Opinion ID: 1936670
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: new washington heights

Text: Millinger contends that the JCC had authority to vacate and reenter his final order to preserve his appellate rights because, under New Washington Heights Community Development Conference v. Department of Community Affairs, 515 So.2d 328 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987), an administrative agency has jurisdiction to restart the appellate clock when reliance upon the instructions of a state functionary cause a notice of appeal to be untimely filed. The facts of New Washington Heights are similar to the facts in this case: [O]n Friday morning, October 3, 1986, a secretary to appellant's counsel in Miami, Florida, telephoned the Department [of Community Affairs'] clerk in Tallahassee, Florida, inquiring about the procedure for perfecting the appeal, and, more particularly, whether the notice of appeal would be considered timely if it arrived by express mail that same day, after normal working hours. The clerk advised the secretary that the Department would consider the appeal filed as of the postmark date if it were sent by certified mail. Appellant's counsel then proceeded in accordance with those instructions, and the notice of appeal was sent by certified mail postmarked October 3, 1986. Id. at 329. In dismissing the untimely appeal, the Third District noted that the appellant was not without a remedy: It is, however, also well-settled that where state action deprives a party of the ability to file a timely notice of appeal, the appellate court, although deprived of jurisdiction over the appeal, will provide the thus-rejected appellant with an alternative avenue of review. It would be anomalous indeed if similar relief were unavailable to one appealing an administrative determination merely because the procedure governing administrative matters contains neither a counterpart to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.540 nor anything resembling the great writ. Therefore, although we dismiss this appeal, we do so without prejudice to the appellant to apply to the Department to vacate and re-enter the operative order. If the Department acts favorably upon such application, the appellant may timely appeal the re-entered order and thereby challenge the merits of the original adverse agency action. Id. at 329-30 (citations omitted). We find that the reasoning of the opinion in New Washington Heights is not dispositive of this case for at least two reasons. First, Millinger's untimely notice of appeal in this case was not the direct result of misrepresentations of a state official. Attorneys cannot escape procedural errors by claiming reliance on the advice of a court clerk. See United States v. Heller, 957 F.2d 26, 30 (1st Cir.1992); Neeley v. Murchison, 815 F.2d 345, 347 (5th Cir.1987); Spinetti v. Atlantic Richfield Co., 552 F.2d 927 (Temp.Emer.Ct.App.1977). Second, it was both inappropriate and unnecessary for counsel's secretary to call the court clerk for legal advice. Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 4.165(a) clearly states: An order of a judge of compensation claims may be appealed to the district court by filing a written notice of appeal with the district court or with any judge of compensation claims within 30 days from the date the judge's order is mailed to the parties. (Emphasis added.) It is a settled rule of law that mailing, as opposed to filing, a notice within the thirty-day filing period is insufficient to preserve appellate rights. Coca Cola Foods v. Cordero, 589 So.2d 961, 962 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991); First Nat'l Bank v. Florida Unemployment Appeals Comm'n, 461 So.2d 208 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984). Moreover, Millinger's counsel admitted that he knew the notice had to be filed in the district court within the thirty-day filing period. Millinger, 655 So.2d at 104. It was counsel's responsibility to adequately supervise and instruct his staff to ensure that Millinger's notice of appeal was timely filed. Consequently, we find that the facts of this case are not sufficient to allow the JCC to vacate and reenter his final order. Rather, we find that the First District correctly relied on Farrell v. Amica Mutual Insurance Co., 361 So.2d 408 (Fla.1978). In Farrell, we held that the JCC was without authority to vacate an otherwise final order entered five months previously where the motion for relief from the order was made approximately four months from the date on which the order became final. Id. at 411. We stated: The [JCC] derives its very existence and authority from the legislature. §§ 440.25 and 440.45, Florida Statutes (1975). The [JCC] is an administrative body possessing quasi-judicial power but it is not a court. However, the Commission possesses certain procedural authority pursuant to Rules of Practice and Procedure adopted by this Court. We have carefully scrutinized Chapter 440, Florida Statutes (1975), as well as Workmen's Compensation Rules of Procedure, and find no authority in the Commission by statute or rule to vacate an order rendered by it which has become final. Id. at 410 (citations omitted). We concluded the JCC did not have authority to vacate a final order because that power had not been granted to it by the legislature or rules of procedure. [2] In light of Farrell `s binding authority, we find that the First District correctly determined that the JCC in this case was not vested with the authority to vacate and reenter his final order.