Seto v. American Elevator, Inc.

¶1 — In this case, we review a Court of Appeals decision affirming denial of Matthew Seto’s request for a trial de novo after his lawsuit against American Elevator, Inc., was submitted to mandatory arbitration. Under the Mandatory Arbitration Rules (MAR), Seto had 20 days within which to request a trial de novo after the arbitrator filed the arbitration award and proof of service. The issue is when the 20-day period begins to run. We hold that the 20-day period to request a trial de novo begins once service of the arbitration award is complete. Thus, when service is made by mail, the 20-day…