Powers v. DISTRICT COURT OF TULSA COUNTY

2009 OK 91, 227 P.3d 1060, 2009 WL 4611440
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 29, 2009
Docket105,611, 106,432
StatusPublished
Cited by70 cases

This text of 2009 OK 91 (Powers v. DISTRICT COURT OF TULSA COUNTY) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Powers v. DISTRICT COURT OF TULSA COUNTY, 2009 OK 91, 227 P.3d 1060, 2009 WL 4611440 (Okla. 2009).

Opinions

EDMONDSON, C.J.

T1 These two proceedings involve challenges to in personam jurisdiction made by a husband to the matrimonial-based claims of his wife. We adjudicate both proceedings by a single opinion without consolidation. We hold in No. 105,611 that the record presented in the extraordinary writ proceeding is insufficient to challenge the district court's order. We hold in No. 106,482 that the district court's order sustaining in personam jurisdiction over the husband is in error because (1) Husband's motion challenged the facial sufficiency of Wife's petition, as amended, and not the factual basis of in personam jurisdiction over Husband, and (2) the trial court's reliance upon facts appearing beyond the face of the pleadings is an application of an incorrect standard for testing the facial sufficiency of those pleadings.1 We deny prohibition in No. 105,611. In No. 106,482 we deny prohibition in part, and grant prohibition in part to prevent enforcement of the District Court's order and direct the trial court to provide a full and fair opportunity for the parties to present any evidence on the issue of in personam jurisdiction. We assume original jurisdiction pursuant to Okla. Const. Art. 7 § 4 to explain procedure when challenging the sufficiency of in personam jurisdiction allegations involving 48 0.8.Supp. 2004 § 601-201 of Oklahoma's version of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act.

I. No. 105,611

{ 2 Husband and Wife resided in the State of Missouri. Wife moved to Oklahoma and a few days later filed an action seeking legal separation, alimony, child support, child custody and attorney's fees.2 Two days later Husband filed an action for divorcee in Missouri. Husband was served with process in the Oklahoma proceeding but did not answer or otherwise plead within the time allowed by 12 O.S8.Supp. 2004 § 2012, and 12 0.8.2001 §§ 2026, 2027, and District Court Rule 28 [1066]*1066Wife, with notice to Husband, filed a motion for default judgment.3

T3 After the time to answer or otherwise plead, Husband filed a special appearance with a motion to dismiss challenging in per-sonam jurisdiction. The trial court held one hearing, without adjudicating the motion to dismiss, and allowed Wife time to amend her petition. The trial court then held a hearing, determined Husband was in default, declined to consider the motion to dismiss, took evi-denee on the issue of temporary support, and issued an order for temporary support. Husband then filed a motion to vacate the temporary support order and requested that the trial court consider his motion to dismiss.

T4 During a trial court hearing, discussion was had whether Husband's motion to dismiss could be considered when the trial court had not granted Husband leave to file out of time, and whether a request for such leave would waive in personam jurisdiction. Prior to expiration of the time to answer or otherwise plead, a party may request additional time pursuant to 12 O.S. 2001 § 2006(B)(1) to file a special appearance and motion to dismiss for lack of in personam jurisdiction without waiving the defense of lack of in personam jurisdiction.4 A request for extension of time pursuant to § 2006(B)(2) may be granted to file a special appearance and motion to dismiss without waiving in personam jurisdiction if the failure to act timely was the result of excusable neglect. Thus, a trial court's denial of either a § 2006(B)(1) or § 2006(B)(2) motion combined with a special appearance does not act to waive a defendant's defense of a lack of in personam jurisdiction.

15 Husband's special appearance and motion to dismiss filed after his time to answer or otherwise plead without leave of court, or having been treated by the court as timely, is a nullity and of no effect.5 Husband's untimely motion to dismiss and special appearance filed without leave of court was not an appearance, but the filing did not waive in personam jurisdiction. Husband's failure to answer or otherwise plead within the time allowed by the Pleading Code resulted in a default "judgment" for temporary child support, but did not waive his in per-sonam jurisdiction defense.6

16 Federal court opinions discussing challenges to in personam jurisdiction, both pre- and post-adoption of the Oklahoma Pleading Code, state that when a motion to dismiss for lack of in personam jurisdiction is filed "the district court must accept as true the allegations set forth in the complaint to the extent they are uncontroverted by defendant's affidavits." Ten Mile Industrial Park v. Western Plains Service Corp., 810 F.2d 1518, 1524 (10th Cir.1987).7 Prior to trial, [1067]*1067when a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction is decided on the basis of affidavits and other written materials, the plaintiff need only make a prima facie showing.8 In federal courts "If the parties present conflicting affidavits, all factual disputes are resolved in the plaintiff's favor, and the plaintiff's prima facie showing is sufficient notwithstanding the contrary presentation by the moving party."9 When an evidentiary hearing is held to resolve factual disputes relating to in person-am jurisdiction, the party asserting jurisdiction "has the burden to prove facts supporting jurisdiction by a preponderance of the evidence." Federal Deposit Ins. Corp. v. Oaklawn Apartments, 959 F.2d 170, 174 (10th Cir.1992). When facts outside of the pleadings are submitted on the issue of in personam jurisdiction, a motion to dismiss is not converted to a motion for summary judgment unless resolution of the jurisdictional question is intertwined with the merits of the cause of action.10 The attacks upon jurisdiction are thus classified as motions attacking the sufficiency of the complaint, motions which raise extra-pleading facts, and motions that contest jurisdictional facts that are intertwined with the merits of the action.11

T7 In courts of this state, a special appearance with a motion to dismiss is a proper method to challenge in personam jurisdiction.12 While every provision of District Court Rule 4 does not govern each and every motion filed in a District Court,13 Rule 4 does govern motions to dismiss for a lack of in personam jurisdiction.14 Authors have explained that a defendant challenging in per-sonam jurisdiction has an initial procedural burden to raise the facts challenging in per-sonam jurisdiction.

[1068]*1068The defendant initially has the burden of challenging the propriety of a summons, jurisdiction, or venue, but once this is done, the burden of proof shifts to the plaintiff. To satisfy the initial burden, a defendant will ordinarily need to accompany a motion to dismiss with an affidavit from either a person with knowledge of the facts, if possible, or otherwise by an attorney who states what the proof would show at a hearing.

David S. Clark & Charles W. Adams, Oklahoma Civil Pretrial Procedure Jurisdiction, Service of Process, Venue, Motions to Dismiss Under Section 2012, § 10.1, 258, 257 (1995).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

REV. DR. MITCH RANDALL v. LINDEL FIELDS
2025 OK 91 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2025)
IN RE: N.A.; STATE OF OKLAHOMA v. MALDONADO
2025 OK 22 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2025)
SANDERS v. TURN KEY HEALTH CLINICS
2025 OK 19 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2025)
Prentice v. Yocum
W.D. Oklahoma, 2023
HAMMER v. STATE
2022 OK 80 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2022)
OSBORN v. STIGER
2021 OK CIV APP 42 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 2021)
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 52 v. HOFMEISTER
2020 OK 56 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2020)
I. T. K. v. MOUNDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2019 OK 59 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2019)
WELLS v. OKLAHOMA ROOFING & SHEET METAL
2019 OK 45 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2019)
BEASON v. I. E. MILLER SERVICES, INC.
2019 OK 28 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2019)
Lind v. Barnes Tag Agency, Inc.
418 P.3d 698 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2018)
LIND v. BARNES TAG AGENCY
2018 OK 35 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2018)
DOE v. THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH U.S.A. OF TULSA
2017 OK 106 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2017)
CHANDLER v. STATE ex rel. DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY
2017 OK CIV APP 47 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 2017)
Ford v. Tulsa Public Schools
2017 OK CIV APP 55 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 2017)
Andrew v. Depani-Sparkes
2017 OK 42 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2017)
OKLAHOMA ASSOC. OF BROADCASTERS, INC. v. CITY OF NORMAN
2016 OK 119 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2016)
Marriage of Schweigert v. Schweigert
2015 OK 20 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2015)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2009 OK 91, 227 P.3d 1060, 2009 WL 4611440, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/powers-v-district-court-of-tulsa-county-okla-2009.