Blohm v. Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services

765 F. Supp. 1424, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8531, 1991 WL 110980
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nebraska
DecidedMay 17, 1991
DocketNo. CV87-L-641
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 765 F. Supp. 1424 (Blohm v. Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nebraska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blohm v. Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services, 765 F. Supp. 1424, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8531, 1991 WL 110980 (D. Neb. 1991).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

URBOM, Senior District Judge.

This action was commenced by Henry Blohm under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) seeking judicial review of the Secretary’s decision that he is not entitled to four additional quarters of Social Security Disability Insurance coverage. This court had initially remanded the case because the AU had improperly focused on the plaintiff’s supposed motive in filing amended tax returns so as to establish a period of insured status rather than the facts underlying the amended returns. Upon further review, the Secretary again denied insured status for the year ending December 31, 1981. The plaintiff argues that this decision is also flawed because, like the first one, it rests upon inappropriate suspicion and inadequate factual development. I do not agree and shall affirm the Secretary’s decision.

I.

The underlying facts of this case are set out in the earlier memorandum and order, filing 14, and will not be repeated here.1 Following remand, additional evidence was submitted and a second hearing held in which three witnesses testified: the plaintiff; Charlene Blohm, his former wife; and Marvin Hoy, a former client.

Mr. Hoy testified that his restaurant had been a client of the bookkeeping service operated by Henry and Charlene Blohm during 1981. (Tr. 502-12). Although he stated that Henry did “most of the work,” he did not actually see who performed the services. Charlene had always picked up the money and receipts from Mr. Hoy’s business and signed the receipts acknowledging payment on his account. He also testified that Charlene would “defer” to [1426]*1426Henry on questions regarding the bookkeeping process to which she did not know the answer.

Charlene Blohm testified that Henry did about 50% of the work associated with the bookkeeping business. (Tr. 514-35). Although she made out the check stubs, Henry wrote the checks, figured out the time cards, and performed the “busy work” such as sorting receipts. In addition, she testified that all the “visible” effects of the bookkeeping service had been performed by her but that Henry had the “expertise” necessary to carry on the business since she had more computer experience while he had experience in restaurant business. She was of the opinion that, based on his expertise in analyzing the business and soliciting the client, Henry’s contribution amounted to 70-75% of the business. Furthermore, he had performed bookkeeping duties for their own restaurant business in the past.

According to her testimony, she signed the original tax returns that they now claim erroneously indicated she was sole proprietor of the business but had not read them to catch the error. She does not know why Mr. Blohm originally told their accountant that she was the sole proprietor. They maintained a joint checking account during the relevant period through which they processed all their income and expenses.

In response to questions by Mr. Blohm’s counsel, she testified about the deductions that had been included on the original 1981 returns but removed on the amended return. She explained these discrepancies as personal expenses that should not have been deducted as they actually related to their investments rather than the bookkeeping business.

Mr. Blohm stated several times that he could not recall past events well, due to serious head injuries received in an automobile accident in late 1981. When asked what he did with respect to the bookkeeping business, he testified that he could not remember exactly what he had done but that “all the services were provided by me” and that Mrs. Blohm had done some of the work as well. He had requested the amended return be filed in order to correct errors in the original returns. While he testified that Mrs. Blohm had supplied the accountant with the information necessary to file the amended return, she denied having done so.

When questioned by the AU, Mr. Blohm denied having received any legal advice pertaining to the need to file an amended return. However, in response to questions posed by his counsel, he testified that B.J. Keller, the lawyer handling his divorce, had discussed his tax returns with him in 1983. The record contains a letter from Ms. Keller in which she states that in reviewing his financial situation the improper deductions were noted and Mr. Blohm’s accountant consulted.

II.

Following the hearing, the AU held that Mr. Blohm was not entitled to additional covered quarters because he had not been a self-employed person during 1981. That decision was based largely on the AU’s conclusion that:

In order to establish that the claimant engaged in work activity, that he realized earnings, and subsequently obtained the quarters of coverage to gain insured status, he must also refute his and his former wife’s earlier allegations of total disability since February 19, 1976.... [T]he claimant has asserted that he did not work on or after February 19, 1976, having done so through at least October 28, 1981. The fact that this is precisely what the claimant has done, in turn raises the issue of the claimant’s credibility, and in turn the credibility of his corroborating witnesses.

(Tr. 478). The AU then concluded that both Henry and Charlene Blohm’s testimony lacked credibility and that Mr. Blohm was not entitled to insured status for the relevant time period. (Tr. 483).

III.

The issue to be determined is whether the Secretary must accept the self-employment income reflected on the amended tax return so as to entitle Blohm to four addi[1427]*1427tional months of coverage. The relevant statute, 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(4)(C) (1983), provides that:

After the expiration of the time limitation2 following any year—
[T]he absence of an entry in the Secretary’s records as to the self-employment income ... shall be conclusive ... that no such alleged self-employment income was derived by such individual in such year unless it is shown that he filed a tax return of his self-employment income for such year before the expiration of the time limitation following such year, in which case the Secretary shall include in his records the self-employment income of such individual for such year.

Taken literally, this section would appear to require the Secretary to accept all changes in self-employment income which are reflected on amended tax returns. Under this reading, the self-employment income reported to Blohm on his 1981 amended tax return would qualify him for disability insurance benefits. However, it would be imprudent to base a decision on only one subsection without also considering the relevant regulations3 and accompanying statutory provisions. To that end, it is appropriate to note 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(5)(E) (1983) which permits the deletion of self-employment amounts which are erroneous “as a result of fraud” notwithstanding the timely filing of an amended return.

The regulations provide further direction in the correction of earnings records pertaining to self-employment income.

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765 F. Supp. 1424, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8531, 1991 WL 110980, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blohm-v-secretary-of-the-department-of-health-human-services-ned-1991.