Case Title: Wamsley v. Tree City Village

Citation: 

Docket Number: 18S-CT-502

State: indiana

Court: Indiana Supreme Court

Date: 2018-10-11T00:00:00Z

Document:
I N  T H E  
Indiana Supreme Court 
Supreme Court Case No. 18S-CT-502 
Cember Wamsley, as Personal Representative of the 
Estate of Genia Wamsley, 
Appellant (Plaintiff) 
–v– 
Tree City Village, New Generation Management, Inc., 
and Matthew Joseph, 
Appellees (Defendants) 
Argued: September 20, 2018 | Decided: October 11, 2018 
Appeal from the Decatur Superior Court, No. 16D01-1609-CT-410 
The Honorable Matthew D. Bailey, Judge 
On Petition to Transfer from the Indiana Court of Appeals, 
No. 16A01-1706-CT-1355 
Per Curiam Opinion 
All Justices concur. 
 
 
 
FILED
C L E R K
Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
and Tax Court
Oct 11 2018, 1:29 pm
Indiana Supreme Court | Case No. 18S-CT-502 | October 11, 2018 
Page 2 of 3 
Per curiam. 
Matthew Joseph accidentally discharged a firearm while cleaning it. 
The bullet passed through the wall of his apartment unit and struck Genia 
Wamsley, the occupant of the adjacent unit. Wamsley retained counsel, 
who communicated for several months with the insurer of the apartment 
complex and its management company (collectively “Landlords”). The 
insurer denied the claim, and Wamsley filed suit against Landlords and 
Joseph. The president of the management company wrote Wamsley’s 
counsel, acknowledging receipt of the complaint and pointing out a 
factual error therein. The president then placed the complaint in a file 
cabinet and did nothing further. Neither Landlords nor Wamsley’s 
counsel notified Landlords’ insurer of the complaint. 
None of the defendants timely answered the complaint, and Wamsley 
moved for and was granted an entry of default judgment. Landlords later 
retained counsel and filed motions to set aside the default judgment 
entered against them on grounds of excusable neglect. See Ind. Trial Rules 
55(C), 60(B)(1). The trial court granted Landlords’ motions following a 
hearing and later denied Wamsley’s motion to correct error. Wamsley 
appealed, and the Court of Appeals reversed.1 We now grant transfer and 
affirm the trial court.   
An appellate court reviews a trial court’s decision to set aside a default 
judgment for abuse of discretion, resolving any doubt as to the propriety 
of default judgment in favor of the defaulted party. Coslett v. Weddle Bros. 
Constr. Co., Inc., 798 N.E.2d 859, 861 (Ind. 2003). The controlling question is 
whether there exists “even slight evidence of excusable neglect.” Id. 
(quoting Security Bank & Trust Co. v. Citizens Nat’l Bank of Linton, 533 
N.E.2d 1245, 1247 (Ind. Ct. App. 1989)). 
Our deferential standard of review compels us to affirm the trial court. 
There exists evidence of excusable neglect in this case – although that 
                                                 
1 Joseph did not seek relief from the entry of default judgment against him and has not 
participated in this appeal. Following a damages hearing the trial court entered judgment 
against Joseph in the amount of $6,800,000. (Appellant’s App. Vol. 2 at 8; Appellant’s Br. at 7.) 
Indiana Supreme Court | Case No. 18S-CT-502 | October 11, 2018 
Page 3 of 3 
evidence is indeed exceedingly slight – and Landlords have made the 
requisite showing under Trial Rule 60(B)(1) of a meritorious defense. 
Accordingly, we affirm the trial court’s orders setting aside the default 
judgment against Landlords and denying Wamsley’s motion to correct 
error, and we remand this case to the trial court for further proceedings 
consistent with this opinion. 
All Justices concur. 
A TT O R N E Y F O R  A PP E LLA N T 
Thomas A. Vick 
Law Office of Thomas A. Vick 
Greenwood, Indiana 
A TT O R N E YS F O R  AP P EL L E ES T RE E CI TY  V IL LA GE  
A N D N EW  GE NE R AT I O N M A NA G EME NT , I NC .  
Lonnie D. Johnson 
Belinda R. Johnson-Hurtado 
Cheyenne N. Riker 
Clendening Johnson & Bohrer, P.C. 
Bloomington, Indiana