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How can I defend myself in an unemployment appeal?

Last year, during a time when I was unemployed, I was given a demand to repay an overpayment($3000+) from the South Carolina Employment Security Insurance Commission. In short, the unemployment office. The issue was that I was "unavailable for work" because of school, with the Unemployment office saying it "might" be because I can't be fully available for work while in school. My argument is that these were online classes. Also, in my statement it clearly says that I am willing to modify my hours. Their rebuttal is that I can't do this because of a statement on my school's website, to which I responded that I can drop a class. Pass or fail, it can be done and that I made the statement before this issue. This began in October of 2009. On the 20th of July I received a letter stating that I have an appeal NOT for overpayment, but "an evidentiary hearing regarding the timeliness of your appeal." I started complaining about the issue the day of my letter, and I wasn't given any information on how to appeal until after being put through a game of phone tag for weeks. Even when physically visiting my local office, I was repeatedly told to contact the overpayment department and shrugged off. When contacting the overpayment office, I was told that the only reason I would talk to them is to make a repayment plan. It wasn't until doing my own research on the SC Employment website-which is riddled with broken links and often unreachable-did I find appeals information. What can I do to protect myself in this Timeliness Appeal? PooPooLaTrash> I do have letters, though only for overpayment and such. That's part of the problem I have with using proof. This is a really small, backwater part of the South. Not the worst, but bad. The unemployment office does not accept/answer emails, and even the headquarters in Columbia lacks answering machines. I plan on using these facts as a defense, but I'm afraid of the "hearing" being a one way conversation.

Public Comments

1. Threaten them with a gun?
2. Do you have any phone records or copies of letters/emails that would indicate the dates you tried to make contact? If so, those would be helpful.