UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD
DEIDRA LINTZ, DOCKET NUMBER Appellant, SF-0353-09-0247-I-3
v.
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, DATE: July 14, 2023 Agency.
THIS FINAL ORDER IS NONPRECEDENTIAL 1
Deidra Lintz, Elk Grove, California, pro se.
Catherine V. Meek, Esquire, Long Beach, California, for the agency.
BEFORE
Cathy A. Harris, Vice Chairman Raymond A. Limon, Member
FINAL ORDER
¶1 The appellant has filed a petition for review of the initial decision, whic h dismissed her appeal as untimely refiled without a showing of good cause for the delay of approximately 4 years. Generally, we grant petitions such as this one only in the following circumstances: the initial decision contains erroneous findings of material fact; the initial decision is based on an erroneous
1 A nonprecedential order is one that the Board has determined does not add significantly to the body of MSPB case law. Parties may cite nonprecedential orders, but such orders have no precedential value; the Board and administrative judges are not required to follow or distinguish them in any future decisions. In contrast, a precedential decision issued as an Opinion and Order has been identified by the Board as significantly contributing to the Board’s case law. See 5 C.F.R. § 1201.117(c). 2
interpretation of statute or regulation or the erroneous application of the law to the facts of the case; the administrative judge’s rulings during either the course of the appeal or the initial decision were not consistent with required procedures or involved an abuse of discretion, and the resulting error affected the outcome of the case; or new and material evidence or legal argument is available that, despite the petitioner’s due diligence, was not available when the record closed. Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 1201.115 ( 5 C.F.R. § 1201.115). After fully considering the filings in this appeal, we conclude that the petitioner has not established any basis under section 1201.115 for granting the petition for review. Therefore, we DENY the petition for review. Except as expressly MODIFIED to apply the good cause standard specific to the untimely refiling of an appeal previously dismissed without prejudice, we AFFIRM the initial decision. ¶2 The Board has held that its dismissal without prejudice practice should not become a trap to deny an appellant the opportunity to have her case decided on the merits. Jaramillo v. Department of the Air Force, 106 M.S.P.R. 244, ¶ 6 (2007). Accordingly, the Board has identified specific standards for determining whether good cause exists for excusing an untimely filed appeal of a matter previously dismissed without prejudice. Sherman v. U.S. Postal Service, 118 M.S.P.R. 265, ¶ 9 (2012); Nelson v. U.S. Postal Service, 113 M.S.P.R. 644, ¶ 8 (2010), aff’d, 414 F. App’x 292 (Fed. Cir. 2011). These include the following: the appellant’s pro se status; the timeliness of the initial appeal; the appellant’s demonstrated intent throughout the proceedings to refile the appeal; the length of the delay in filing; confusion surrounding and arbitrariness of the refiling deadline; the number of prior dismissals without prejudice; the agency’s failure to object to the dismissal without prejudice; and the lack of prejudice to the agency in allowing the refiled appeal. Sherman, 118 M.S.P.R. 265, ¶ 9; Nelson, 113 M.S.P.R. 644, ¶ 8. 3
¶3 Although the administrative judge did not apply the standard described above, we agree with his ultimate conclusion that the appellant did not establish good cause for her untimely refiling. In the appellant’s favor, her initial appeal was timely filed, the agency did not object to either of the prior dismissals without prejudice, and the agency has not asserted that it would be prejudiced by allowing the refiled appeal. The number of prior dismissals without prejudice (two) is also not especially large. Cf. Sherman, 118 M.S.P.R. 265, ¶ 10 (finding that four prior dismissals without prejudice weighed against the appellant). However, the delay of nearly 4 years weighs against a finding of good cause, see Nelson, 113 M.S.P.R. 644, ¶ 9 (finding a 4-month refiling delay “far from minimal”), and the appellant did not demonstrate an intent to refile durin g that period. Moreover, we find nothing that would justify any confusion about the clearly stated deadline—which, far from being arbitrary, was chosen to accommodate the appellant’s request to obtain a final decision from the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs before resuming the Board proceedings. In addition, the appellant had a designated representative at the time her appeal was last dismissed without prejudice, and she did not revoke that designation until after the untimely refiling of her appeal. To the extent the appellant contends her representative was unresponsive to the Board’s orders, it is well settled that an appellant is responsible for the errors of her chosen representative, Sofio v. Internal Revenue Service, 7 M.S.P.R. 667, 670 (1981), and we find no merit to her apparent suggestion that the agency was responsible for notifying the Board of his change of address. Based on the foregoing, we find the appellant has not shown good cause for the untimely refiling, and we therefore affirm the dismissal of her appeal. 4
NOTICE OF APPEAL RIGHTS 2 The initial decision, as supplemented by this Final Order, constitutes the Board’s final decision in this matter. 5 C.F.R. § 1201.113. You may obtain review of this final decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(a)(1). By statute, the nature of your claims determines the time limit for seeking such review and the appropriate forum with which to file. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b). Although we offer the following summary of available appeal rights, the Merit Systems Protection Board does not provide legal advice on which option is most appropriate for your situation an d the rights described below do not represent a statement of how courts will rule regarding which cases fall within their jurisdiction. If you wish to seek review of this final decision, you should immediately review the law applicable to your claims and carefully follow all filing time limits and requirements. Failure to file within the applicable time limit may result in the dismissal of your case by your chosen forum. Please read carefully each of the three main possible choices of review below to decide which one applies to your particular case. If you have questions about whether a particular forum is the appropriate one to review your case, you should contact that forum for more information.
(1) Judicial review in general. As a general rule, an appellant seeking judicial review of a final Board order must file a petition for review with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which must be received by the court within 60 calendar days of the date of issuance of this decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(1)(A).
2 Since the issuance of the initial decision in this matter, the Board may have updated the notice of review rights included in final decisions. As indicated in the notice, the Board cannot advise which option is most appropriate in any matter. 5
If you submit a petition for review to the U.S.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD
DEIDRA LINTZ, DOCKET NUMBER Appellant, SF-0353-09-0247-I-3
v.
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, DATE: July 14, 2023 Agency.
THIS FINAL ORDER IS NONPRECEDENTIAL 1
Deidra Lintz, Elk Grove, California, pro se.
Catherine V. Meek, Esquire, Long Beach, California, for the agency.
BEFORE
Cathy A. Harris, Vice Chairman Raymond A. Limon, Member
FINAL ORDER
¶1 The appellant has filed a petition for review of the initial decision, whic h dismissed her appeal as untimely refiled without a showing of good cause for the delay of approximately 4 years. Generally, we grant petitions such as this one only in the following circumstances: the initial decision contains erroneous findings of material fact; the initial decision is based on an erroneous
1 A nonprecedential order is one that the Board has determined does not add significantly to the body of MSPB case law. Parties may cite nonprecedential orders, but such orders have no precedential value; the Board and administrative judges are not required to follow or distinguish them in any future decisions. In contrast, a precedential decision issued as an Opinion and Order has been identified by the Board as significantly contributing to the Board’s case law. See 5 C.F.R. § 1201.117(c). 2
interpretation of statute or regulation or the erroneous application of the law to the facts of the case; the administrative judge’s rulings during either the course of the appeal or the initial decision were not consistent with required procedures or involved an abuse of discretion, and the resulting error affected the outcome of the case; or new and material evidence or legal argument is available that, despite the petitioner’s due diligence, was not available when the record closed. Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 1201.115 ( 5 C.F.R. § 1201.115). After fully considering the filings in this appeal, we conclude that the petitioner has not established any basis under section 1201.115 for granting the petition for review. Therefore, we DENY the petition for review. Except as expressly MODIFIED to apply the good cause standard specific to the untimely refiling of an appeal previously dismissed without prejudice, we AFFIRM the initial decision. ¶2 The Board has held that its dismissal without prejudice practice should not become a trap to deny an appellant the opportunity to have her case decided on the merits. Jaramillo v. Department of the Air Force, 106 M.S.P.R. 244, ¶ 6 (2007). Accordingly, the Board has identified specific standards for determining whether good cause exists for excusing an untimely filed appeal of a matter previously dismissed without prejudice. Sherman v. U.S. Postal Service, 118 M.S.P.R. 265, ¶ 9 (2012); Nelson v. U.S. Postal Service, 113 M.S.P.R. 644, ¶ 8 (2010), aff’d, 414 F. App’x 292 (Fed. Cir. 2011). These include the following: the appellant’s pro se status; the timeliness of the initial appeal; the appellant’s demonstrated intent throughout the proceedings to refile the appeal; the length of the delay in filing; confusion surrounding and arbitrariness of the refiling deadline; the number of prior dismissals without prejudice; the agency’s failure to object to the dismissal without prejudice; and the lack of prejudice to the agency in allowing the refiled appeal. Sherman, 118 M.S.P.R. 265, ¶ 9; Nelson, 113 M.S.P.R. 644, ¶ 8. 3
¶3 Although the administrative judge did not apply the standard described above, we agree with his ultimate conclusion that the appellant did not establish good cause for her untimely refiling. In the appellant’s favor, her initial appeal was timely filed, the agency did not object to either of the prior dismissals without prejudice, and the agency has not asserted that it would be prejudiced by allowing the refiled appeal. The number of prior dismissals without prejudice (two) is also not especially large. Cf. Sherman, 118 M.S.P.R. 265, ¶ 10 (finding that four prior dismissals without prejudice weighed against the appellant). However, the delay of nearly 4 years weighs against a finding of good cause, see Nelson, 113 M.S.P.R. 644, ¶ 9 (finding a 4-month refiling delay “far from minimal”), and the appellant did not demonstrate an intent to refile durin g that period. Moreover, we find nothing that would justify any confusion about the clearly stated deadline—which, far from being arbitrary, was chosen to accommodate the appellant’s request to obtain a final decision from the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs before resuming the Board proceedings. In addition, the appellant had a designated representative at the time her appeal was last dismissed without prejudice, and she did not revoke that designation until after the untimely refiling of her appeal. To the extent the appellant contends her representative was unresponsive to the Board’s orders, it is well settled that an appellant is responsible for the errors of her chosen representative, Sofio v. Internal Revenue Service, 7 M.S.P.R. 667, 670 (1981), and we find no merit to her apparent suggestion that the agency was responsible for notifying the Board of his change of address. Based on the foregoing, we find the appellant has not shown good cause for the untimely refiling, and we therefore affirm the dismissal of her appeal. 4
NOTICE OF APPEAL RIGHTS 2 The initial decision, as supplemented by this Final Order, constitutes the Board’s final decision in this matter. 5 C.F.R. § 1201.113. You may obtain review of this final decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(a)(1). By statute, the nature of your claims determines the time limit for seeking such review and the appropriate forum with which to file. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b). Although we offer the following summary of available appeal rights, the Merit Systems Protection Board does not provide legal advice on which option is most appropriate for your situation an d the rights described below do not represent a statement of how courts will rule regarding which cases fall within their jurisdiction. If you wish to seek review of this final decision, you should immediately review the law applicable to your claims and carefully follow all filing time limits and requirements. Failure to file within the applicable time limit may result in the dismissal of your case by your chosen forum. Please read carefully each of the three main possible choices of review below to decide which one applies to your particular case. If you have questions about whether a particular forum is the appropriate one to review your case, you should contact that forum for more information.
(1) Judicial review in general. As a general rule, an appellant seeking judicial review of a final Board order must file a petition for review with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which must be received by the court within 60 calendar days of the date of issuance of this decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(1)(A).
2 Since the issuance of the initial decision in this matter, the Board may have updated the notice of review rights included in final decisions. As indicated in the notice, the Board cannot advise which option is most appropriate in any matter. 5
If you submit a petition for review to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, you must submit your petition to the court at the fo llowing address: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 717 Madison Place, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20439
Additional information about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is available at the court’s website, www.cafc.uscourts.gov. Of partic ular relevance is the court’s “Guide for Pro Se Petitioners and Appellants,” which is contained within the court’s Rules of Practice, and Forms 5, 6, 10, and 11. If you are interested in securing pro bono representation for an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, you may visit our website at http://www.mspb.gov/probono for information regarding pro bono representation for Merit Systems Protection Board appellants before the Federal Circuit. The Board neither endorses the services provided by any attorney nor warrants that any attorney will accept representation in a given case.
(2) Judicial or EEOC review of cases involving a claim of discrimination. This option applies to you only if you have claimed that you were affected by an action that is appealable to the Board and that such action was based, in whole or in part, on unlawful discrimination. If so, you may obtain judicial review of this decision—including a disposition of your discrimination claims—by filing a civil action with an appropriate U.S. district court (not the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit), within 30 calendar days after you receive this decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(2); see Perry v. Merit Systems Protection Board, 582 U.S. 420 (2017). If you have a representative in this case, and your representative receives this decision before you do, then you must file with the district court no later than 30 calendar days after your representative receives this decision. If the action involves a claim of discrimination based on 6
race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or a disabling condition, you may be entitled to representation by a court-appointed lawyer and to waiver of any requirement of prepayment of fees, costs, or other security. See 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(f) and 29 U.S.C. § 794a. Contact information for U.S. district courts can be found at their respective websites, which can be accessed through the link below: http://www.uscourts.gov/Court_Locator/CourtWebsites.aspx. Alternatively, you may request review by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of your discrimination claims only, excluding all other issues. 5 U.S.C. § 7702(b)(1). You must file any such request with the EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations within 30 calendar days after you receive this decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7702(b)(1). If you have a representative in this case, and your representative receives this decision before you do, then you must file with the EEOC no later than 30 calendar days after your representative receives this decision. If you submit a request for review to the EEOC by regular U.S. mail, the address of the EEOC is: Office of Federal Operations Equal Employment Opportunity Commission P.O. Box 77960 Washington, D.C. 20013
If you submit a request for review to the EEOC via commercial delivery or by a method requiring a signature, it must be addressed to: Office of Federal Operations Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 131 M Street, N.E. Suite 5SW12G Washington, D.C. 20507
(3) Judicial review pursuant to the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012. This option applies to you only if you have raised claims of reprisal for whistleblowing disclosures under 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(8) or 7
other protected activities listed in 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(9)(A)(i), (B), (C), or (D). If so, and your judicial petition for review “raises no challenge to the Board’s disposition of allegations of a prohibited personnel practice described in section 2302(b) other than practices described in section 2302(b)(8), or 2302(b)(9)(A)(i), (B), (C), or (D),” then you may file a petition for judicial review either with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or any court of appeals of competent jurisdiction. 3 The court of appeals must receive your petition for review within 60 days of the date of issuance of this decision. 5 U.S.C. § 7703(b)(1)(B). If you submit a petition for judicial review to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, you must submit your petition to the court at the following address: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 717 Madison Place, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20439
Additional information about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is available at the court’s website, www.cafc.uscourts.gov. Of particular relevance is the court’s “Guide for Pro Se Petitioners and Appellants,” which is contained within the court’s Rules of Practice, and Forms 5, 6, 10, and 11. If you are interested in securing pro bono representation for an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, you may visit our website at http://www.mspb.gov/probono for information regarding pro bono representation for Merit Systems Protection Board appellants before the Federal Circuit. The
3 The original statutory provision that provided for judicial review of certain whistleblower claims by any court of appeals of competent jurisdiction expired on December 27, 2017. The All Circuit Review Act, signed into law by the President on July 7, 2018, permanently allows appellants to file petitions for judicial review of MSPB decisions in certain whistleblower reprisal cases with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or any other circuit court of appeals of competent jurisdiction. The All Circuit Review Act is retroactive to November 26, 2017. Pub. L. No. 115 -195, 132 Stat. 1510. 8
Board neither endorses the services provided by any attorney nor warrants that any attorney will accept representation in a given case. Contact information for the courts of appeals can be found at their respective websites, which can be accessed through the link below: http://www.uscourts.gov/Court_Locator/CourtWebsites.aspx.
FOR THE BOARD: /s/ for Jennifer Everling Acting Clerk of the Board Washington, D.C.