Christian v. Commissioner ( 1996 )


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  •                             UNPUBLISHED
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
    No. 95-2282
    GEORGE CHRISTIAN, SR.; LAURA CHRISTIAN,
    Petitioners - Appellants,
    versus
    COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE,
    Respondent - Appellee.
    Appeal from the United States Tax Court.     (Tax Ct. No. 86-23453)
    Submitted:   November 19, 1996            Decided:   December 2, 1996
    Before MURNAGHAN and HAMILTON, Circuit Judges, and PHILLIPS, Senior
    Circuit Judge.
    Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
    George Christian, Sr., Laura Christian, Appellants Pro Se. Gary R.
    Allen, Richard Farber, Andrea R. Tebbets, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT
    OF JUSTICE, Washington, D.C., for Appellee.
    Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
    See Local Rule 36(c).
    PER CURIAM:
    George Christian, Sr., and Laura Christian appeal from the tax
    court's order entered November 28, 1994. The Christians' notice of
    appeal, filed on June 15, 1995, is untimely. Section 7483 of the
    Internal Revenue Code provides that "[r]eview of a decision of the
    tax court shall be obtained by filing a notice of appeal with the
    Clerk of the Tax Court within 90 days after the decision of the Tax
    Court is entered." 
    26 U.S.C. § 7483
     (1994); see also Fed. R. App.
    P. 13(a). The timely filing of a notice of appeal is jurisdiction-
    al. Davies v. Commissioner, 
    715 F.2d 435
    , 436 (9th Cir. 1983);
    Robert Louis Stevenson Apartments, Inc. v. Commissioner, 
    337 F.2d 681
     (8th Cir. 1964); Vibro Mfg. Co. v. Commissioner, 
    312 F.2d 253
    ,
    254 (2d Cir. 1963). The Christians' motions to vacate did not ex-
    tend the time to appeal the tax court's decision. Although a timely
    motion to vacate or revise a decision under Rule 13(a) tolls the
    time period for noting an appeal, successive post-decision motions
    may not be tacked together to perpetuate the prescribed time for
    appeal. Okon v. Commissioner, 
    26 F.3d 1025
    , 1026-27 (10th Cir.),
    cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 
    115 S. Ct. 583
     (1994); see Fed. R. App.
    P. 13(a); Tax Ct. R. 162. Accordingly, we dismiss the appeal for
    lack of jurisdiction. In light of this disposition, the Christians'
    "Motion for Summary Judgment Review of Memorandum Sur order dated
    2/17/88" is hereby denied. We dispense with oral argument because
    the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the
    2
    materials before the court and argument would not aid the deci-
    sional process.
    DISMISSED
    3