Opinion ID: 608149
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Stipulation of Fact Number Twenty-two

Text: 65 Stipulation twenty-two provides: On February 19, 1981, a wire transfer from Marion to Marion Coal Corporation was received by the Bank of Nova Scotia, Cayman Islands, for the amount of $1,289,412.50. The transfers are attached as Exhibit '8-H'. 66 As noted, the Commissioner moved for relief from the binding effect of certain stipulations of fact because the evidence did not support them. Among them was stipulation twenty-two. This stipulation incorrectly averred that the $1,289,412.50 transferred from Marion to the account of Marion Coal occurred on February 19, 1981. The record demonstrated that the correct date was one day earlier, February 18, 1981. The court therefore granted the Commissioner's motion. 67 While stipulations are not to be set aside lightly, courts have broad discretion in determining whether to hold a party to a stipulation. See Morrison v. Genuine Parts Co., 828 F.2d 708 (11th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 1065, 108 S.Ct. 1025, 98 L.Ed.2d 990 (1988); Wheeler v. John Deere Co., 935 F.2d 1090 (10th Cir.1991). 68 The Blohms argue that the stipulation's reference to February 19, 1981, as the correct date of the Cayman Islands kickback transactions confirms the capricious use of false evidence by the IRS because Stickelber and Ritchey were not present in the Cayman Islands on that day. This argument is meritless. The overwhelming evidence contained in the record demonstrates that the stipulated date was simply incorrect. There is both a debit advice documenting when the money was transmitted from the Marion Coal account and a credit advice documenting when this money was deposited into the San Pedro account. The debit advice refers to two dates: 19/2/81, listed on the date line, and 18/2/81, listed in the particulars section. The credit advice has no date in the particulars section but has 19/2/81 on the date line. The Tax Court found the date listed in the particulars section of the debit advice (18/2/81), along with Ritchey and Stickelber's testimony that the money was in the Cayman Islands when they were on the 18th, established that the money was indeed there on the 18th. The Tax Court properly found that it was not bound by facts contrary to the record. See Mead's Bakery, Inc. v. Commissioner, 364 F.2d 101, 106 (5th Cir.1966). Moreover, we determined in our review of Blohm's § 2255 petition that the discrepancy of one day in the arrival time of the funds is insignificant. Blohm v. United States, No. 91-7422 (11th Cir. May 22, 1992) (per curiam), 964 F.2d 1147 (Table). Accordingly, we see no abuse of discretion. 69