Mary C. Hartsfield, Plaintiff-Appellant v. Fred M. Fantini, Xyz, Inc. (Fictitious Name), Kenton Scrivens, John Doe…

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey affirmed the lower courts' denial of a nunc pro tunc motion for a trial de novo, holding that an attorney's failure to supervise his secretary and a heavy workload do not constitute the "extraordinary circumstances" required to relax the statutory thirty‑day filing deadline. The Court also rejected the application of Rule 4:50‑1 standards to arbitration deadline extensions, emphasizing a strict, policy‑driven enforcement of the arbitration statutes.