Title: Trask v. Dept. of Employment and Training

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

Trask v. Dept. of Employment & Training (99-143); 170 Vt. 589; 749 A.2d 1130

[Filed 25-Jan-2000]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 99-143

                             JANUARY TERM, 2000

Geoffrey Trask	                       }	APPEALED FROM:
                                       }
                                       }
     v.	                               }	Employment Security Board
                                       }	
Department of Employment and Training  }
                                       }	DOCKET NO. 11-98-036-01	

             In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       Claimant Geoffrey Trask appeals the Employment Security Board's
  dismissal of his appeal from a  claims adjudicator's determination.  The
  Board concluded that his appeal was untimely filed.   Claimant now argues
  that (1) the appeal was timely filed; (2) he was denied due process by a
  five-day delay between the determination and his receipt of the decision;
  and (3) he was denied "prompt  notice in writing" of the determination in
  violation of 21 V.S.A. § 1348(a).  We affirm.  

       Claimant filed a claim for unemployment compensation benefits on
  January 5, 1997.  On October  9, 1998, the claims adjudicator determined
  that claimant had erroneously received temporary  workers' compensation
  benefits in excess of his weekly unemployment compensation benefit  amount
  totaling $5,425.00, and was liable to repay these overpaid benefits to the
  Department of  Employment and Training (DET).  This determination was
  mailed by certified mail and claimant  received it on October 15, 1998. 
  Claimant's appeal rights were stated at the end of the  determination:

     YOUR APPEAL RIGHTS: This determination may be appealed 
     within thirty (30) calendar days from the determination date shown 
     above.  Your appeal must be in writing and may be filed in person at 
     any District Office or at the Central Office in Montpelier.  The appeal 
     may also be filed by mail, in which case the postmark date is 
     considered the date of appeal, or fax, in which case the fax date is 
     considered the date of appeal.

  (Emphasis added.)  The thirty-day appeal period expired on Sunday, November
  8, 1998.  Because  the post office is closed on Sundays, claimant mailed
  his appeal on Monday, November 9, 1998,  thirty-one days after the claims
  adjudicator's determination.  DET received the appeal on Thursday, 
  November 12, 1998.

 

       On December 8, 1998, the chief appeals referee conducted a telephone
  hearing.  The following day,  the referee dismissed the appeal for lack of
  jurisdiction, stating that because claimant's appeal was  filed more than
  thirty days after the determination date, it was untimely and could not be
  considered  on its merits.  On January 6, 1998, claimant appealed this
  decision to the Board.  The Board held a  hearing on January 28, 1999.  On
  February 23, 1999, the Board affirmed the referee's decision.  

       On appeal to this Court, claimant first agues that the appeal was
  timely filed because he could not  mail his request to appeal on the
  thirtieth day of the appeal period, as it fell on a Sunday, but he did 
  mail it on the thirty-first day, a Monday.

       In Allen v. Vermont Employment §. Bd., 133 Vt. 166,