developed a contract with the intermediary which indicated that Mercantile wished to exchange its property for a new commercial property. However, the contract also stated that, in the event that no replacement property could be obtained, the intermediary would pay $300,000 cash for the relinquished property. In other words, the contract also included a contingency for cash payment in the event of a failed exchange. 

As it turned out, the intermediary was, in fact, able to successfully exchange Mercantile’s property for the new commercial property from the buyer. The buyer also paid a substantial sum of cash (boot) as well as exchanging the new commercial property. So, in the end, Mercantile Trust Co. ended up with its desired replacement, plus cash, and the buyer ended up with Mercantile’s property.

From a legal standpoint, there was a good deal of confusion over what had taken place. Was this a 1031 exchange? A sale? In making its determination, the court started an examination of what we recognize today as one of the four main elements of Sec. 1031 transactions (the four are actual transfer, eligibility, like-kind and holding).

The IRS Challenge

As might be expected, the IRS stepped in and challenged the validity of the transaction. If the IRS won, it stood to gain a whole lot. That’s because Mercantile would have recognized a huge gain and the IRS would’ve received hundreds of thousands of dollars (adjusted for inflation).

Contributions to Section 1031 Case Law

The court (in this case, the U.S. Tax Court) ruled in favor of Mercantile Trust Co. The IRS argued that the contingency clause brought the transaction out of the bounds of Section 1031. The IRS also contended that what had occurred was a sale between Mercantile Trust Co. and the intermediary. If correct, the sale would have immediately triggered the gain from the original relinquished property. However, in making its decision, the court looked at, and stressed the importance of, whether the taxpayer had received like-kind property, not whether other motives could be imputed.

The Court’s Focus on an Actual Transfer

In doing so, the court established one of the main elements of Sec. 1031: actual transfer. If an actual transfer of like-kind property occurs, this, it stated, has overriding importance. The contingency clause within the contract between Mercantile and the intermediary did not negate the fact that Mercantile ultimately received like-kind property. Thus, Mercantile Trust Co. was the first case to clarify the boundaries of the actual transfer requirement.  

A Delayed Exchange

Essentially, Mercantile is a very rudimentary, delayed exchange. But it was decided back in the day before anyone even knew what the phrase “delayed exchange” even meant. This is a great example of courts “making up law” as new facts are presented. Mercantile was, at the time, a novel scenario, and it expanded the contours of Sec. 1031 as the court agreed that what had occurred was within the meaning of the section. To conduct an exchange, it wasn’t necessary to have a direct swap involving only two parties. Mercantile paved the way for other highly important decisions, including Alderson and the Starker cases. 

New York City Tax Attorneys You Can Trust

It’s pieces of knowledge like this that really make Mackay, Caswell & Callahan, P.C., stand out from the crowd. If you need counsel on an issue, you need to be confident that your tax attorneys have the proper research capabilities. The difference between a good result and a bad one can often depend on these capabilities. If you’re resolving debt or conducting a complex transaction, you need the best counsel possible. If you have an issue, why not reach out and one of our top New York City tax attorneys? We’re happy to review your issue right away.

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