John E. Smith's Sons Co. v. Lattimer Foundry & Machine Co.

19 F.R.D. 379, 1956 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4348
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJuly 30, 1956
DocketNo. 4493
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 19 F.R.D. 379 (John E. Smith's Sons Co. v. Lattimer Foundry & Machine Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
John E. Smith's Sons Co. v. Lattimer Foundry & Machine Co., 19 F.R.D. 379, 1956 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4348 (M.D. Pa. 1956).

Opinion

JOHN W. MURPHY, Chief Judge.

In this diversity action, after a contested trial upon the merits, the jury on June 1 returned a verdict of $8,000 for the plaintiff. Judgment was entered forthwith by the Clerk.1 June 5 defendant filed a motion for a new trial.2 June 8 defendant’s counsel ex parte and without notice to plaintiff’s counsel asked and was granted permission to assign additional reasons upon receipt of a copy of the transcript of testimony, provided a copy of the transcript was ordered. June 14 plaintiff’s counsel forwarded an exemplified copy of the judgment to plaintiff and advised that defendant had not moved for a new trial. June 15 one of defendant’s counsel phoned the office of the plaintiff’s counsel and informed a secretary that he was filing a motion for a new trial, a copy of which would be sent through the mail. While defendant’s counsel had not spoken to plaintiff’s counsel about the matter he “felt” that they would not raise any objection to the delay. June 16 a copy of the motion and order was mailed and on June 17 received at the office of plaintiff’s counsel. June 28 plaintiff’s counsel moved to strike defendant’s motion for a new trial because [381]*381it was not served within the ten day period required by Rule 59(b).3

At the hearing on plaintiff’s motion on July 6 defendant’s counsel requested denial of the motion under Rule 60(b) (1, 6).4 No facts or reasons for delay were assigned, counsel merely asking the court to apply subsections (1) and (6) of Rule 60(b).5

The provision of Rule 59(b) requiring that a motion for a new trial be served not later than ten days after entry of the judgment is mandatory. Cf. Greenwood v. Greenwood, 3 Cir., 1955, 224 F.2d 318, 319. Rule 6(b) prohibits any enlargement of the time. Cf. Leishman v. Associated Wholesale Electric Co., 1943, 318 U.S. 203, at page 206, 63 S.Ct. 543, 87 L.Ed. 714 ;6 Safeway Stores, Inc., v. Coe, 1943, 78 U.S.App.D.C. 19, 136 F.2d 771, at page 775, 148 A.L.R. 782, “We think that the purpose of Rule 6(b), which forbids the court to enlarge the time for taking any action under Rule 59, was to divest the court of jurisdiction to entertain a motion * * * filed out of time.”7 Raughley v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 3 Cir., 1956, 230 F.2d 387, at page 390, “* * * 6(b) renders a court powerless to entertain such motions when, untimely made” and where the court acts, contrary to such a mandate its action “must * * * be considered as a nullity.” Id.8 Merely filing is not enough, cf. Steward v. Atlantic Refining Co., 3-Cir., 235 F.2d 570.

Here there was no stipulation or agreement of counsel for an extension of time. Even if there was it does not excuse non-compliance.9 “An agreement with opposing counsel * * * is not an acceptable reason for failure to comply with the rules * * Citizens’" Protective League, Inc., v. Clark, 1949, 85 U.S.App.D.C. 282, 178 F.2d 703, at page 704; Slater v. Peyser, 1952, 91 U.S. App.D.C. 314, 200 F.2d 360, 361; see and cf. Raughley v. Pennsylvania R. Co., supra, 230 F.2d at page 391; Orange Theatre Corp. v. Rayherstz Amusement Corp., [382]*3823 Cir., 1942, 130 F.2d 185, at pages 186, 187, * * * courtesies extended by counsel * * * although commendable as professional comity cannot be permitted to interfere with what we think the Rules require”, and see Id., 3 Cir., 1944, 139 F.2d 871, at pages 872, 873; 6 Moore’s Fed.Prac., Rev. Ed., § 59.09(1), p. 3847, footnote 28, “It is not justifiable to allow the parties, without any court supervision, to thwart that policy, when they cannot, even with court leave do so.” And see United States v. Mayer, 1914, 235 U.S. 55, at page 70, 35 S.Ct. 16, 59 L.Ed. 129.10

The authority, if any, over the protest of plaintiff’s counsel, to entertain defendant’s motion for a new trial must be found within the four comers of Rule 60(b) (1,6). See and cf. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation v. Alker, 3 Cir., 234 F.2d 113, 115, “Rule 59 provides for the ordinary motion for a new trial which must be served not later than 10 days .after the entry of judgment * * *. Subsequent relief from a judgment is authorized by Rule 60.” Certainly that -opinion, 234 F.2d at page 116, suggests the possibility of doubt as to our authority. See Id., 234 F.2d at page 116, “The ■question * * * is not whether Rule 60 (b) bars the granting of a new trial but rather whether it authorizes it. For the power of the district court to grant a new trial upon an application made more than 10 days after judgment is derived solely from that rule. It is true that clause (5) ■of Rule 60(b) authorizes such relief for the reason that it is no longer equitable that the judgment should have prospective operation and that clause (6) authorizes such relief for any reason, other than those enumerated in the five preceding clauses, justifying relief from the operation of the judgment, provided in each case that the application for relief is made within a reasonable time. * * But * * * it is clear that such an application for extraordinary relief must be fully substantiated by adequate proof and its exceptional character must be clearly established to the satisfaction of the district court before it can be granted by the court.”11 .12

“Opinion varies sharply concerning the extent to which relief should be granted from a judgment. This divergence necessarily results from a clash of the two principles that litigation must terminate within a reasonable time, but that justice must be accorded the parties.” 6 Moore, op. cit. supra, p. 4013.

“It is to be remembered * * * that the same Rule governed both default judgments and those in non-default cases, a field in which a good deal of discretion has always been exercised * * Vol. 10, Cyc. of Federal Procedure, Ch. 37, § 37.01, p. 292.

“Where timely relief is sought from a default judgment and the movant has a meritorious defense, doubt, if any, should be resolved in favor of the motion to set aside the judgment so that cases may be decided on their merits.” 7 Moore, op. cit. supra, § 60.19, p. 224; see Tozer v. Charles A. Krause Milling Co., 3 Cir., 1951, 189 F.2d 242; Peardon v. Chapman, 3 Cir., 1948, 169 F.2d 909, at page 913; Chapman v. Henry A. Dreer, Inc., D.C.E.D.Pa., 14 F.R.D. 218; Bridoux v. Eastern Air Lines, Inc., 1954, 93 U.S. [383]*383App.D.C. 369, 214 F.2d 207. “This entire field * * * is so highly discretionary and dependent upon the facts that can be marshaled in a particular case that precedents are of little value save to illustrate the. scope and extent of that discretion.” Cyc. of Federal Procedure, supra, § 37.01, p. 292.

“Piercing the veneer of phrases, the decisions disclose that federal courts have always exercised broad discretion to right obvious injustices and to give a hearing to any apparently bona fide claim or defense the failure to make or adequately present which,

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Bluebook (online)
19 F.R.D. 379, 1956 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4348, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/john-e-smiths-sons-co-v-lattimer-foundry-machine-co-pamd-1956.