FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC U IT FEB RUARY 27, 2006 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 05- 15134 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 4 - 0 0 4 8 8 - CV - O C- 1 0 - G RJ W E S L E Y S . W A L L E R , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s C O M M I S S I O N E R O F S O C I A L S E C U R I T Y , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lle e .

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( F e b r u ar y 27, 2006)

B efo re T JO F L A T , B L A C K an d B A R K E T T , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

W e s l e y S t e phe n W a l l e rappe a l s the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s or de rgr a nt i ng the C om m i ss i on erof S oci al S ec uri ty’ s m ot i on for s um m ary j ud gm entbecause W al l er f a i l e d t o t i m e l y f

i l e hi s di s abi l i ty be ne f

i t s c a s e i n the di s tr i c tc ourt , a s r e qui r e d by 42 U . S . C . §§ 405( g) , 1383( c ) ( 3) . W e c onc l ude the di s tr i c tc ourtdi d note rr , a nd a f f irm . I . B AC KG RO UN D O n N ove m be r5, 2004, W a l l e rf i l e d ac om pl a i nti n the di s tr i c tc ourtc l a i m i ng th a t th e A d m in is tr a tiv e L aw J u d g e ( A L J ) e rr e d in d e n y in g h is d is ab ility b e n e f its , a deci si on w hi ch the A pp ea l s C ou nci l (A C ) r ef used t o revi ew . T he C om m i ss i on er f i l e d am ot i on t o di s m i s s , or , i n the a l t e rna t i ve , f ors um m a ry j udgm e nt , s t a t i ng: ( 1) the A C de ni e d W a l l e r ’ s r e que s tf orr e vi e w of

the A L J ’ s de c i s i on on A ugus t12, 2004; ( 2) pur s ua ntt o 42 U . S . C . § 405( g) , W a l l e rw a s r e qui r e d t o f i l e hi s c om pl a i nt i n the di s tr i c tc ourt60 da y s f r om the A C ’ s de ni a l , orby O c t obe r18, 2004; a nd (3) he di d n otfi l e hi s c om pl ai ntun t i l N ov em ber 5, 20 04 . T he C om m i ss i on er as se rt ed because W al l erhad fai l ed t o t i m el y f i l e hi s c om pl ai nt , and ci rc um st ance s di d notw a rr a nte qui t abl e t ol l i ng of the s t a tut e of

l i m i t a t i ons , hi s c l a i m s houl d be di sm i ss ed. A tt ac hed t o the m ot i on w as a l ett er , dat ed A ug ust27 , 20 04 , addres se d t o the S oc i a l S e c ur i ty A dm i ni s tr a t i on’ s O f f i c e of the G e ne r a l C ouns e l ( O G C ) , a nd s ig n e d b y W a lle r , r e q u e s tin g a n “e x te n s io n o f tim e to h ir e a n a tto rn e y to f ile ac iv il3

a c t i on. ” A l s o a tt a c he d w a s ade c l a r a t i on by J ohn J . T i m l i n, the A C a dm i ni s tr a t or i n c har ge of

W a l l e r ’ s c a s e , s t a t i ng tha t : ( 1) upon r e vi e w of the A L J ’ s de c i s i on, the A C s e ntanot i c e of

i t s a c t i on t o W a l l e r ; ( 2) the not i c e i nf orm e d W a l l e rof

hi s r i ght t o com m ence a c i vi l ac t i on w i thi n 6 0 d ay s of r ec ei ptof the no t i ce ; and (3) he w as no taw ar e, atthe t i m e he s i gn ed the decl ar at i on , of W al l er ’ s r equestfor an e xt e ns i on of

t i m e t o f i l e ac i vi l a c t i on. T he di s tr i c tc ourtgr a nt e d the m ot i on f or s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t. W al l erappeal s, as se rt i ng the A C erre d i n n otgrant i ng hi s r equestfor an e x te n s io n b e c au s e h e h a d g o o d c au s e . W a lle rf u rth e rc o n te n d s a n a f

f id a v it in w hi ch he descr i bed h i s s t at e of m i nd const i tut ed suff i ci entevi dence of m ent al illn e s s to ap p ly e q u itab le to llin g . I I . DI S CUS S I ON A . R e que s t

f orex te ns i on As a n i n i t i a l m a tt e r , t o th e e x t e n tWa l l e rc h a l l e n g e s th e d e c i s i o n o f th e AC nott o gr a nta n e xt e ns i on, tha tde c i s i on i s nots ubj e c tt o j udi c i a l r e vi e w . I n Ston e v . H ec kler , 77 8 F . 2d 64 5 (11 th C i r. 19 85 ), w e hel d the A C ’ s dec i si on no tt o g rantan e xt e ns i on w a s nots ubj e c tt o j udi c i a l r e vi e w a nd s t a t e d “ aS oc i a l S e c ur i ty c l a i m a nt s houl d notr e l y upon the pos s i bi l i ty of a n a dm i ni s tr a t i ve e xt e ns i on of t i m e ” a nd al l ow i ng j ud i ci al re vi ew “ w ou l d al l ow cl ai m ant s t o frustra t e the C on gres si on al4

i nt entt o fores t al l bel at ed l i t i gat i on of st al e e l i gi bi l i ty c l ai m s. ” I d. a t648 ( q u o ta tio n s , a lte r a tio n , an d c ita tio n o m itte d ) . B . E qui table tol l i ng

“ T he que s t i on of

w he the re qui t abl e t ol l i ng appl i e s i s al e ga l one s ubj e c tt o de no vo re vi ew . ” C abe l lo v . Fe rnandez -L ar i os , 40 2 F . 3d 11 48 , 11 53 (11th C i r. 2 0 0 5 ) . W e r e v ie w ad is tr ic t c o u rt’s g r a n t o f s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t de no vo . P atri ck v. Floyd Medi cal

C enter , 2 0 1 F .3 d 1 3 1 3 , 1 3 1 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 0 ) . S e c tio n 4 0 5 ( g ) o f

T itle 4 2 s ta te s , in r e le v a n t p a rt: A ny i ndi vi dua l , a f

t e ra ny f i na l de c i s i on of

the C om m i s s i one r. . . m a de a f te rah e a r in g to w h ic h h e w a s ap a rty , irr e s p e c tiv e o f th e a m o u n t in c ontr ove r s y , m a y obt a i n ar e vi e w of s uc h de c i s i on by ac i vi l a c t i on c om m e nc e d w i thi n s ix ty da ys a f t e rthe m a i l i ng t o hi m of not i c e of s uc h de c i s i on orw i thi n s uc h f urthe rt i m e a s the C om m i s s i one rof S o c i a l S e c u r i ty m a y a l l o w. 4 2 U .S .C . § 4 0 5 ( g ) ( e m p h a s is a d d e d ) ; se e a l so 42 U . S . C . § 1383 ( i nc orpor a t i ng § 4 05 (g) by r ef

er ence ). T he S up re m e C ou rthas hel d “ appl i ca t i on of a tra di t i on al e qui t abl e t ol l i ng pr i nc i pl e t o the 60- da y r e qui r e m e ntof § 405( g) i s f

ul l y c ons i s t e nt w i th the ov er al l cong re ss i on al pu rpose a nd i s now here es chew ed by C on gres s. ” B o w en v. C i t

y o f N ew Y o rk , 106 S . C t . 2022, 2030 ( 1986) ( quot a t i ons a nd c i t a t i on om i tt ed). I n B ow en , the S upr e m e C ourthe l d be c aus e “ the G ove rnm e nt ’ s s e c r e t i ve c o n d u c t p r e v e n t[ e d ] p la in tif f s f r o m k n o w in g o f

av io la tio n o f

r ig h ts ,” e q u itab le5

to llin g o f § 4 0 5 ( g ) w a s ap p r o p r ia te . 1 0 6 S . C t. a t 2 0 3 0 . W e h a v e h e ld e q u itab le to llin g is r e s e rv e d f

o r“e x tr a o r d in a ry c ir c u m s ta n c e s ,” w h ic h “is af a c t- s p e c if

ic de t e rm i na t i on be c aus e af i ndi ng of e xtr a or di na ry c i r c um s t a nc e s ne c e s s a ry f or equi t abl e t ol l i ng i s r es erved for extra ordi naryfa ct s. ” C a b e llo , 402 F . 3d a t1154- 55 ( quot a t i ons , a l t e r a t i on, a nd c i t a t i on om i tt e d) . I n C a b e llo , w e not e d: e qui t abl e t ol l i ng i s appr opr i a t e i n s i tua t i ons w he r e the de f e nda nt m i sl ea ds the pl ai nt i ff

, al l ow i ng the st atut ory per i od t o l apse ; or w hen the pl a i nt i f

f ha s no r e a s onabl e w a y of di s c ove r i ng the w r ong p e rp e tr a te d a g a in s t h e r , a s is th e c a s e h e r e . A d d itio n a lly , in o r d e rto appl y e qu i t abl e t ol l i ng , court s usual l y r equi re som e af f i rm at i ve m isc on du ct , s u c h a s d e lib e r a te c o n c e a lm e n t. I d. a t 1 1 5 5 ( q u o ta tio n a n d c ita tio n o m itte d ) . H e r e , i ti s undi s put e d W a l l e rf i l e d hi s c om pl a i nta f

t e rthe e xpi r a t i on of

the 60 -dayst atut e of l i m i t at i on s. T he on l y i ss ue for thi s C ou rtt o res ol ve i s w hether the evi dence pres ent ed i n W al l er ’ s a ff i davi tand the B oj ar ski E val uat i on , construed in th e lig h t m o s t f

a v o r ab le to W a lle r , w o u ld g iv e r is e to e q u itab le to llin g . D e s pi t e W a l l e r ’ s s t a t e m e nti n hi s a f f i da vi tr e ga r di ng hi s i nabi l i ty t o a c tdue t o h i s m e n t a l i l l n e s s , o th e re v i d e n c e r e v e a l e d : ( 1 ) Wa l l e rs e n tal e tt e rt o th e OG C re qu es t i ng a t i m e e xt ensi on ; and (2) W al l ervi si t ed an att orney a nd prov i ded h er w ith S S A d o c u m e n ts p r io rto th e e x p ir a tio n o f th e 6 0 - d a y s ta tu te o f

lim ita tio n s . A ddi t i ona l l y , the onl y pr of e s s i ona l e va l ua t i on of

W a l l e r ’ s c ondi t i on, the B oj a r s ki E va l ua t i on, w a s c onduc t e d m or e tha n e i ghtm onths pr i ort o the da t e on w hi c h he6

r e c e iv e d n o tic e o f

th e A C ’s d e c is io n , a n d , s ig n if ic a n tly , c o n c lu d e d W a lle r ’s : (1) abi l i ty t o u nd er st and, re m em ber, and carry out“ shortsi m pl e i nstruct i on s” w as n o ti m p ai red ; an d (2 ) ab i l i ty t o d o so w i th “ d et ai l ed i n stru ct i o n s” o n l y w as m ode r a t e l y i m pa i r e d. T he s e a c t s a nd e va l ua t i ons a r e i n c onf l i c tw i th hi s a s s e rt i on he w as un abl e t o t i m el y f i l e hi s c om pl ai nt . T here fore , hi s a ff i davi tconst i tut es “ [a ] m er e s ci nt i l l a of e vi dence [and ] . . . i s i nsuffi ci entt o d ef ea ta m ot i on for s um m ary j ud gm ent . ” Ke s i nge rex r e l . Es tate of Ke s i nge rv . H

e r r i ngton , 381 F . 3d 1243, 1 2 4 9 - 5 0 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) . I I I . CONCL US I ON W a l l e r ’ s a s s e rt i on the A C e rr e d by notgr a nt i ng hi s r e que s tf ora n e xt e ns i on i s nots ubj e c tt o j udi c i a l r e vi e w . A ddi t i ona l l y , W a l l e rdi d nots how a ny a f f i rm a t i ve m i s c onduc tby the C om m i s s i one rw hi c h pr e ve nt e d hi m f r om f i l i ng hi s c om pl a i nt w i thi n the s t a tut e of

l i m i t a t i ons pe r i od, ortha the w a s e nt i t l e d t o e qui t abl e t ol l i ng fo r a n y o th erre as o n . T h e d istrict co u rt d idn o t errin g ra n ti n g th e C o m m issio n er ’s m o tio n f o rs u m m a ry ju d g m e n t. AF F I RME D.