Dudley McGuire II v. William White

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REL: 08/12/2011 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 be 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, 2011 2100382 Dudley McGuire II v. W i l l i a m White Appeal from Shelby C i r c u i t Court (CV-09-789) THOMPSON, Presiding Judge. Dudley McGuire I I appeals by the the Shelby reasons Circuit Court stated herein, f r o m a summary j u d g m e n t i n favor we d i s m i s s On A u g u s t 1 0 , 2 0 0 9 , W h i t e f i l e d of William entered White. For the appeal. an a c t i o n a g a i n s t McGuire 2100382 in which check he alleged to him against against which, i n the the amount negotiated which the maker of $11,656. He a worthless claim of of had a holder among McGuire p u r s u a n t t o § 6-5-285, A l a . Code 1 9 7 5 , McGuire provides that a w o r t h l e s s check the check. other things, he McGuire asserted a cause filed denied the of an action answer allegations in of the complaint. On October 22, judgment as to 2009, White his claim filed against a motion McGuire. for a McGuire summary filed r e s p o n s e and a s u p p l e m e n t a l r e s p o n s e t o t h a t m o t i o n and to strike certain summary-judgment denied White's documents motion. filed a motion 2010, order denying trial court held June 29, 2010, judgment attorney's in On May summary-judgment White 10, that a White 10, 2010, hearing attached the to trial the t r i a l summary-judgment on moved his court motion. to reconsider his had a that motion, court's motion. after which, May The on i t g r a n t e d W h i t e ' s m o t i o n and e n t e r e d a summary his favor in the amount of $11,666 1 plus an f e e of a p p r o x i m a t e l y $4,000. The a d d i t i o n a l $10 t h e t r i a l c o u r t a w a r d e d i n e x c e s s o f the amount o f t h e c h e c k a p p e a r s t o have b e e n f o r a " c h a r g e b a c k " f e e W h i t e a s s e r t s h i s b a n k a s s e s s e d a f t e r he d e p o s i t e d the check. 1 2 2100382 On N o v e m b e r 4, 2 0 1 0 , M c G u i r e the summary judgment pursuant In h i s motion, to Rule he s t a t e d t h a t order o f May notified the file apparently notified the when action. was h i s counsel contained had not been He s t a t e d that o f b e c a u s e , when h i s c o u n s e l appeared court advised was ready him on O c t o b e r garnished. McGuire a he would be trial of the a n d he f i r s t stated that h i s counsel judgment that to hold learned 2 9 , 2 0 1 0 , when supported h i s bank h i s motion with from h i s a t t o r n e y s . D e c e m b e r 2, 2 0 1 0 , t h e t r i a l McGuire's motion 13, and t o s e t a s i d e 2010, summary judgment McGuire filed In n o r he h a d that the trial McGuire affidavits December C i v . P. no i n d i c a t i o n the court t h e summary On A l a . R. on S e p t e m b e r 2 4 , 2 0 1 0 , f o r a p r e v i o u s l y s e t p r e t r i a l conference, account to set aside on W h i t e ' s m o t i o n t o r e c o n s i d e r 10, 2010, and t h a t had been d i s p o s e d at court of 60(b), o f t h e e n t r y o f t h e summary j u d g m e n t . court's case a motion neither h i s counsel received notice of the hearing the filed the t r i a l i n favor a notice his appellate court t h e summary court of White. of appeal brief, purported On to this White 3 purported to grant judgment. On to reenter January a 24, 2 0 1 1 , court. argues that this court 2100382 lacks jurisdiction untimely. We Corretti 1986), agree Ala. R. with White. the t r i a l Twenty C i v . P., court's asserting communicated 507 court then defendants. considering that to counsel So. 2d a t 4 0 9 a lack that are i s virtually pursuant to Rule notice of judgment this "'due ruling judgment appealed. over to the was The A l a . R. i n favor of the supreme court, Our the appeal ex mero C i v . P., provides " ' L a c k o f n o t i c e o f t h e e n t r y [ o f an o r d e r o r judgment] by t h e c l e r k does n o t affect the time to appeal or r e l i e v e or 4 not trial wrote: "Rule 77(d), pertinent part: that Corretti, court's order). t h e summary i t sjurisdiction 60(b), of the entry of f o r the p l a i n t i f f plaintiff filed court purported to grant t h e summary In i n favor the p l a i n t i f f of notice (quoting t r i a l reentered The judgment The t r i a l to set aside concern facts months l a t e r , to set aside that and the appeal c o u r t e n t e r e d a summary j u d g m e n t t h e summary j u d g m e n t . motion because from those i n v o l v e d i n the p r e s e n t case. the defendants. a motion appeal procedural indistinguishable of this v . P e t e W i l s o n R o o f i n g C o . , 507 S o . 2 d 408 ( A l a . involved Corretti, over in motu, 2100382 authorize the court to r e l i e v e a party f o r f a i l u r e to appeal w i t h i n the time allowed, e x c e p t t h a t upon a showing of excusable n e g l e c t b a s e d on a f a i l u r e o f t h e p a r t y t o l e a r n of the e n t r y of the judgment or o r d e r t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t i n a n y a c t i o n may e x t e n d t h e t i m e f o r a p p e a l n o t e x c e e d i n g 30 d a y s from t h e e x p i r a t i o n of the o r i g i n a l time now p r o v i d e d f o r a p p e a l s i n c i v i l a c t i o n s . ' "Rule 60(b), A l a . R. C i v . P., cannot be s u b s t i t u t e d f o r t h e e x c l u s i v e remedy p r o v i d e d by R u l e 7 7 ( d ) a n d t h e r e b y u s e d as a method t o e x t e n d the time within which to appeal. Cockrell v. W o r l d ' s F i n e s t C h o c o l a t e C o . , 349 S o . 2 d 1 1 1 7 , 1 1 1 9 ( A l a . 1 9 7 7 ) ; s e e H a y d e n v . H a r r i s , 437 S o . 2 d 1 2 8 3 , 1287 ( A l a . 1983). " R u l e 7 7 ( d ) , A l a . R. C i v . P., c o n t r o l s t h i s c a s e and p r e v e n t s t h e l a c k o f n o t i c e o f t h e e n t r y o f an a p p e a l a b l e o r d e r or judgment from b e i n g a ground f o r a Rule 60(b) motion. ... This Court looks to s u b s t a n c e and n o t form i n d e t e r m i n i n g t h e n a t u r e o f a motion, s e e Ex p a r t e L a n g , 500 S o . 2 d 3 ( A l a . 1 9 8 6 ) ; e v e n s o , t r e a t i n g h i s R u l e 6 0 ( b ) m o t i o n as a motion f o r r e l i e f under Rule 77(d) would not h e l p Corretti, because the trial court has no j u r i s d i c t i o n o f a R u l e 7 7 ( d ) m o t i o n f i l e d more t h a n 72 d a y s ( i . e . , 42 d a y s f o r a p p e a l , R u l e 4, A l a . R. A p p . P., p l u s 30 d a y s u n d e r R u l e 7 7 ( d ) , a s e x t e n d e d b y R u l e 6 ( a ) , A l a . R. C i v . P., when t h e f i n a l d a y i s a S a t u r d a y , Sunday, o r ' l e g a l h o l i d a y ' ) a f t e r t h e entry of an appealable order or judgment. C e r t a i n l y , i t h a s no j u r i s d i c t i o n o f t h e m o t i o n i n t h i s c a s e , w h i c h was f i l e d 617 d a y s a f t e r s u c h a judgment." Id. In 60(b) the present motion case, the sole basis t o s e t a s i d e t h e summary 5 of McGuire's j u d g m e n t was Rule a lack of 2100382 notice of the entry controlled Id. by Rule 77(d), ("'[T]he ground Ireland [844,] A l a . R. [(Ala. plaintiffs court's after jurisdiction Corretti, entry C i v . P., than judgment. on of four Thus, December and to without jurisdiction McGuire's set aside the motion notify The summary the entry court was the summary trial the trial 72 days judgment. h i s motion of the without So. 2d summary jurisdiction to grant judgment, McGuire's and i t was w h e n , on D e c e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 0 , i t p u r p o r t e d trial to to expired after 2010, i t p u r p o r t e d t h e summary Because 2010, P.' predicated case."). motion Civ. the McGuire d i d not f i l e months 2, failure i s not 719 60(b) r e l i e f i n this 29, Co.,] Therefore, such June the t r i a l motion reenter the any was 60(b). office A l a . R. Distrib. clerk's over not Rule the clerk's Rule order h i s motion 891 S o . 2 d 3 0 5 , 309 ( A l a . 1998)]. 507 S o . 2 d a t 4 0 9 . more when, circuit Thus, 60(b), Alabama granted of the court's the until the Rule C i v . App. not have upon from under [v. P i g g l y Wiggly could solely lack of notice for relief 845 court to judgment. See a l s o A l t m a y e r v . S t r e m m e l , 2004) a of that judgment. court set lacked aside 6 the jurisdiction summary to judgment, grant and 2100382 because McGuire entry of the summary judgment, we i n this case. due t o b e , a n d i s h e r e b y , APPEAL h i s appeal within i s lacking jurisdiction is d i d not f i l e conclude 42 d a y s o f t h e that As a r e s u l t , appellate the appeal dismissed. DISMISSED. Pittman, Bryan, Thomas, and Moore, J J . , c o n c u r . 7

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