Opinion ID: 2632141
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: The Earlier Award's Acceleration Of The Fund's Payments, Which Is Facially Apparent, Is Unenforceable As Void

Text: ¶ 14 If the face of the proceedings makes it apparent that the trial tribunal acted in clear violation of a restriction upon its power to act, the part of the order that is so affected is unenforceable. In the case now before us, the trial tribunal entered an order directing that payments from the Fund begin immediately after the benefits of a lump-sum award became the claimant's due according to the terms of settlement with the last employer. Because the acceleration-of-payment provision in the September 27 award (a) is apparent upon the face of the proceedings and (b) constitutes an act then beyond the trial tribunal's power, there was no error in the Workers' Compensation Court's refusal to enforce that portion of the contested award. The offending part must be regarded as unenforceable for facial invalidity.