Klatte v. McKeand
Klatte v. McKeand
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
The appeal in this case is from an order setting aside a judgment by default. The order was made by his Honor, Judge Copes, and was granted on the ground that the respondent, Coastal Land Development Company, was not served with summons. The order also set aside .the judgment as a matter of discretion for excusable neglect.
There are seven exceptions, but the appellant reduces the questions to three as follows:
1. Did his Honor err in holding and finding that there had been no service on the defendant, Coastal Land Development Company?
*221 2. Did his Honor err in holding that the judgment by default against the Coastal Land Development Company should be vacated and set aside on the ground of excusable neglect and surprise ?
3. Did the Court of Common Pleas for Dorchester county have jurisdiction to render a judgment against the defendants ?
No Court had jurisdiction to- render judgment against the appellant as it was not served. The defendant, McKeand, has not appealed and his rights are not .before this Court.
The respondent, Coastal Land Development Company, asked to sustain the order on additional grounds.
It would not be proper to consider these questions. They have become purely academic.
The judgment appealed from is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Klatte v. McKeand.
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Service op Smmosrs — JunGiiEXT—Waiver.—There being evidence here that the party served as agent of the corporation intended' to be served was in fact not such agent, and no evidence to the contrary, the service and judgment by default were properly set aside and vacated. Request by defendant of extension of time to answer is not a waiver of no service. 2. Excusable Neglect. — Where a motion is made to set aside service of summons and to vacate judgment by default on ground- of excusable neglect, the Court should find that judgment was obtained through excusable neglect of defendant, where it sets aside the service.