Opinion ID: 77694
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: paul mahon's administrative appeal.

Text: 15 On December 5, 2001, following the denial of his benefits application, Paul Mahon elected to proceed to mediation. After mediation reached an impasse, Paul Mahon's attorney sent a letter purporting to be a notice of appeal on May 29, 2002, 2 and again on June 7, 2002. 3 16 On June 13, 2002, Paul Mahon signed a written statement in which he authorized his attorney to appeal to the National Appeals Division (NAD) and confirmed his attorney's June 7, 2002 request for appeal. Paul Mahon also signed a letter that forwarded the signed authorization to the NAD and asked the NAD to consider [the signed authorization] to be [his] formal notice of appeal and request for oral argument. On June 14, Paul Mahon (or someone acting on his behalf) mailed the written appeal authorization and transmittal letter. 17 The NAD sent a letter to Paul Mahon's counsel denying the June 7, 2002, request for an appeal on the ground that, even after application of 7 C.F.R. § 11.5(c)(1) (2002) (stating that a request for mediation tolls the thirty-day period to appeal to the NAD), based on an impasse date of April 25, 2002, Paul Mahon [had] not filed[d] a personally signed request for an appeal within the [thirty day] time limit established by [7 C.F.R. § 11.6(b)(1)-(2) (2002).]. 18 On June 20, 2002, Paul Mahon objected to the denial of his appeal claiming that the NAD did not notify him that the mediation had reached an impasse until May 25, 2002, and that there was never an agreement amongst the parties to have an impasse declared on April 25, 2002. Paul Mahon demanded a rehearing and an evidentiary hearing as to when the impasse [had] occurred and to the lack of notice. To support his position, Paul Mahon pointed out that the Florida Agricultural Mediation Service, which conducted the mediation, did not consider the mediation to have reached an impasse until May 28, 2002. 19 The NAD nevertheless denied Paul Mahon's request for reconsideration on the ground that his personally signed notice of appeal, which was signed on June 13, 2002 and postmarked June 14, 2002, was untimely based on either impasse date. The NAD subsequently denied Paul Mahon's numerous motions for reconsideration. 20