REL: 9/10/2010
Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o formal r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance
s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s ,
Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s ,
300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1
((334)
2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made
b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r .
ALABAMA COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS
SPECIAL TERM, 2010
2080962
Canon F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s , Inc.
v.
N a t i o n a l V o t i n g Rights Museum & I n s t i t u t e , Inc.
Appeal from D a l l a s C i r c u i t Court
(CV-07-173)
PITTMAN, J u d g e .
Canon F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s , I n c .
order
of the Dallas
Circuit
("Canon"), a p p e a l s
Court
("the A l a b a m a
f r o m an
court")
g r a n t i n g a m o t i o n f i l e d b y t h e N a t i o n a l V o t i n g R i g h t s Museum
& Institute,
I n c . ("NVRMI"), s e e k i n g
relief
from a judgment
2080962
entered
by
the
Alabama
court
in
response
to
Canon's
r e g i s t r a t i o n o f a f o r e i g n j u d g m e n t e n t e r e d i n Canon's f a v o r b y
the
Superior
County
Court
("the New
o f New
Jersey
Law
Division,
Burlington
J e r s e y c o u r t " ) , i n an a c t i o n t h a t h a d b e e n
b r o u g h t b y Canon a g a i n s t NVRMI i n t h a t s t a t e .
remand w i t h
instructions.
In
2007,
We r e v e r s e and
August
document
which
l a b e l e d "Notice
i t
sought
Enforcement
1975,
Canon
§
of F i l i n g
invoke
of Foreign
6-9-230
affidavit
to
the
e t seq.
Jersey
Museum"
f o r $43,522.92
amended
i n May
defendant;
entered
included
January
the
Uniform
("UEFJA"), A l a . Code
to that
filing
was
an
a c c o u n t manager i n w h i c h she
against
plus
as
"National
costs; that
to
name
E x h i b i t s t o the a f f i d a v i t
notice
pertinent
so
a
Judgment" i n
of
certified
Voting
NVRMI
as
filed
2
was
proper
i n support
photocopies
t h e May
the
enforceable,
2007 j u d g m e n t , w h i c h r e f l e c t s
as a d e f a u l t j u d g m e n t , a n d
Rights
the judgment
and t h a t t h e j u d g m e n t was v a l i d ,
unsatisfied.
Canon's
Attached
court
2007 Canon h a d o b t a i n e d a j u d g m e n t
court
2007
of Foreign
provisions
o f Canon's l i t i g a t i o n
New
i n t h e Alabama
Judgments A c t
t e s t i f i e d t h a t i n January
in
filed
of both
and
of
the
t h a t i t was
2007
amendment
2080962
thereto.
Canon's
notice
also
contained
a
certificate
s e r v i c e i n d i c a t i n g t h a t a c o p y o f t h e n o t i c e h a d been
to
the l a s t
litigation
the
address
a c c o u n t manager's
Alabama
declaring
known
court
that
enforceable
entered
t h e New
f o r NVRMI
as s e t f o r t h
affidavit.
mailed
i n the
On A u g u s t 2 1 , 2007,
a judgment
Jersey
of
i n favor
judgment
would
o f Canon
be
deemed
i n Alabama.
I n O c t o b e r 2007, NVRMI, p u r s u a n t t o R u l e 6 0 ( b ) ( 4 ) , A l a .
R. C i v . P., f i l e d a m o t i o n f o r r e l i e f
from t h e Alabama
court's
r e g i s t r a t i o n j u d g m e n t , a v e r r i n g t h a t NVRMI h a d n o t b e e n "made
aware"
of the lawsuit
court's
j u d g m e n t a n d t h a t NVRMI h a d no f a m i l i a r i t y o f h a v i n g
obtained
i n t h e New
Jersey
court
or of that
a c o p y i n g m a c h i n e f r o m a n y o f Canon's a f f i l i a t e s .
s u p p o r t o f i t s m o t i o n , NVRMI f i l e d
an a f f i d a v i t g i v e n
longtime r e g i s t e r e d agent f o r s e r v i c e of process,
In
by i t s
i n w h i c h she
t e s t i f i e d t h a t s h e h a d n e v e r been s e r v e d w i t h a n y p a p e r s as t o
the
a c t i o n i n t h e New J e r s e y
served
Alabama
with
process
court.
court
and t h a t she had n o t been
i n the r e g i s t r a t i o n
proceeding
The p a r t i e s
then
filed
briefs
i n the
as t o t h e i r
r e s p e c t i v e p o s i t i o n s , w i t h Canon a s s e r t i n g t h a t t h e New J e r s e y
c o u r t h a d h a d p e r s o n a l j u r i s d i c t i o n o v e r NVRMI p u r s u a n t t o t h e
3
2080962
l a w s o f t h a t s t a t e a n d t h a t t h a t c o u r t ' s j u d g m e n t was e n t i t l e d
to
full
f a i t h a n d c r e d i t i n A l a b a m a a n d NVRMI a s s e r t i n g t h a t
Canon h a d f a i l e d t o d e m o n s t r a t e e f f e c t i v e s e r v i c e upon one o f
its
d i r e c t o r s (a method t h a t NVRMI a d m i t t e d
u n d e r New J e r s e y l a w ) .
further
admissible
positions,
of
a document
entered
into
i n support
of t h e i r
respective
Canon d i d s u b m i t an u n a u t h e n t i c a t e d
purporting
by
NVRMI's m o t i o n
N e i t h e r Canon n o r NVRMI s u b m i t t e d any
evidence
although
m i g h t be p r o p e r
t o be
the parties.
forrelief
an o f f i c e - e q u i p m e n t
The A l a b a m a
court
from t h e r e g i s t r a t i o n
lease
granted
j u d g m e n t on
June 3, 2009, o p i n i n g t h a t " s e r v i c e i n t h e u n d e r l y i n g
was
not e f f e c t i v e
pursuant
t o t h e Alabama
copy
Rules
of
action
Civil
Procedure"
(emphasis added).
Canon t i m e l y a p p e a l e d t o t h i s
court
that
upon
from
controversy;
brief
1
the appeal
because
appellate
order
NVRMI
based
the l i m i t e d
has been s u b m i t t e d
has n o t f a v o r e d
amount
in
s o l e l y on Canon's
this
court
with
an
brief.
Our r e v i e w
i s governed by t h e f o l l o w i n g p r i n c i p l e s :
A s we h e l d i n N i x v . C a s s i d y , 899 So. 2d 998, 999-1000
( A l a . C i v . App. 2 0 0 4 ) , s u c h an o r d e r i s f i n a l , a n d an a p p e a l
may p r o p e r l y be t a k e n
therefrom.
1
4
2080962
"The r e v i e w a p p l i c a b l e t o a R u l e 6 0 ( b ) ( 4 ) m o t i o n
i s de novo.
When t h e g r a n t o r d e n i a l o f r e l i e f
t u r n s on t h e v a l i d i t y o f t h e j u d g m e n t , as u n d e r R u l e
60(b)(4),
discretion
has
no
place.
The
only
q u e s t i o n b e f o r e us i s w h e t h e r t h e j u d g m e n t i s v o i d .
A judgment i s v o i d o n l y i f the c o u r t r e n d e r i n g i t
l a c k e d j u r i s d i c t i o n over the s u b j e c t matter or over
t h e p a r t i e s , o r i f i t a c t e d i n a manner i n c o n s i s t e n t
w i t h due p r o c e s s .
"The C o n s t i t u t i o n o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , A r t i c l e
I V , S e c t i o n 1, r e q u i r e s t h a t ' f u l l f a i t h and c r e d i t
s h a l l be g i v e n i n e a c h s t a t e t o t h e p u b l i c a c t s ,
r e c o r d s and j u d i c i a l p r o c e e d i n g s o f e v e r y o t h e r
s t a t e . ' A j u d g m e n t , t h e r e f o r e , e n t e r e d by t h e c o u r t
of
another
state
having j u r i s d i c t i o n
over
the
s u b j e c t m a t t e r and p e r s o n s i s e n t i t l e d t o f u l l f a i t h
and c r e d i t i n A l a b a m a c o u r t s .
"The v a l i d i t y and e f f e c t o f a f o r e i g n j u d g m e n t
a r e d e t e r m i n e d by t h e l a w o f t h e s t a t e i n w h i c h i t
was r e n d e r e d .
I f a judgment of a s i s t e r s t a t e i s
p r o p e r l y a u t h e n t i c a t e d and f i l e d w i t h t h e c i r c u i t
court,
[as p r o v i d e d f o r i n t h e UEFJA, A l a . Code
1975,] §§ 6-9-232, 6-9-233, a p r e s u m p t i o n
arises
that
the
court
rendering
that
judgment
had
jurisdiction
t o do
so.
Therefore, the p a r t y
c h a l l e n g i n g t h e j u d g m e n t has t h e b u r d e n o f a s s e r t i n g
l a c k of j u r i s d i c t i o n
and p r o d u c i n g e v i d e n c e
to
overcome t h e p r e s u m p t i o n . "
G r e e n e v. C o n n e l l y , 628 So. 2d 346,
added; c i t a t i o n s
omitted).
351
( A l a . 1993)
(emphasis
2
To t h e e x t e n t t h a t G r e e n e h e l d t h a t a m o t i o n
filed
p u r s u a n t t o R u l e 6 0 ( b ) ( 4 ) must be f i l e d w i t h i n a r e a s o n a b l e
time,
i t has
been
abrogated
by
Ex
parte F u l l
Circle
Distribution,
L.L.C., 883 So. 2d 638 ( A l a . 2 0 0 3 ) ; h o w e v e r ,
G r e e n e o t h e r w i s e r e m a i n s b i n d i n g p r e c e d e n t upon t h i s c o u r t .
2
5
2080962
From
Alabama
the foregoing,
court's
process
i t i s readily
views concerning the e f f i c a c y
i n the underlying
immaterial
action
under
v a l i d i t y o f t h e New J e r s e y
that
stands
that
the
of s e r v i c e of
Alabama
law are
t o w h e t h e r f u l l f a i t h a n d c r e d i t s h o u l d be e x t e n d e d
t o t h e j u d g m e n t o f t h e New J e r s e y c o u r t .
law
apparent
Greene d i r e c t s
for
the
court's
j u d g m e n t u n d e r New
a reviewing
proposition
Rather, i t i s t o the
court.
Greene
NVRMI,
that
as
Jersey
further
the
party
c h a l l e n g i n g t h e New J e r s e y c o u r t ' s j u d g m e n t , h a d t h e b u r d e n o f
demonstrating
jurisdiction
on
the
that
that
court
or personal
judgment
jurisdiction,
lacked
either
j u r i s d i c t i o n ; b e c a u s e NVRMI's a t t a c k
impugned
only
that
court's
the single pertinent question
w h e t h e r NVRMI met i t s b u r d e n o f p r o v i n g
court's
subject-matter
personal
i n this
that
case i s
t h e New
Jersey
j u d g m e n t was n o t v a l i d u n d e r t h a t s t a t e ' s l a w on t h a t
basis.
The r e c o r d
its
action
civil
indicates that
i n t h e New
procedure
in
personam
corporation
ina civil
initiated
court,
Jersey
provided
obtaining
i n 2006, when Canon
rules of
that
the
jurisdiction
that
state's
"primary
over
a c t i o n was "by c a u s i n g
6
method"
a
of
defendant
t h e summons a n d
2080962
complaint
t o be p e r s o n a l l y
served
w i t h i n " New
Jersey
"any o f f i c e r , d i r e c t o r , t r u s t e e o r m a n a g i n g o r g e n e r a l
of the c o r p o r a t i o n ,
or
by
corporation
service
of process
i n charge t h e r e o f , "
e f f e c t e d upon t h o s e p e r s o n s )
thereof"
Jersey]
agent"
or
( i fservice could
of the
of the
n o t be
(4) "a p e r s o n a t t h e p r i n c i p a l
o f t h e c o r p o r a t i o n i n [New J e r s e y ]
i n charge
o r (5) "any e m p l o y e e o f t h e c o r p o r a t i o n w i t h i n
a c t i n g i n the discharge
corporation
h a d no New
4 ( a ) , N.J.R. C i v . P.
of b u s i n e s s
Jersey
place
personal
"that
service
of business.
Rule
4:4-
NVRMI a p p e a r s n o t t o h a v e h a d any p l a c e
o r e m p l o y e e s i n New
affidavit
[New
of h i s or her d u t i e s " i f the
Jersey.
court rules also expressly provided
by
on b e h a l f
(3) "a p e r s o n a t t h e r e g i s t e r e d o f f i c e
p l a c e of business
(1)
(2) "any p e r s o n a u t h o r i z e d b y a p p o i n t m e n t
law t o r e c e i v e
corporation,"
on
despite
However, New
t h a t i f i t c o u l d be shown
diligent
effort
and
[ c o u l d n o t ] be made" c o n s i s t e n t
inquiry
with
4:4-4(a),
i n personam j u r i s d i c t i o n
c o u l d be o b t a i n e d
corporate
defendant
means:
by
two
other
Jersey
s e r v i c e i n a s t a t e of the U n i t e d States
(a) b y
Rule
over
a
"personal
... i n t h e same manner
as i f s e r v i c e were made w i t h i n
[New J e r s e y ] " o r b y "a p u b l i c
official
serve
having
authority
to
7
civil
process
i n the
2080962
jurisdiction
qualified
i n which the s e r v i c e
to
jurisdiction
practice
law
[was] made o r b y a p e r s o n
in
i n which s e r v i c e
[New
Jersey]
or
i n the
[was] made"; o r (b) b y " m a i l i n g
a c o p y o f t h e summons a n d c o m p l a i n t b y r e g i s t e r e d o r c e r t i f i e d
mail,
return
ordinary
mail
registered
receipt
requested,
t o ...
agent
and,
[the] corporation
f o r service,
... a d d r e s s e d
by
to a
or t o i t s p r i n c i p a l place of
business, or t o i t s registered o f f i c e . "
and
simultaneously,
4 : 4 - 4 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( C ) , N.J.R. C i v . P.
Rules 4:4-4(b)(1)(A)
F i n a l l y , New J e r s e y l a w a t
t h e t i m e o f t h e i n s t i t u t i o n o f Canon's a c t i o n p r o v i d e d t h a t i f
service
could
authorized
by
n o t be
affected
order."
Rule
The
foregoing
authority
service
NVRMI
modes
b y r u l e , a n y d e f e n d a n t c o u l d be s e r v e d "as p r o v i d e d
court
law,
b y any o f t h e o t h e r
could,
4:4-4(b)(3).
of process
under
i n d i c a t e s t h a t , u n d e r New J e r s e y
upon a f o r e i g n
the right
corporation
s e t of
factual
s u c h as
and
legal
c i r c u m s t a n c e s , be a c c o m p l i s h e d b y a number o f d i f f e r e n t , b u t
equally
summons
e f f e c t i v e , means, s u c h as b y p e r s o n a l d e l i v e r y o f t h e
and c o m p l a i n t
i n the action
o r by m a i l i n g
those
documents t o e i t h e r a " p e r s o n a u t h o r i z e d
by appointment o r by
law
on
to
receive
service
of
8
process
behalf
of the
2080962
corporation,"
by
affidavit,
s u c h as NVRMI's r e g i s t e r e d a g e n t who
or
to
"any
director,
managing
or general
evidence
a d d u c e d b y NVRMI was t h e t e s t i m o n y
affidavit
that
falls
o f NVRMI.
she h a d n o t "been s e r v e d
process regarding"
evidence
agent"
officer,
of negating
trustee
However,
the
with
of i t s d i r e c t o r s
(as Canon
court.
b r i e f but d i d not prove),
3
That
the p o s s i b i l i t i e s
alleged
sole
any p a p e r s o r
Canon p r o p e r l y s e r v e d NVRMI w i t h p r o c e s s b y p e r s o n a l l y
one
or
i n the agent's
t h e a c t i o n i n t h e New J e r s e y
f a r short
testified
in its
that
serving
trial-court
b y s e r v i n g NVRMI b y c e r t i f i e d a n d
r e g u l a r m a i l a d d r e s s e d t o NVRMI's " r e g u l a r p l a c e o f b u s i n e s s "
in
Selma,
or by
effecting
service
i n some
other
fashion
We n o t e t h a t Canon h a s a t t a c h e d , as an e x h i b i t t o i t s
brief
on a p p e a l ,
an " e x h i b i t "
that purports
t o be an
" a f f i d a v i t of s e r v i c e " executed by a " s h e r i f f ' s o f f i c e r " i n
which i t i s a s s e r t e d t h a t t h e s i g n i n g o f f i c e r had p e r s o n a l l y
s e r v e d an a g e n t o r a p e r s o n i n c h a r g e o f t h e o f f i c e o f t h e
" N a t i o n a l V o t i n g R i g h t s Museum."
As Canon f r e e l y a d m i t s i n
i t s a p p e l l a t e b r i e f , t h a t document was n o t s u b m i t t e d t o t h e
Alabama c o u r t f o r i t s c o n s i d e r a t i o n i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h i t s
d e c i s i o n s t o a l l o w t h e New J e r s e y c o u r t ' s j u d g m e n t t o be
r e g i s t e r e d o r t o g r a n t NVRMI's m o t i o n f o r r e l i e f .
We r e g r e t
t h e n e e d t o a g a i n r e m i n d t h e B a r t h a t an a p p e l l a t e r e c o r d
c a n n o t be s u p p l e m e n t e d o r e n l a r g e d b y t h e mere a t t a c h m e n t o f
documents t o an a p p e l l a n t ' s b r i e f , s e e C u r v i n v. C u r v i n , 6 So.
3d 1165, 1173 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2 0 0 8 ) , a n d we e x p r e s s l y d i s a v o w
any r e l i a n c e upon Canon's " e x h i b i t " i n r e a c h i n g o u r d e c i s i o n
today.
3
9
2080962
authorized
by t h e New
Jersey
court.
As G r e e n e n o t e s ,
under
f u l l - f a i t h - a n d - c r e d i t p r i n c i p l e s , i t was NVRMI's b u r d e n i n t h e
A l a b a m a c o u r t t o p r o v e t h e a b s e n c e o f j u r i s d i c t i o n i n t h e New
Jersey
that
court,
n o t Canon's
burden to prove the e x i s t e n c e
j u r i s d i c t i o n , and NVRMI f a i l e d t o c a r r y
negating
of
i t s burden by
e a c h o f t h e p o t e n t i a l b a s e s by w h i c h t h e i n p e r s o n a m
jurisdiction
of
t h e New
Jersey
court
could
lawfully
have
attached.
Because
demonstrated that
foreign
unsatisfied
Canon
judgment a g a i n s t
i t had
required
domesticated
generally
debtor,
under
the
t h e UEFJA,
judgment
A l a . Code
1975,
the
of
§
the
valid
NVRMI and t h a t
p r o p e r l y n o t i f i e d NVRMI o f t h e r e g i s t r a t i o n
as
a
6-9-233.
i t had
of that
judgment
court
properly
Alabama
New
and
Jersey
court.
NVRMI,
the
See
judgment
f a i l e d t o a d d u c e s u f f i c i e n t e v i d e n c e t o overcome t h e
prevailing
presumption
court
validly
was
entering
60(b)(4)
i t s June
motion.
that
entered,
3,
t h e judgment
and
2009,
That order
2007, r e g i s t r a t i o n
t h e Alabama
order
granting
i s reversed,
remanded f o r t h e e n t r y o f a o r d e r
judgment.
10
o f t h e New
court
Jersey
erred i n
NVRMI's
Rule
and t h e c a u s e i s
reinstating
t h e A u g u s t 21,
2080962
REVERSED AND REMANDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS.
Thompson,
P . J . , and Bryan,
concur.
11
Thomas,
a n d Moore, J J . ,
