Pursuant to 5thC ir. R . 47 .5, the court has determined that this opinion should not * be publishe d an d is not precedent except under the limited circu mstance s set forthin 5th Cir. R . 47 .5.4. 

### INTHE UNI TED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHE FIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 09- 30043 Su m m ar y Cal endar

ALFRED SEARLS Pl ai nt i f f

- Appe l l ant v. I N SURE C O A G E N C YA N D I N SURA N CE SERVI CES; AM ERI CAN SECUR I TY I NSURANCE CO D efen da n t s- A pp el l ees

A pp ealf

rom t h e U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt f o rt he Eas t e r n D i s t r i c to f Loui s i ana U SD C N o. 2: 07- C V

- 4250

B ef ore K IN G , D E N N IS, an d O W E N , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R I A M: * A l f r ed Sear l s appeal s t he di st r i c tcour t ’ s di sm i ss alof hi s pro per t y- dam age i n suran ce c om pl ai n t
. T h e di st ri ctcourtgran t ed su m m ary j u dg m en tagainst S earl s because h e fai l ed to sue the defenda n tA m eri can Secu ri t y Insuran ce C o. (“A S I ” ) w it h in th e s t a t u t e o f l im it a t io n s . W e A F F I R M th e d is t r ic tc o u r t ’s j u dg m en tf

or t h e sam e reasons. Pl ai nt i f f f i l ed hi s c om pl ai nti n t he di st r i c tc our ton Au gust22, 2007. United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D Jul y 2, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkTh ere isno di sp uteth at I n surecoh a s anoff ic e at the Oran ge, C aliforniaa ddre ss. 1 D es pi t e num er ous oppo r t uni t i es t o s erve t he def endant s- appel l ee s w i t hi n 120 d a y s , i

. e. , by D ec em ber20, 2007, t he pl ai nt i f f fai l ed t o do s o. O n D ec em ber14, 2007, t he C our tor der ed t he pl ai nt i f f t o a ppearbe f

or e t he c our ton Ja nuary 16 , 2008 and s how c ause w hy t he c as e sho ul d not be di sm i ss ed f or fai l ure t o s erve t he de fe nda nt s . The pl ai nt i f f di d no tm ak e a n a ppe ar anc e on J anua r y 16 a nd t he di st r i c tc our tdi sm i ss ed t he c om p l a i ntw i t houtpr ej udi c e o n January 1 6, 2008 f o rfai l ur e t o pr o s e c ut e pur s uantt o Fe de r alRul e o f Ci vi lPr o c e dur e 41(b) a nd t he U n i f orm L ocalR u l e of the U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt s f or the E aster n , M i dd l e,
a n d W e ste rn D istr icts of L o u isia n a 4 1 .3E

. O n J a n u a ry2 7 , 2 0 0 8 , th e p la in tiff f i l e d am o t i o n f

o rr e c o ns i de r at i o n. The di s t r i ctcour tg r ant e d t he m o t i o n b ut ordered the pl ai n t i f

f to “f i l e ev i den ce of

servi ce of

process on d efen da n tno l ater t han Thur s da y, Apr i l1 0, 2 00 8. Fai l ur e t o do s o w i l lr e s ul ti n t he di s m i s s alo f t he

. . . cas e.” S ea rl s m a d e tw o a ttem p ts t o com p l y w i th the distri ct cou rt’ s ord er. F i rst, Se ar l s f i l e d i nt o t he r e c o r d a n e xe c ut e d r e t ur n o f s e r vi c e upo n I ns ur e c o , s ho w i ng t h at t h e sum m on s and com pl ai n tha d been del ivered byexpress m ai l t o a post
o ffic e b o xa d d r e s s in D a lla s , T e x a s o n A p r il 2 , 2 0 0 8 . O n A p r i l1 6 , 2 0 0 8 , S e a r ls f i l e d i nt o t he r e c o r d a no t he re xe c ut e d r e t ur n o f se r vi c e uponI ns ur e c o , s ho w i ng t hatt he s um m ons and c om pl ai nthad bee n del ivere d by c er t i f i ed m ai lt o a n ad dr e s s i n O r ang e , Cal i f o r ni a o n Apr i l 11 , 20 08
. I ns ur e c o t i m e l y ans w e r e d t he 1
com pl ai n ton M ay 29 , 200 8. Sea rl s t h en f i l ed an am en ded com pl ai n ton O ct ober 1, 200 8, w h i ch sub st i t u t ed A S I f or A B C Insuran ce C om pa n y, a pl aceh ol der used i n t he or i gi nalco m pl ai ntfo ran unkno w n i ns ur anc e co m pa ny. A SI a ns w e r e d t he
am e nde d c o m pl ai nto n Oct o be r3 1, 2 00 8. H o w e ve r , i ti s und i s put e d t hatt he
s t at ut e o f

l i m i t at i o ns f

o rt he pl ai nt i f

f ’ s a c t i o n r an o n Se pt e m be r1 , 2 00 7. The
am en d ed com pl ai n tw as t h eref ore f i l ed thi rt een m on t h s af t er t h e st atute of3

lim ita tio n s h a d a lr e a d yru n . S e a r ls co n te n d s th a t t h e a m e n d edcom p l a i n t s h o u ld rel ate back t o t h e ti m el y- f i l ed ori gi n alcom pl ai n tpu rsuan tt o F ederalR u l e of C iv il P r o c e d u r e 1 5 . U n d e rR u le 1 5 (c )(C ): A n am endm en t to a pl eadi ng r el at es bac k t o t he dat e o f t he o r i gi nal p le a d in gw h e n . . . (C ) th e a m en d m en t cha n ge s th e p a rty o r t h e n a m i n g o f th e p a rty ag ai ns tw ho m a c l ai m i s as s e r t e d, i f Rul e 15 (c ) ( 1) ( B) i s s at i s f i e d a nd i f, w i t hi n t he per i o d pr o vi de d byR ul e 4( m ) fo rse r vi ng t he s um m o ns a n d co m p la in t, th e p a r tyto b e b r o u g h t in b ya m e n d m e n t: (i) r ec eived suc h not i c e o f t he ac t i on t hati tw i l lnotbe pr ej udi c e d i n de fe ndi ng o n t he m e r i t s ; a nd (i i) knew or sho ul d have know n t hatt he ac t i on w oul d have be e n b r o ugh ta gain s ti t , b utf o ra m i s t ak e c o nc e r ni ng t he p r o p e rp a r ty ' s id e n tit y . B eca u se S ea rl s ap p ea l s on l y th e d i sm i ssa lof h i s cl a i m s a ga i n st A S I on statu te of l i m i t ati on s groun ds, t h e pert i n en ti ssue i n this a pp ealis w h et h er A S I received not i c e o f

t he ac t i on o r“ knew or sho ul d have know n t hat t he ac t i on w oul d have b e e n b r o u g h t a g a in s t it , b u t fo r a m is t a k e c o n c e r n in g t h e p r o p e r p a r t y ’s i den t i t y. ” O n app eal , Sea rl s c on t en ds t h a t A S I received noti ce of t h e act i on
w ith in th e R u le 4 (m ) tim e p e r io d , i

. e. , by A pril10, 2008, be c ause I nsur eco had
r e c e ive d no t i c e o f

the act i o n wi t hi n t he Rul e 4 ( m ) t i m e pe r i o d a nd ASI a nd In su reco sh a re a n “i d en ti ty of i n teres t. ” S ee Ja cobson v. Pol i ce Of f i cerO sborne, 133 F. 3d 315, 320 ( 5t h C i r . 1998) ( “ [ O ] ur cou rt w i l li nfernot i c e if t her e i s an i d en ti ty of i n teres t betw ee n the origi n a lde fen d a n t an dth e d efen d a n t so u gh t t o be a dde d o rs ubs t i t ut e d. ” )

. Bef o r e w e c an r e ac h t he q ue s t i o n o f w he t he rASI a nd Insureco sh are a n “ i den t i t y of i n t erest , ” w e m u stf

i rstdeci de i f

t h e di st ri ctcourt proper l y c o nc l ude d i n s um m ar y j udg m e ntt hatI ns ur e c o di d no tr e c e ive not i ce
o f th e a c tio n w ith in th e R u le 4 (m ) tim e p e r io d

. T h e courtrevi ew s d e n o v o t he di str i ct cou rt' s aw a rd of su m m a ryj u d gm en t. SeeI n reK at r i na CanalB r e ache s Li t ig. , 4 95 F. 3d1 91 , 2 05 ( 5t h Ci r . 2 00 7)

. “ The4

j udg m e nts o ugh ts ho ul d b e r e nde r e d if t he pl e adi n gs, t he di s c o ve r y and di s c l o s ur e m at e r i al s on fi l e , a nd a ny af f i da vi t s s ho w t hatt he r e i s no g e nui ne i ssue as t o an y m ater i alfactan d that t h e m ovan ti s entitled to ju dg m en tas a
m a tter of l a w . ” F ED
. R. C IV
. P. 5 6(c )

. The c o ur t“ vi e w [ s ] al le vi de nc e i n t he l i ght
m o s t fa v o r a b le to th e n o n m o v in gp a r tya n dd r a w [s ] a ll re a s o n a b le in fe r e n c e s in th a t pa rty’ s fa vo r. ” I n reK at r i na CanalB r e ache s Li t ig. , 49 5 F

. 3 da t 2 0 5 -06
. “A g e n u in e is s u e o f m a te r ia l fa c t ex is ts ‘ if th e e v id e n c e is s u c h th a t a r e a s o n a b le j u rycou l d retu rn a v erd i ct f or th e n on -m ov i n g p a rty.’” I d. a t2 06 ( quo t i ng A n d ers on v. L i berty L obby, I n c. , 4 7 7 U .S

. 2 4 2 , 2 4 8 (19 8 6 )). O n a p p e a l , Sea rl s f

ocuses sol el y on hi s executed ret u rn of servi ce upon I nsu reco sho w i ng t hatt he s um m ons and c om pl ai nthad bee n del iver ed by expr es s m a i lto a p ost of f i c e b ox addre ss i n D al l as , Texas on Apri l2, 2008 as
e v id e n c e th a t I n s u r e c o h a d r e c e iv e d n o tic e w ith in th e R u le 4 (m ) tim e -p e r io d . A pe r s o n na m e d “ R. Es t e s ” s i g ne dt he r e c e i p to f d e l iv e r ya ndt he r e by
ac kno w l e dg e d t i m e l y de l ive r y t o t hatpo s tof f i c e b o x ad dr e s s . I n r e s po ns e , t he defenda n t s s u b m itted an af f i da vi tf rom Sy lvi a T aylor , an I n sureco em pl oyee, wh o s t a t e d t h a t“ I n s u r e c o d o e s n o th a v e of f i c e s i n Da l l a s , T e x a s ” a n dt h a t“ R. E st es” i s not an I n sureco em pl oyee. T ayloral so s t ated t h at I n sureco di d n ot
r ec eive t he A pril2 l et t erunt i lc ounse lpr es ent ed i tforr evi ew i n D ec em ber , 2008. I n a d d i t i o n , S e a r l s a d mi t s t h a to n Ma r c h 2 6 , 2 0 0 8 , h e h a ds e n tt h e s a me d ocu m e n ts to th e D a l l a s ad d ress bu t ha dn ot rece ive da re tu rn -receipt. B oth par t i es al so hi ghl i ghtt he fac tt hatt he pl ai n ti ff h ad s enta l et t ert o t he D al l as ad dress i n 200 6, w h i ch eventuall y m ad e i t s w ay to A S I som e f i f t een day s l ater
. W e a gr e e w i t h t he di s t r i c tc o ur tt hat , b as e d o n t he r e c o r d b e f o r e us , t he r e i s no g e n u in e d is p u te co n c e r n in ga n e c e s s a r ya n dm a te r ia l fa c t t o e s ta b lis h tim e ly servi ce - - t h at Insureco ow n s or can be f ou n d at t h e D al l as, T exas post- of f i ce box5

addre ss . Th er e i s no e vi denc e t hatany o f f i c erorage ntf

r om In su reco coul d be
s e r v e d a t t h e a d d r e s s . F ED
. R. C IV
. P. 4(h) ( 1) ( B)

. Se ar l s ’e vi de nc e o nl y s ho w s t he
s im p le fa c t t h a t a “R . E s te s ” is r e c e iv in gm a il a t th e p o s t-o ffic e b o xa n dth a t m a il is so m e tim e s b e la te d ly fo rw a rd e dto In su re co a n d A S I. S e a rls d o e s n o t id e n tify anyr e c o r d e vi de nc e f r o m w hi c h we c an r e as o nab l y i nfe rt hatI ns ur e c o o w ns t he D a lla s , T e x a s p o s t-o ffic e b o xo rth a t R

. E s te s is a n In s u r e c o e m p lo y e e , e s p e c ia lly in lig h t o f th e u n r e b u tt e d co n tr a r ye v id e n c e fr o m S y lv ia T a y lo r .

W e t her ef

or e AF FIR M t he di st r i c tc our t ’ s r ul i ng.