WPC .# U: % 0(b w@4Sgv 0J~ 0T 0^ 0hz 0r 0|T 0 0V 1u 0d[U *B) AQ c 0D) 0@m 0D DC D/4 Bc B D3 AM  v~/ vHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLh,  AZ"Arial RegularX($- - E{DӀ_#P3|x2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d!"#$&C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  ("$    ($$   1  7Border 1dd((' dxd dP Pd'''''dxd!#%C << G  !  #d#  ""     YYY FILEDXJune19,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ellan Geneva  ellan Geneva ! .       \RA'\7?XXdd7      ӛ @ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ ATNASHVILLE XDANNYCARD,    )      ) Petitioner/Appellant,  )      ) AppealNo.      ) 01A019709CH00496̜VS.      )!ٜR*+%A1-j|b`  `@Rߛ      ) DavidsonChancery      ) No.96734ITENNESSEECIVILSERVICE  )      COMMISSIONandtheTENNESSEE )DEPARTMENTOFENVIRONMENT )ANDCONSERVATION,   )      ) Respondents/Appellees.  )@ APPEALEDFROMTHECHANCERYCOURTOFDAVIDSONCOUNTY@ ATNASHVILLE,TENNESSEE@ THEHONORABLEIRVINH.KILCREASE,JR.,CHANCELLORFRANKJ.SCANLON214SecondAvenue,NorthSuite300Nashville,Tennessee37201 AttorneyforPetitioner/AppellantJOHNKNOXWALKUPAttorneyGeneralandReporterWILLIAMJ.MARETT,JR.AssistantAttorneyGeneral4255thAvenueNorth,2ndFloorNashville,Tennessee372430490 AttorneyforRespondents/Appellees@ AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED       BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:TODD,P.J.,M.S.KOCH,J. @ OPINION X  TheissueinthisappealiswhethertheTennesseeCivilServiceCommissionabuseditsdiscretionwhenitdismissedtheappellantsStepVgrievancebecausehefailedtofurnishthedocumentationrequiredforthehearinginatimelyfashion.TheChanceryCourtofDavidsonCountydismissedthepetitiontoreviewtheCommissionsaction.Weaffirm.@ I.   DannyCardisemployedasaparkrangerbytheTennesseeDepartmentofEnvironmentandConservation.OnJanuary17,1994theCommissioneroftheDepartmentsuspendedMr.Cardforthreedayswithoutpayfordisciplinaryreasons.TheletterinformingMr.CardoftheCommissionersactiontoldhimthathehadtherighttoa StepVhearingbeforetheCivilServiceCommission.TheletterdidnotincludeanyotheradviceaboutperfectingtheappealtotheCommission,butitdidgiveMr.Cardthenamesofindividualswithinthedepartmentwhocouldassisthim.  OnFebruary24,1994Mr.CardrequestedtheStepVproceeding,acontestedcasehearingbeforetheTennesseeCivilServiceCommission.OnMarch2,1994theCommissionrespondedtoMr.Cardbycertifiedmailandrequestedthedocumentsshowingthedecisionfromthefourthstepofthegrievanceprocedureandthenoticeoftheintenttosuspendhim.Thecertifiedletterwasreturnedwiththenotation undeliverableafter3attempts.TheCommissionsstaffassistantmailedacopyofthelettertothesameaddressonϜMay5,1994anditwasnotreturned.  OnOctober5,1994Mr.CardwrotetotheCommissionrequestinginformationonadateforthehearingandassertingthathehadnotreceivedaresponsetohisFebruary24,1994letter.ThestaffassistantrespondedthatthefilehadbeenclosedbecauseMr.CardhadnotrespondedtotherequestfordocumentscontainedintheMarch2andMay5letters.Shereactivatedthefile,however,andadvisedMr.Cardtofurnishtherequesteddocuments.  AftertheappointmentofanadministrativelawjudgetoconducttheStepVproceeding,theDepartmentofEnvironmentandConservationfiledamotiontodismiss.ThemotioncitedMr.CardsfailuretocomplywithRuleNo.112011.05(5)(a)oftheRulesoftheDepartmentofPersonnel,whichrequiresthatinaStepVgrievance,allrelevantdocumentationmustbefiledwithinthirtydaysofthereceiptoftheStepIVdecision.Thenextrule,No.112011.05(6),providesthatthethirtydayrulemaybeextendedbyawrittenagreementbetweenthemanagerinvolvedandtheemployeebutthattheagreementmaynotextendtheperiodbeyondsixmonths.TheALJfiledaninitialorderdismissingtheproceedingandtheCivilServiceCommissionconcurred.@ II.   Mr.Cardsargumentbeforethiscourt,asitwasbeforethechancerycourt,isthattheCommissionsactionisanunwarrantedexerciseofdiscretion,adefectinagencydecisionmakingthatmayresultinareversalpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.45322(h)(4).Hisargumentisthathisfailuretocomplywiththerulesresultedfromthefactthathewasneverinformedofthenecessitytodoso.Thisargument,ofcourse,assumestwothings:thathedidnotreceivethelettermailedbyregularmailonMay5,1994andthatsomeonehadadutytoinformhimabouthisobligationsundertherules.ForthemomentwewillaccepttheargumentthathedidnotreceivetheMay5letter,butwedonotbelievethePersonnelDepartmentnortheaffectedagencyhasadutytoadviseemployeeshowtopursueaStepVgrievance.Nonetheless,helpwasavailable.TheletterofJanuary17,1994advisingMr.CardoftheStepIVresultstoldhimoftheavailabilityofassistancethroughtheDepartmentofPersonnelsEmploymentRelationsDivision.Thereisnoevidencethathesoughtanyhelp.  ReturningtotheMay5letter,wenotethatproofofduemailingraisesapresumptionthattheletterwasreceived.U.S.LifeTitleIns.Co.ofNewYorkv.DepartmentofCommerceandInsurance,770S.W.2d537(Tenn.App.1988).Mr.Carddoesnotspecificallyaddressthispresumption,eventhoughtheALJfoundasafactthattheletterwassentbyregularmailandwasnotreturned.Thus,wethinktheagencycouldhaveinferredthattheletterwasactuallyreceived.  Alloftheforegoingbearsontheabuseofdiscretiondetermination.WethinktheCommissionwasjustifiedinconcludingthatthefailuretocomplywiththerulescouldnotbeexcused.Inotherwords,theCommissionsdecisionwaswithintherangeofitsacceptablealternatives.SeeBIF,aDivisionofGeneralϜSignalControls,Inc.v.ServiceConstructionCo.,Inc.,App.No.87136II,filedatNashville,July13,1988.  ThejudgmentofthecourtbelowisaffirmedandthecauseisremandedtotheChanceryCourtofDavidsonCountyforanyfurtherproceedingsthatmaybecomenecessary.Taxthecostsonappealtotheappellant.̛̜            ____________________________       BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:_______________________________HENRYF.TODD,PRESIDINGJUDGEMIDDLESECTION̜_____________________________WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE    @