Yolanda Frenchie, Claimant/Appellant, v. Division of Employment Security, Respondents.

This slip opinion is subject to revision and may not reflect the final opinion adopted by the Court. Opinion Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District Case Style: Yolanda Frenchie, Claimant/Appellant, v. Division of Employment Security, Respondents. Case Number: ED85323 Handdown Date: 02/08/2005 Appeal From: Labor and Industrial Relations Commission Counsel for Appellant: Party Acting Pro Se Counsel for Respondent: Cynthia A. Quetsch Opinion Summary: Yolanda Frenchie (Claimant) appeals the decision of the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission regarding her unemployment benefits. DISMISSED. Division Five holds: This Court lacks jurisdiction to consider Claimant's appeal where her notice of appeal to this Court was untimely and there is no mechanism for a late notice of appeal in the unemployment statutes. Citation: Opinion Author: George W. Draper III, Chief Judge Opinion Vote: DISMISSED. Crahan and Norton, JJ., concur. Opinion:

Yolanda Frenchie (Claimant) appeals the decision of the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission (Commission) regarding her unemployment benefits. The appeal is dismissed. On February 23, 2004, a deputy with the Division of Employment Security concluded that Claimant had been overpaid $304 in unemployment benefits, because she had received benefits during two weeks of disqualification. Claimant filed an untimely appeal to the Appeals Tribunal, which dismissed her appeal. She then filed an application for review with the

Commission, which affirmed the Tribunal's dismissal. The Commission mailed its decision to Claimant on September 8,

1. Claimant filed a notice of appeal to this Court on October 23, 2004.

A claimant has twenty days to file an appeal from a final decision of the Commission. Section 288.210, RSMo 2000. The Commission's decision becomes final ten days after the date it is mailed to the parties. Section 288.200.2, RSMo

1. Here, the Secretary for the Commission mailed its decision to Claimant on September 8, 2004. The decision

became final ten days later and the notice of appeal was due twenty days thereafter on October 8, 2004. Sections 288.200, 288.210. The Secretary to the Commission has certified that Claimant filed her notice of appeal on October 23, 2004, well after the notice of appeal was due. This Court has a duty to determine sua sponte whether it has jurisdiction. Rissman v. V S M Abrasives Corp. , 136 S.W.3d 851 (Mo. App. E.D. 2004). We issued an order directing Claimant to show cause why this appeal should not be dismissed as untimely. Claimant has filed a response. Claimant asserts that she was debating on whether to file an appeal and did not receive the appeal form until September 23, 2004. An untimely notice of appeal in an unemployment case deprives this Court of jurisdiction to entertain the appeal. Thomas v. St. Martin's Childcare Center , 127 S.W.3d 704, 705 (Mo. App. E.D. 2004). Regardless of the reasons for the lateness of Claimant's appeal, this Court does not have jurisdiction. Section 288.210 sets forth stringent guidelines for the filing of the notice of appeal and fails to make any provision for late filing. Phillips v. Clean-Tech , 34 S.W.3d 854, 855 (Mo. App. E.D. 2000). Moreover, Claimant received the notice of appeal form well within the time to timely file her notice of appeal. Our only recourse is to dismiss her appeal. The appeal is dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. Separate Opinion: None This slip opinion is subject to revision and may not reflect the final opinion adopted by the Court.