Bang v. Pittman

749 So. 2d 47, 1999 WL 695915
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 9, 1999
Docket97-CA-01551-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by45 cases

This text of 749 So. 2d 47 (Bang v. Pittman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bang v. Pittman, 749 So. 2d 47, 1999 WL 695915 (Mich. 1999).

Opinion

749 So.2d 47 (1999)

Ira BANG, Sr.
v.
John S. PITTMAN, D.D.S.

No. 97-CA-01551-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

September 9, 1999.

*48 Robert G. Germany, Jackson, Attorney for Appellant.

Joe R. Colingo, Stephen Walker Burrow, Pascagoula, Attorneys for Appellee.

EN BANC.

*49 PITTMAN, Presiding Justice, for the Court:

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

¶ 1. This is an appeal from orders of the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Mississippi, which (1) dismissed this civil action without prejudice because Bang failed to show good cause for his failure to serve the defendant with the summons and complaint within 120 days of the filing of the complaint as required by M.R.C.P. 4(h) and (2) refused to set aside that dismissal under M.R.C.P. 59(e). A complaint alleging medical malpractice was filed by Ira Bang, Sr., (hereinafter "Bang") and his wife, Anna Bang, against Singing River Hospital and John S. Pittman, D.D.S. (hereinafter "Pittman"), on October 25, 1996. Anna Bang was dismissed as a plaintiff. A motion for additional time to serve process was filed on February 21, 1997. On February 25, 1997, a notice of dismissal as to Singing River Hospital was filed.

¶ 2. Pittman filed a motion to dismiss and objection to the motion for additional time to serve process on March 4, 1997. The trial court entered its order dismissing this action without prejudice on June 12, 1997, finding that Bang had failed to obtain an order prior to the expiration of the 120 days to show cause why additional time was needed to serve Pittman. The trial court also found that Bang failed to serve Pittman during the 120 day period from the filing of the complaint and that Bang had failed to provide the court with good cause for the failure to serve Pittman timely.

¶ 3. Bang filed a motion to set aside the order of dismissal on June 19, 1997. Bang also filed an affidavit in support of his motion for additional time to serve process, allegedly showing good cause why Pittman was not served within the 120 day period. Pittman filed a response to the motion on July 3, 1997.

¶ 4. The trial court denied Bang's motion to set aside the order of dismissal on October 30, 1997. Bang appealed to this Court on November 26, 1997. Finding no abuse of discretion by the circuit court, we affirm.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

¶ 5. On October 25, 1996, Bang filed a complaint against Singing River Hospital and Pittman alleging medical malpractice. Bang alleged that Pittman was negligent in his examination, treatment, and care of Bang and that Singing River Hospital, through its employees, was negligent in the examination, treatment and care of Bang. Anna Bang also sued, alleging loss of consortium arising from the injuries sustained by Bang.

¶ 6. On February 21, 1997, Howard Butler (hereinafter "Butler"), Bang's process server, attempted to serve process on Pittman. In an affidavit filed with the trial court, Butler outlined the events that occurred that day. Butler called Pittman's office for the purpose of serving the summons and complaint. Butler was told Pittman was out of the office. Butler then went to Pittman's home, where no one answered the door. As Butler was leaving, a car pulled into the driveway of the Pittman home. Butler returned to the house and talked to Mrs. Pittman who offered to accept the summons and complaint. Butler refused to serve Mrs. Pittman, saying he needed to talk to Bang's lawyer first.

¶ 7. Bang's lawyer advised Butler to serve the summons and complaint on Mrs. Pittman. However, when Butler returned to the Pittman home, Mrs. Pittman refused to accept the summons and complaint.

¶ 8. Butler then called Pittman's office, where an unidentified woman told him that both Pittman and his wife were in Mobile, Alabama. Butler knew this was untrue because he had just talked to Mrs. Pittman. Butler later asked Steve Sutherland to serve Pittman.

*50 ¶ 9. On February 21, 1997, Bang filed a motion for additional time to serve process. In his motion Bang alleged that Pittman was evading service of process based on the conflicting reports Butler received from Pittman's office and Mrs. Pittman. Bang also stated that an affidavit supporting these allegations would be filed with the court prior to any hearing on the motion. However, this affidavit was not filed until June 19, 1997, well after the hearing on Pittman's motion to dismiss and after the lower court entered an order dismissing the complaint.

¶ 10. On February 25, 1997, Bang voluntarily dismissed Singing River Hospital as a party to the suit. Pittman was finally served with process on February 27, 1997, 122 days after the complaint was originally filed.

¶ 11. Pittman filed a motion to dismiss the case on March 4, 1997. His basis was the fact that the summons and complaint had been served 122 days after the filing of the complaint in direct contravention to M.R.C.P 4(h). In the alternative, Pittman objected to Bang's motion for additional time to serve process, stating that Bang had sufficient time to serve the complaint and failed to do so without good cause.

¶ 12. Pittman noticed Bang that the hearing on his complaint would be held on March 13, 1997. Bang was renoticed that the hearing had been moved to March 27, 1997, then to April 10, 1997, then to May 1, 1997, and then to May 2, 1997. At no time before the hearing did Bang follow through with the language of his motion for additional time to serve and present the affidavit he had promised.

¶ 13. On June 12, 1997, the lower court entered its order dismissing the cause without prejudice. The court specifically found that Bang "failed to obtain an Order prior to the expiration of 120 days to show cause why they needed additional time to serve Defendant, failed to serve Defendant within 120 days from the date the Complaint was filed, and further did not provide the Court with good cause for the failure to serve Defendant within the prescribed 120 day period...."

¶ 14. Bang filed a motion to set aside the order of dismissal pursuant to M.R.C.P. 59 on June 19, 1997. At the same time, Bang filed the affidavit from Butler in support of his motion for additional time to serve process. Pittman filed a response to the motion on July 3, 1997. The lower court denied Bang's motion on October 30, 1997. From this denial, Bang appeals to this Court.

STATEMENT OF ISSUES
I. WHETHER THE CIRCUIT COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN DISMISSING BANG'S CASE WHEN IT FOUND THAT BANG HAD FAILED TO ESTABLISH GOOD CAUSE FOR HIS FAILURE TO SERVE PITTMAN WITHIN THE 120 DAY PERIOD PRESCRIBED BY M.R.C.P. 4(h).
II. WHETHER THE CIRCUIT COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN REFUSING TO SET ASIDE ITS JUNE 12, 1997, ORDER OF DISMISSAL BECAUSE BANG FAILED TO SATISFY ANY GROUND FOR RELIEF UNDER M.R.C.P. 59.
DISCUSSION OF LAW
I. WHETHER THE CIRCUIT COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN DISMISSING BANG'S CASE WHEN IT FOUND THAT BANG HAD FAILED TO ESTABLISH GOOD CAUSE FOR HIS FAILURE TO SERVE PITTMAN WITHIN THE 120 DAY PERIOD PRESCRIBED BY M.R.C.P. 4(h).
II. WHETHER THE CIRCUIT COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN REFUSING TO SET ASIDE ITS JUNE 12, 1997, ORDER OF DISMISSAL BECAUSE BANG FAILED TO SATISFY *51 ANY GROUND FOR RELIEF UNDER M.R.C.P. 59.

¶ 15. Because the analysis under Issue I will also be applicable to Issue II, these will be discussed together.

¶ 16.

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Bluebook (online)
749 So. 2d 47, 1999 WL 695915, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bang-v-pittman-miss-1999.