UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

Case No. 20-cv-23242-BLOOM/Louis

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ex rel.

SEDONA PARTNERS LLC,

Plaintiff/Relator, 

v.

ABLE MOVING & STORAGE, INC.; ARPIN

VAN LINES, INC.; CARTWRIGHT

INTERNATIONAL VAN LINES, INC.;

COLEMAN AMERICAN MOVING SERVICES,

INC.; DEWITT COMPANIES LIMITED, LLC; 

HILLDRUP COMPANINES, INC.; J.K. MOVING

& STORAGE INC.; MAYFLOWER TRANSIT,

LLC; NEW WORLD VAN LINES, INC.; 

PARAMOUNT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS;

PAXTON VAN LINES, INC.; and WESTERN

EXPRESS FORWARDING, LLC,

Defendants.

__________________________________________/

ORDER TO FILE PROOF OF SERVICE

THIS CAUSE is before the Court upon a sua sponte review of the record. Federal Rule of 

Civil Procedure 4(m) requires service of the summons and complaint to be perfected upon 

defendants within 90 days after the filing of the complaint.1In civil actions for false claims like 

the instant action, a “defendant shall not be required to respond to any complaint filed under this 

section until 20 days after the complaint is unsealed and served upon the defendant pursuant to 

Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.” 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b)(3); see also U.S. ex rel. Gallo 

v. Thor Guard, Inc., No. 3:18-cv-811-J-32MCR, 2020 WL 1248975, at *4 n.8 (M.D. Fla. Mar. 16, 

1 The 90-day timeframe does not apply to service of process upon parties in a foreign country. See Fed. R. 

Civ. P. 4(m) (“This subdivision (m) does not apply to service in a foreign country under Rule 4(f), 4(h)(2), 

or 4(j)(1), or to service of a notice under Rule 71.1(d)(3)(A).”).

Case 1:20-cv-23242-BB Document 16 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/04/2021 Page 1 of 2
Case No. 20-cv-23242-BLOOM/Louis

2

2020) (explaining that the deadline to serve a defendant in a false claims case was ninety days after 

the complaint was unsealed and plaintiffs were ordered to serve the defendant); U.S. ex rel. 

Maharaj v. Est. of Zimmerman, 427 F. Supp. 3d 625, 651 (D. Md. 2019) (“[Federal Rule of Civil 

Procedure] 4(m) applies to [False Claims Act] cases. However, because such cases initially are 

filed under seal, the 90-day clock does not start until the court unseals the complaint and orders 

service.” (citing Am. Civ. Liberties Union v. Holder, 673 F.3d 245, 251 (4th Cir. 2011))). 

The Court unsealed the Plaintiff/Relator’s Complaint in this action and ordered that the 

Defendants be served on May 4, 2021, ECF No. [10], thus generating an August 2, 2021, service 

deadline. To date, no summonses have been issued, and service has not been perfected. 

Accordingly, it is ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that Plaintiff/Relator must file 

proposed summonses by no later than June 9, 2021. Within seven (7) days of perfecting service 

upon Defendants, Plaintiff/Relator shall file proof of such service with the Court. Failure to 

effectuate service of a summons and the complaint on Defendants by the stated deadline may result 

in dismissal without prejudice and without further notice.

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Miami, Florida, on June 3, 2021.

_________________________________

BETH BLOOM

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Copies to:

Counsel of Record

Case 1:20-cv-23242-BB Document 16 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/04/2021 Page 2 of 2