Secretary of Labor v. Brian English, employed by Barnes Paving Company, Inc. (Commission decision, February 4, 2015)

Plain-English summary

Brian English timely contested a proposed individual penalty but later defaulted after failing to answer the Secretary's penalty petition. English stated that he received no further correspondence until a collection agency contacted him. The Secretary confirmed that the petition had been mailed to an address different from the address English provided on his contest form and did not oppose reopening. The Commission found good cause, vacated the default order, and remanded the proceeding to the Chief ALJ for consideration on the merits.

Decision snapshot

• Governing authority: 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)
• Outcome: The default order was vacated and the individual penalty case was remanded.
• Key point: A default may be reopened when the penalty petition was sent to an address different from the one the individual supplied on the contest form.

Full text (FMSHRC public release)

FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH
REVIEW COMMISSION

1331
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW, SUITE 520N

WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20004-1710

SECRETARY OF LABOR,

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH  

ADMINISTRATION (MSHA)

v.

BRIAN ENGLISH, employed by

BARNES PAVING COMPANY, INC.

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Docket No.

A.C. No.

SE 2013-233-M

31-02233-312147A

BEFORE: Nakamura, Acting Chairman; Cohen and Althen, Commissioners

ORDER

BY
THE COMMISSION:

This matter arises under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, 30 U.S.C.    § 801 et seq. (2012) (“Mine Act”). On April 1, 2014, the Commission received from Brian English (“English”) a motion seeking to reopen a penalty assessment proceeding and relieve him from the Default Order entered against him.

On June 27, 2013, the Chief Administrative Law Judge issued an Order to Show Cause in response to English’s failure to answer the Secretary of Labor’s April 12, 2013 Petition for Assessment of Civil Penalty. By its terms, the Order to Show Cause became a Default Order on July 29, 2013, when the operator did not file an answer within 30 days.

English asserts that he had sent his notice of contest on February 6, 2013, in response to the Secretary’s proposed assessment, and that he never received any more correspondence regarding the case until he was notified by the collection agency of the outstanding penalties. The Secretary does not oppose the request, and confirms that the Petition for Assessment of Civil Penalty was mailed to a different address then the one provided by English on the contest form.

The Judge’s
jurisdiction in this matter terminated when the default occurred. 29 C.F.R.  § 2700.69(b). Under the Mine Act and the Commission’s procedural rules, relief from a judge’s decision may be sought by filing a petition for discretionary review within 30 days of its issuance. 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(2)(A)(i); 29 C.F.R. § 2700.70(a). If the Commission does not direct review within 40 days of a decision’s issuance, it becomes a final decision of the Commission. 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1). Consequently, the Judge’s order here has become a final decision of the Commission.

In evaluating
requests to reopen final orders, the Commission has found guidance in Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure under which the Commission may relieve a party from a final order of the Commission on the basis of mistake, inadvertence, excusable neglect, or other reason justifying relief. See 29 C.F.R. § 2700.1(b) (“the Commission and its Judges shall be guided so far as practicable by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure”); Jim Walter Res., Inc., 15 FMSHRC 782, 786-89 (May 1993). We have also observed that default is a harsh remedy and that, if the defaulting party can make a showing of good cause for a failure to timely respond, the case may be reopened and appropriate proceedings on the merits will be permitted. See Coal Prep. Servs., Inc., 17 FMSHRC 1529, 1530 (Sept. 1995).

Having reviewed
English’s request and the Secretary’s response, in the interest of justice, we hereby reopen the proceeding and vacate the Default Order. Accordingly, this case is remanded to the Chief Administrative Law Judge for further proceedings pursuant to the Mine Act and the Commission’s Procedural Rules, 29 C.F.R. Part 2700.

/s/ Patrick K. Nakamura

Patrick K. Nakamura, Acting
Chairman

/s/ Robert F.
Cohen, Jr.

Robert F. Cohen, Jr., Commissioner

/s/ William I.
Althen

William I. Althen, Commissioner