United States v. Plant

56 F.R.D. 613, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11499
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Arkansas
DecidedOctober 19, 1972
DocketCiv. A. No. 840
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 56 F.R.D. 613 (United States v. Plant) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Plant, 56 F.R.D. 613, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11499 (W.D. Ark. 1972).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

OREN HARRIS, District Judge.

In this proceeding the McAlester Fuel Company obtained a judgment against Robert D. Plant and Lorrayne Plant, his wife, in the sum of $67,864.31, plus interest from August 7, 1961, together with costs, and judgment for the same amount in the proceeding against R. N. Crabtree and Clara Crabtree, his wife, on April 11, 1963, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Hot Springs Division.

In view of the running of the ten-year period of time provided by Arkansas law, McAlester Fuel Company filed a motion to revive judgment and judgment lien on June 13, 1972, alleging that the judgment remains due and wholly unpaid; that by operation of law (Ark. Stats. 1947 Anno. Section 29-601 et seq.), the judgment lien had become dormant and the judgment should be revived. Appropriate notice of motion to revive was given to the parties, Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Plant, Mr. and Mrs. R. N. Crabtree, Attorney John L. Wilson and Attorney Boyd Tackett.

Subsequently, on June 19, 1972, the defendants, Robert D. Plant d/b/a Big Little Sand and Gravel Company, and Lorrayne Plant, his wife, filed a response to the motion to revive judgment and judgment lien denying the existence of the judgment or a judgment lien for the reason that the same had been satisfied and that there had been complete accord and satisfaction of the judgment.

In the alternative, the defendants, in their response, specifically pleads the statute of limitations and laches.

On the date of the hearing scheduled to the court in Hot Springs, Arkansas, July 11, 1972, the defendants, Robert D. Plant and Lorrayne Plant, his wife, filed first amendment to reply to motion to revive judgment and judgment lien, restating the original reply filed on June 19, 1972, and in addition alleges a counterclaim.

Specifically, the amended response alleges that Robert D. Plant is the inventor of a machine which was patented and that he assigned his patent rights to. McAlester Fuel Company in exchange for the company’s acknowledgment that the judgment on which revival is sought would be satisfied or released.

In the alternative, the first amendment pleading of the defendants allege a counterclaim that the defendant, Robert D. Plant, had been an employee of Mc-Alester Fuel Company for approximately ten years and that it was agreed that a [615]*615portion of his compensation for services as such employee, or of related and affiliated corporations, would be the company’s agreement not to enforce against him the aforesaid judgment. Furthermore, should the court determine that the aforesaid judgment has not been released and satisfied, and that McAlester Fuel Company is not legally obligated to release and satisfy said judgment, then defendants would be entitled to rescission of their assignments of patent right, or have judgment for the reasonable value of personal services rendered by the defendant, Robert D. Plant, in excess of compensation actually received by him.

The McAlester Fuel Company has filed a motion to strike paragraph 2 of the defendants’ first amendment to their response insofar as it attempts to assert a counterclaim; and to strike paragraph 5 of the defendants’ first amendment to the response for the reason that it alleges for their counterclaim a new and independent cause of action against McAlester Fuel Company. McAlester Fuel Company also includes in its motion to strike that the prayer of the response of the defendants in their first amendment be stricken wherein it seeks any relief other than the release of or satisfaction of the judgment rendered by this court to McAlester Fuel Company against Robert D. Plant and Lorrayne Plant, his wife.

Pursuant to a notice by the court, a hearing was scheduled on the pending motions. After a review of the. record and statements of counsel for the respective parties, the Court took under advisement the questions involved and by agreement of counsel briefs were to be filed. From the briefs filed by counsel and the record the Court proceeds to a determination of the motion to strike by McAlester Fuel Company.

Both parties rely on Rule 13 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for their respective contentions. McAlester Fuel Company contends that there is no pleading before the Court as defined by Rule 13, which would permit a response in the nature of a counterclaim. Counsel for both parties contend that Rule 13(a) supports their respective position through the construction placed on the language, “if it [counterclaim] arises out of the transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter of the opposing party’s claim and does not require for its adjudication the presence of third parties of whom the court cannot acquire jurisdiction”.

The issues here present a novel question. It has been held that a proceeding to revive a judgment is not a new action, but merely a notice in the original suit. Donellan Jerome, Inc. v. Trylon Metals, Inc., D.C., 270 F.Supp. 996 (1967). The question must, therefore, be decided in accordance with specific procedures regarding revival of judgments.

As pointed out in brief by counsel for McAlester Fuel Company it is the general rule of law that on a motion to revive judgment no defenses may be made in the nature of a counterclaim or setoff unless there has been an agreement to apply it on the judgment, in which event it is treated as a payment. 46 Am.Jur. 530. Generally the defenses available in motions to revive a judgment are that there is no judgment to revive, that the judgment has been paid or otherwise discharged, or that the judgment is void.

Counsel for McAlester Fuel Company candidly admits that the first amendment to the response by the defendants insofar as it alleges the existence of accord and satisfaction is proper as a defense to the motion to revive judgment. On joining of this issue it appropriately becomes a fact question.

The Court concludes that the issue on the instant motion should be determined by the application of Rule 13 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

[616]*616The identical question was considered by the district judge in the United States District Court, N.D.Illinois, Bigelow v. RKO Radio Pictures, D.C., 16 F.R.D. 15. There the plaintiffs prevailed and a decree was entered October 16, 1946. The decree imposed certain restrictions upon theatres owned or operated by defendant. Bigelow v. RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., 7 Cir., 162 F.2d 520; Bigelow v. Balaban & Katz Corp., 7 Cir., 199 F.2d 794.

In November, 1953, a period of seven years after the judgment was entered, there was a motion filed for modification of the decree. The plaintiffs filed a response and a counterclaim. They requested injunctive relief and judgment for a substantial amount.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
56 F.R.D. 613, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11499, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-plant-arwd-1972.