First ‘Survivor’ Winner Avoids Losing Properties Over Tax Debt

The government can’t claim the properties a ‘Survivor’ winner transferred to his sister because it hasn’t met its burden during the tax debt proceedings that doing so transferred some of his interest to her name.

Judge William E. Smith in the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island denied summary judgment Thursday to the government, which is seeking to levy two Newport, R.I., properties that are under the name of his sister, Kristin Hatch.

But the judge denied judgment to the Hatches’ claims on the properties, as well as the enforceability of the tax liens. It granted summary ...