In re the Claim of Fruci

—Appeal from a decision of the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board, filed November 6, 1997, which denied claimant’s application to reopen a previous decision denying her application for unemployment insurance benefits.

After an initial determination from the local unemployment insurance office found claimant to be ineligible for further assistance pursuant to Labor Law § 599, claimant requested a *832hearing, which she failed to attend. The Administrative Law Judge (hereinafter ALJ) rendered a decision by default sustaining the initial determination. Claimant thereafter sought to reopen the…