In the Missouri Court of Appeals 

Eastern District 

DIVISION TWO 

 

JOHN FOWLER, ) No. ED100599 

 ) 

 Respondent, ) Appeal from the Labor and 

 ) Industrial Relations Commission 

vs. ) 

 ) 

T. J. AHRENS EXCAVATING, INC., ) 

 ) 

 Respondent, ) 

and ) 

 ) 

DIVISION OF EMPLOYMENT ) 

SECURITY, ) 

 ) Filed: 

 Appellant. ) May 20, 2014 

The Division of Employment Security appeals the order of the Labor and 

Industrial Relations Commission. The Commission’s decision is not final, and we must 

dismiss the appeal 

The Division determined that John Fowler (“Claimant”) was eligible for 

unemployment benefits from T.J. Ahrens Excavating, Inc. (“Employer”). The Employer 

appealed to the Appeals Tribunal on the grounds that Claimant was not available for 

work. The Appeals Tribunal was concerned that the appeal may not have been filed by 

an authorized party and set a hearing to decide whether the appeal was lawful and to 

determine Claimant’s eligibility. At the hearing, there was testimony regarding the 

validity of the notice of appeal and testimony from both parties as to Claimant’s 

availability for work. The Appeals Tribunal concluded that the notice of appeal was not 
valid and dismissed the appeal. It made no determination as to the merits of Employer’s 

appeal. 

 On Employer’s application for review, the Commission concluded that 

Employer’s notice of appeal to the Appeals Tribunal was lawful and timely. Although it 

had the record of the Appeals Tribunal hearing containing evidence regarding the merits 

of the appeal, the Commission did not want to “deprive the parties of one level of 

administrative review.” Therefore, it remanded the matter back to the Appeals Tribunal 

with directions to review the transcript and issue a new decision solely on the merits. 

The Division filed a motion to the Commission asking it to reconsider its determination 

that the notice of appeal to the Appeals Tribunal was lawful. That motion was denied, 

and this appeal follows. There has been no response to this appeal by Claimant or 

Employer. 

In an unemployment compensation case, appellate review of the Commission’s 

decision is governed by Article 5, Section 18 of the Missouri Constitution and Section 

288.210 of the Missouri Revised Statutes. Sanders v. Division of Employment Security, 

392 S.W.3d 540, 542 (Mo. App. W.D. 2013). Thereunder, only final decisions of an 

administrative officer are reviewable. Article 5, Section 18 (“All final decisions, 

findings, rules and orders on any administrative officer or body . . . shall be subject to 

direct review by the courts as provided by law”); Section 288.210 (a party may appeal 

“[w]ithin twenty days after a decision of the commission has become final”) (emphasis 

added). A decision is final for appeal purposes when “the agency arrives at a terminal, 

complete resolution of the case before it. An order lacks finality in this sense while it 

remains tentative, provisional, or contingent, subject to recall, revision or reconsideration 

by the issuing agency.” Dore & Associates Contracting, Inc. v. Missouri Department of 

Labor & Industrial Relations Commission, 810 S.W.2d 72, 75 (Mo. App. W.D. 1990) 

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(quoting National Treasury Employees Union v. Federal Labor Relations Authority, 712 

F.2d 669, 671 (D.C.Cir.1983)). 

A Commission’s decision remanding a matter for a determination on the merits is 

not final and appealable. Labor and Indutrial Relations Commission v. Hoffman, 825 

S.W.2d 874, 875 (Mo. App. W.D. 1992); see also Smith v. Semo Tank & Supply Co., 99 

S.W.3d 11, 14 (Mo. App. E.D. 2002) (Commission determination that workers’ 

compensation settlement approved by ALJ was a nullity, remanding for hearing on 

merits, was not final).; Hickman v. Division of Employment Security, 448 S.W.2d 270, 

273 (Mo. App. 1969) (circuit court order remanding to Commission for reconsideration 

of merits in light of particular overlooked evidence was not final); Taylor v. Civil Service 

Commission of St. Louis County, 969 S.W.2d 763, 764-65 (Mo. App. E.D. 1998) (circuit 

court’s remand for further proceedings in Civil Service Commission for additional 

hearings on accuracy of drug tests in employee termination case was not final). “The 

logic behind such a rule is obvious, that being to avoid hearing appeals on a piecemeal 

basis. One appeal should suffice to determine all controverted issues.” Hoffman, 825 

S.W.2d at 876. 

We find Hoffman to be the most instructive on this issue. There, the Division 

found that certain workers were employees, not independent contractors, for purposes of 

Employment Security Law. Id. at 875. The employer appealed, but the Appeals Tribunal 

determined the appeal was untimely and therefore it had no authority to consider the 

merits. Id. On appeal, the Commission adopted the Appeals Tribunal’s findings, which 

was appealed to the circuit court. Id. at 875-76. The circuit court determined that the 

appeals to the Appeals Tribunal and the Commission were timely and remanded to the 

Commission to make the appropriate findings as to the merits of the employer’s claim. 

Id. at 876. On appeal, the appellate court concluded that the circuit court’s remand order 

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was not final. Id. The court distinguished its situation from one in which a remand is 

ordered after a determination of the merits: 

In the instant case there has been no decision on the merits. The circuit 

court reversed the decision of the Commission and determined that [the 

employer’s] appeal was timely filed. Finding the appeal timely filed, the 

circuit court remanded the cause for a determination of the merits, i.e., 

whether the alleged workers were independent contractors or employees 

under the applicable statute. 

Id. (comparing cases where decision is reversed and remanded on grounds it was not 

supported by substantial and competent evidence). 

The situation in this case is very similar to Hoffman. There has been no 

determination of the merits of Employer’s appeal. Although the Appeals Tribunal took 

evidence on the issue, neither it nor the Commission even addressed the substance of 

Employer’s claim, namely that Claimant was not available for work. As the Commission 

pointed out, the parties have not yet received any level of administrative review on the 

merits. The Commission’s remand is for the purpose of allowing the Appeals Tribunal to 

make that determination on the evidence it has already taken. It is in no way a terminal 

or complete resolution of the case before it. In this situation, an appeal is premature and 

would result in piecemeal resolution of this matter. There is no reason one appeal will 

not suffice to determine all controverted issues in this case. 

 The appeal is dismissed. 

 

 ROBERT G. DOWD, JR., Judge 

Lawrence E. Mooney, P.J. and 

Sherri B. Sullivan, J., concur. 

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