Opinion ID: 617094
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Waiver of Deadline

Text: Mr. Custodio argues that the Board erred when it determined that he was not entitled to a waiver under 5 U.S.C. § 8453. We agree with the Board that Mr. Custodio’s claim was filed out of time and that a waiver does not apply. We find that Mr. Custodio is not entitled to a waiver under 5 U.S.C. § 8453. The statute provides that the “time limitation may be waived by the Office for an employee or Member who, at the date of separation from service or within 1 year thereafter, is mentally incompetent.” Id. In its Final Decision, the Board concluded that it could not consider the mental incompetency argument because it was raised for the first time in his petition for review to the Board, and because Mr. Custodio failed to demonstrate that the Medical Abstract was new and material evidence not previously available despite his due diligence. 5 C.F.R. § 1201.115(d)(1). We find that the Board’s decision regarding waiver was not arbitrary, capricious, or otherwise contrary to law. Anthony, 58 F.3d at 625; see also, Mueller v. U.S. Postal Serv., 76 F.3d 1198, 1201-02 (Fed. Cir. 1996). We affirm the Board’s determination that Mr. Custodio is not entitled to a waiver of the applicable time limits.