Denton v. Edmiston
Denton v. Edmiston
Opinion
This is an appeal from granting of summary judgment in favor of defendants.
Plaintiffs, Marion Denton and her daughter, Debra Denton, sued defendants, Boyd and Karen Edmiston, on January 6, 1984, alleging that on January 5, 1981 defendants wrongfully attached property of plaintiffs. This action arose from a suit filed by the Edmistons against Marion Denton.
It appears that the relationship of landlord and tenant, under a lease, existed between the Edmistons and Marion Denton in 1979 and 1980, and there was an arrearage in the rent due. The Edmistons, therefore, filed suit against Marion Denton in district court for $1,400 arrearage and also sued out an attachment claiming a landlord's lien on the property located in the dwelling. According to the sheriff's return, Marion Denton had moved to Indiana and no service of process was made on her. The Edmistons then served notice by publication and on June 11, 1981 the district court entered a default judgment against Marion Denton in the sum of $1,950. No order was made concerning the attached personal property. Subsequent to the judgment, the Edmistons obtained the Dentons' personal property and sold it to satisfy the amounts due them.
The Dentons then brought suit against the Edmistons, alleging wrongful attachment of their property. To the Dentons' suit the Edmistons pleaded the three year statute of limitations. § 6-7-148, Code 1975.
The Dentons moved for a summary judgment on August 15, 1984 on their original complaint, alleging failure to give notice, failure of the district court's judgment to reflect publication, and that the personal judgment was void due to lack of personal service. On August 16, 1984 the Edmistons moved for summary judgment on the Dentons' original complaint, alleging that the Dentons' action for wrongful attachment was barred by the statute of limitations and the doctrine of res judicata, and that the attachment of the Dentons' property was proper. On August 28, 1984, after both parties had moved for summary judgment, the Dentons filed an amended complaint. In their amended complaint the Dentons sought damages against the Edmistons for conversion of their property and sought relief under rule 60 (b)(4), Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure, from the default judgment entered against them on June 11, 1981. The Edmistons then filed a supplemental motion for summary judgment, asking that the court dismiss the Dentons' action and, in particular, dismiss the Dentons' amended complaint. On January 17, 1985 the trial court denied the Dentons' motion for summary judgment and granted the Edmistons' motion.
Section
As to the aspect of the Dentons' amended complaint alleging conversion, it was error to grant the Edmistons' motion for summary judgment. "A party moving for summary judgment has the burden of clearly showing that under no discernible set of circumstances could the other party recover and that there is an absence of a genuine issue as to any material fact." Butlerv. Michigan Mutual Insurance Co.,
The Dentons' amended complaint further requested relief from the default judgment under rule 60 (b)(4). The rule 60 (b)(4) motion constitutes a collateral attack on the district court judgment, and the general rule is that a judgment cannot be the subject of a collateral attack unless such judgment is void.Monroe v. Monroe,
Therefore, the summary judgment on that aspect of the Dentons' claim for damages for wrongful attachment is hereby affirmed, and the summary judgment to that aspect of the Dentons' claim for conversion and rule 60 (b)(4) relief is hereby reversed and remanded.
The foregoing opinion was prepared by Retired Circuit Judge Robert M. Parker while serving on active duty status as a judge of this court under the provisions of section
AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART AND REMANDED.
All the Judges concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Marion Denton and Debra Denton v. Boyd Edmiston and Karen Edmiston.
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published