Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-almd-2_05-cv-00290/USCOURTS-almd-2_05-cv-00290-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Cynthia G. Dennison
Defendant
Cynthia G. Frederick
Defendant
United States of America
Plaintiff

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

NORTHERN DIVISION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )

 )

Plaintiff, )

 )

vs. ) CIVIL ACTION NO. 2:05cv290-A

 ) WO

CYNTHIA G. FREDERICK, a/k/a )

CYNTHIA G. DENNISON, )

 )

Defendant. )

ORDER

This case is before the court on the Defendant’s Motion to Set Aside Default Judgment

(Doc. #9), and the Plaintiff’s response thereto (Doc. #11).

It appears to the court from the documents presented that the Defendant received copies

of the Summons and Complaint by certified mail on April 2, 2005, that the return receipt card

was received in the clerk’s office on April 4, 2005, and that on April 11, 2005, the Defendant

sent a letter to the Assistant U. S. Attorney disputing certain aspects of the Plaintiff’s claim. A

copy of this letter was stamped received in the office of the Clerk of Court on April 13, 2005,

and by the U. S. Attorney on April 14, 2005, well within the time required for the Defendant to

file an answer to the Complaint. The court is satisfied that the Defendant, acting without

counsel, was under the impression that this letter was sufficient to respond to the Complaint as

required by the language of the summons. Therefore, since the letter was timely received in the

office of the clerk of this court, although it was not docketed as an answer, the court finds that

the action of the Defendant is a sufficient “other reason justifying relief from the operation of

Case 2:05-cv-00290-WHA-SRW Document 12 Filed 05/18/05 Page 1 of 2
judgment,” pursuant to Rule 60(b)(6), Fed.R.Civ.P. Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED as

follows:

1. The Motion to Set Aside Default Judgment is GRANTED, and the Default and

Default Judgment entered in this case on April 28, 2005, are VACATED and SET ASIDE.

2. The Defendant is given until May 27, 2005, to file, through her attorney, a formal

Answer to the Complaint.

DONE this 18th day of May, 2005.

/s/ W. Harold Albritton 

W. HAROLD ALBRITTON

SENIOR UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 2:05-cv-00290-WHA-SRW Document 12 Filed 05/18/05 Page 2 of 2