Late-Filed Civil Appeals a Nonstarter

What should a civil litigant do when he or she is made aware of the entry of a final judgment after the expiration of the appeal period?  The First District Court of Appeal reminds us in an opinion issued in Sharpe v. Stanley, Case No. 1D14-1190, 39 Fla. L. Weekly D928a (Fla. 1st DCA May 1, 2014) that the appellate court has no authority to grant relief from an untimely-filed appeal in a civil proceeding.  That does not mean, however, that all appellate avenues are foreclosed.  As the court reminds us, relief “may be sought in the trial court by motion under Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.540(b) to set aside the order where no notice of its entry was given to the parties, coupled with a requst that a new order be entered so that the right of appeal is preserved.”