Opinion ID: 1651891
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Incomplete Permit Application

Text: For their fourth point on appeal, Appellants argue that the Commission erred in dismissing their claim that the permits were issued based on incomplete applications. This claim was dismissed in the AHO's order dated June 3, 1999. That order reflects that on April 15, 1999, a preliminary hearing was held, pursuant to Ark.Code Ann. § 8-4-205(c)(1)(A) (Repl. 2000). The statutorily provided purpose of such a hearing is for the AHO to determine whether the parties qualify as proper parties under section 8-4-205(b)(1) and whether the request conforms with the requirements under subsections (b)(2) and (b)(3). The AHO's order reflects that the claim was dismissed because Appellants did not raise the issue in their comments submitted during the public comment period. Section 8-4-205(b)(2) provides in pertinent part: No interested party requesting a hearing under subsection (b) of this section may raise any issue in the hearing that was not raised in the public comments unless the party raising the issue shows good cause why such issue could not, with reasonable diligence, have been discovered and presented during the public comment period. Appellants do not deny that they failed to raise this issue in their comments, and they do not claim that this issue could not have been presented during the public-comment period. Notwithstanding, they assert that it was error for the AHO to dismiss the claim because it is one of subject-matter jurisdiction that goes beyond mere technical compliance. Appellants have failed to cite to any legal authority that would support this novel proposition. Likewise, they have failed to make a convincing legal argument. This court has stated on occasions too numerous to count that it will not consider the merits of an argument if the appellant fails to cite any convincing legal authority in support of that argument, and it is otherwise not apparent without further research that the argument is well taken. See Utley v. City of Dover, 352 Ark. 212, 101 S.W.3d 191 (2003); Stilley v. James, 347 Ark. 74, 60 S.W.3d 410 (2001). We thus affirm on this point.