I was fired in 2009. I applied for unemployment benefits and they were granted. Several months later my former employer contacted AZDES and lied saying I wasn't fired, but that I voluntarily quit. AZDES stopped my benefits and told me I had to return what they had already paid me. I appealed, (thru AZDES). That appeal took several weeks and AZDES rejected it without considering any of the documentation or evidence. I appealed 2 more times, (which took several months). At one point AZDES reps told me that they weren't limited to considering ONLY the hard evidence, but that they had the freedom to rely on gut feelings regarding who they found to be more credible.
The appeal was FINALLY moved outside the troubled, controversial and corrupt AZDES and into the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One. My former employer sent me an email boasting that he had won the case before it was ruled on. He claimed that he had emailed the Judge and she told him she was siding with him. I sent the email to the court and asked why he had access to the Judge when I did not. Turns out he was once again just lying. In her ruling the Judge stated that "It troubles this court that Mr. _____ made false statements that implied wrong doing on the part of the court."
By the time that decision was handed down it was 2010. I contacted AZDES to get my unemployment benefits reinstated and they told me that because the original case was started in 2009 they could not reinstate benefits for that case. I would have to reapply again using my current situation, (which meant I would not qualify because I hadn't worked since the original case was filed).
That was the last I heard from AZDES. At the end of 2016 I started receiving notices saying I owed $6,000+??? The notices claimed to be from AZDES but were sent from a South Carolina address. I was skeptical to say the least. I ignored the first notice figuring it was some kind of scam. When I got a second notice I contacted AZDES to see if the person on the notice was legitimate, and to find out what it was for. That's when I learned they were now suddenly attempting to collect the money they had paid me back in 2009... again.
I appealed it . . . again . . . thru AZDES, (an exercise in futility), and it was summarily rejected . . . again . . . predictably. I sent a constituent complaint form to the Governor's office as a last ditch effort to see if that would help. They forwarded it to AZDES and the same condescending woman I spoke with before called me to explain that since the case dates back to 2009 there is nothing anyone can do - I have to just pay the $6,000... plus interest.
Some time around 2011 or 2012 I was brushing up my resume and I couldn't remember dates of employment for a certain job, so I did an internet search to see if I could find anything and I ran across an employer/employee reporting site that had that employer, the dates of my employment, and the reason for my separation. Ironically, that same site also had my employment information reported from the lying employer as well, and under reason for separation they had listed "Terminated." At the time I believed the matter was ended and I wasn't interested in digging it up again, so I just moved on. When I started getting the notices at the end of 2016 I searched and searched trying to find that site again, but I couldn't find anything.
It's bad enough that I have to pay AZDES $6,000+. In the first place, if I remember right, I was only paid about $3,000 before the dirtball lied and stopped my benefits. But in addition to the $6,000 that "no one can do anything about" they tack on interest in the amount of about $25 a month.
It sucks that you almost have to hire a lawyer to protect you from these incompetent and corrupt government agencies fleecing you now. AZDES has been in the papers almost constantly over the past several years with employees and directors getting fired left and right for incompetence, lying, fraud, corruption, and whatever else. I pay enough in taxes - it sucks to have my money STOLEN by these bureaucratic thieves.
Sorry for being so long-winded. Any help is appreciated.

