Title: Gabriel v. Town of Duxbury

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

Gabriel v. Town of Duxbury (2000-057); 171 Vt. 610; 764 A.2d 1224 

[Filed 16-Nov-2000]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                      SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 2000-057

                             OCTOBER TERM, 2000

Diane Gabriel 	                       }	APPEALED FROM:
                                       }
                                       }
     v.	                               }	Washington Superior Court
                                       }	
Town of Duxbury	                       }
                                       }	DOCKET NO. 587-10-99 Wncv

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

       Diane Gabriel appeals from the decisions of the Washington Superior
  Court denying her  motion for an enlargement of time to file an appeal and
  denying her motion for reconsideration.   Gabriel wished to appeal a
  decision of the Town of Duxbury Board of Selectmen to reclassify a road  on
  which she owned property from class 3 status to class 4 status.  She argues
  on appeal that the  notice of decision provided by the Town did not meet
  due process requirements because it failed to  advise her of her right to
  appeal the decision and to warn her of the consequences for failing to file
  a  timely appeal.  We affirm.

       The Town does not dispute the facts as presented by Gabriel in her
  brief.  Gabriel received  notice that the Town was holding a hearing
  regarding reclassification of the Mill Road on which  Gabriel owned a piece
  of property.  Gabriel attended two hearings on the matter, after which the 
  Town issued its decision to reclassify the Mill Road from a class 3 road to
  a class 4 road.  Gabriel  received a notice of the decision by certified
  mail on September 2, 1999.  The notice did not include  any statements
  regarding Gabriel's right to appeal. 

       Gabriel attempted to file a notice of appeal with the Duxbury Town
  Clerk dated October 5,  1999.  She also filed a motion to enlarge the time
  within which to appeal with the superior court,  noting that the notice of
  decision she received from the Town did not indicate that she only had 30 
  days to file an appeal.  Although this motion is dated as filed October 18,
  1999, the envelope appears  to be postmarked October 5, 1999.

       The court denied the motion, indicating that it did not have the
  authority to enlarge the time  for filing an appeal pursuant to 19 V.S.A. §
  740.  Gabriel filed a motion for reconsideration, noting  that her appeal
  of the Town's decision was brought pursuant to V.R.C.P. 75 and arguing that
  the  Town's notice of decision failed to comport with due process
  requirements, citing Town of Randolph  v. Estate of White, 166 Vt. 280,