### IN THE CO URT OF APPEALS OF TE NNE SS EE

AT JACKSON

Nov em be r 15 , 20 11 Ses si on

DONNA F. SMITH THO MPSON v . AMERIQ UEST MO RTGAGE

COMPANY

D i r e c t A p p e a l f

r o m t h e C h a n c e r y C o u r t f o r C r o c k e t t C o u n t y

N o

. 9 4 1 5 G e o r g e R

. E l l i s , C h a n c e l l o r

N o

. W 2 0 1 1

- 0 0 5 0 1

- C O A

- R 3

- C V

- F i l e d D e c e m b e r 5

, 2 0 1 1

P l a i n t i f f f i l e d a c o m p l a i n t s e e k i n g t o s e t a s i d e t h e f o r e c l o s u r e s a l e o f h e r p r o p e r t y

. T h e t r i a l

c o u r t d i s m i s s e d t h e c a s e b a s e d o n P l a i n t i f f ’ s f a i l u r e t o e f

f e c t s e r v i c e o f p r o c e s s o n t h e

D e f e n d a n t

. W e a f

f i r m

.

T e n n

. R

. A p p

. P

. 3 a p p e a l a s o f R i g h t ; J u d g m e n t o f t h e C h a n c e r y C o u r t A f f i r m e d

a n d R e m a n d e d

D A V ID R

. F A R M E R

, J

. , d e l i v e r e d t h e o p i n i o n o f t h e C o u r t

, i n w h i c h A LA N E

. H IG H E R S

, P

. J

. ,

W

. S

. , a n d J

. S T E V E N S T A F F O R D

, J

. , j o i n e d

.

D o n n a F

. S m i t h

, P r o s e

.

M E M O R A N D U M O P I N I O N 1

T h i s a p p e a l a r i s e s f

r o m a n a c t i o n f

i l e d o n O c t o b e r 1 9

, 2 0 1 0

, b y D o n n a F

. S m i t h

T h o m p s o n ( “ M s

. T h o m p s o n ” ) a g a i n s t A m e r i q u e s t M o r t g a g e C o m p a n y ( “ A m e r i q u e s t ” ) i n

Rule 10 o f t he Ru le s of

th e Cou rt of

Appe al s of

T enn ess ee pro vides : 1

T his Cour t, wit h the con cur re nce of al l j udges par ti ci pat ing in the cas e, m ay af fi rm, re verse

or m odi fy the act ion s of the tr ia l cou rt by m emorand um opi nio n when a for m al opi nio n

woul d have no pre ced ent ia l value. Wh en a cas e is dec ide d by m emorand um opi nio n it sha ll

be des ignat ed “M EMORANDUM OPI NI ON”, sha ll not be publ is hed

, and sha ll not be ci te d

or re li ed o n f

or any re aso n i n an y unrel at ed c ase

.

1C r o c k e t t C o u n t y C h a n c e r y C o u r t

. I n h e r c o m p l a i n t

, M s

. T h o m p s o n a l l e g e d t h a t h e r

m o r t g a g e c o n t r a c t w i t h A m e r i q u e s t w a s u n r e g i s t e r e d a n d f o r g e d

. A s s u c h

, M s

. T h o m p s o n

a s k e d t h e t r i a l c o u r t t o d e c l a r e h e r m o r t g a g e c o n t r a c t n u l l a n d v o i d a n d s e t a s i d e t h e

f o r e c l o s u r e s a l e o f h e r p r o p e r t y

.

T h e t r i a l c o u r t c o n d u c t e d a s t a t u s h e a r i n g t o d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r M s

. T h o m p s o n

p r o p e r l y e f

f e c t e d s e r v i c e o f p r o c e s s o n A m e r i q u e s t

. O n F e b r u a r y 1 7

, 2 0 1 1

, t h e t r i a l c o u r t

e n t e r e d a n o r d e r d i s m i s s i n g t h e c a s e b a s e d o n M s

. T h o m p s o n ’ s f a i l u r e t o s e r v e A m e r i q u e s t

.

M s

. T h o m p s o n t i m e l y f i l e d a n o t i c e o f a p p e a l

.

I s s u e P r e s e n t e d

O n a p p e a l

, t h e s o l e i s s u e f o r o u r r e v i e w i s w h e t h e r t h e t r i a l c o u r t e r r e d i n d i s m i s s i n g

t h e a c t i o n f

o r l a c k o f s e r v i c e o f p r o c e s s

.

D i s c u s s i o n

W e b e g i n o u r d i s c u s s i o n b y n o t i n g t h a t t h e r e c o r d o n a p p e a l d o e s n o t c o n t a i n a

s t a t e m e n t o f t h e e v i d e n c e o r t r a n s c r i p t o f a n y o f t h e t r i a l c o u r t p r o c e e d i n g s

. U n d e r

T e n n e s s e e R u l e o f A p p e l l a t e P r o c e d u r e 2 4 ( b )

, “ t h e a p p e l l a n t s h a l l h a v e p r e p a r e d a t r a n s c r i p t

o f s u c h p a r t o f t h e e v i d e n c e o r p r o c e e d i n g s a s i s n e c e s s a r y t o c o n v e y a f a i r

, a c c u r a t e a n d

c o m p l e t e a c c o u n t o f w h a t t r a n s p i r e d w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h o s e i s s u e s t h a t a r e t h e b a s e s o f a p p e a l

. ”

W h e r e n o s u c h t r a n s c r i p t i s a v a i l a b l e

, “ t h e a p p e l l a n t s h a l l p r e p a r e a s t a t e m e n t o f t h e e v i d e n c e

o r p r o c e e d i n g s f

r o m t h e b e s t a v a i l a b l e m e a n s

, i n c l u d i n g t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r e c o l l e c t i o n

. T h e

s t a t e m e n t s h o u l d c o n v e y a f a i r

, a c c u r a t e a n d c o m p l e t e a c c o u n t o f w h a t t r a n s p i r e d w i t h

r e s p e c t t o t h o s e i s s u e s t h a t a r e t h e b a s e s o f a p p e a l

. ” T e n n

. R

. A p p

. P

. 2 4 ( c )

. I n t h e c a s e a t

b a r

, h o w e v e r

, M s

. T h o m p s o n f i l e d a n o t i c e p u r s u a n t t o T e n n e s s e e R u l e o f A p p e l l a t e

P r o c e d u r e 2 4 ( d )

, s t a t i n g t h a t s h e w o u l d n o t b e f i l i n g a t r a n s c r i p t o r s t a t e m e n t o f t h e e v i d e n c e

.

C o n s e q u e n t l y

, “ [ i ] n t h e a b s e n c e o f a t r a n s c r i p t o r s t a t e m e n t o f t h e e v i d e n c e

, a p r e s u m p t i o n

a r i s e s t h a t t h e r e w a s s u f f i c i e n t e v i d e n c e t o s u p p o r t t h e t r i a l c o u r t ' s j u d g m e n t

. ” O r l a n d o

R e s i d e n c e

, L t d

. v

. N

a s h v i l l e L o d

g i n g C o

. , 2 1 3 S

. W

. 3 d 8 5 5

, 8 6 5 ( T e n n

. C t

. A p p

. 2 0 0 6 )

( q u o t i n g I

n r e E s t a t e o

f He n d e r s o n

, 1 2 1 S

. W

. 3 d 6 4 3

, 6 4 7 n

. 5 ( T e n n

. 2 0 0 3 ) ( c i t i n g M f r s

. C o n s o l

. S e r v

. v

. R o d e l l

, 4 2 S

. W

. 3 d 8 4 6

, 8 6 5 ( T e n n

. C t

. A p p

. 2 0 0 0 ) ) )

.

A f t e r r e v i e w i n g t h e r e c o r d

, i t a p p e a r s t h a t M s

. T h o m p s o n a t t e m p t e d t o s e r v e

A m e r i q u e s t b y s e r v i n g t h e s e c r e t a r y o f s t a t e p u r s u a n t t o R u l e 4 B o f t h e T e n n e s s e e R u l e s o f

C i v i l P r o c e d u r e

. “ [ R ] u l e 4 B ( 1 )

, i n e f f e c t

, p e r m i t s s e r v i c e o n t h e s e c r e t a r y o f s t a t e a s t h e 2

Rule 4B of

th e T enn ess ee Rule s of

Civil Pro ced ure pr ovides in par t: 2

(c ont inu ed.. .)

-2 -d e f

e n d a n t ’ s a g e n t f

o r s e r v i c e o f p r o c e s s

, w h e n e v e r i t i s c o n s t i t u t i o n a l l y p e r m i s s i b l e f o r t h e

c o u r t s o f t h e s t a t e t o e x e r c i s e p e r s o n a l j u r i s d i c t i o n o v e r t h e d e f e n d a n t

. ” R o b e r t B a n k s

, J r

.

& J u n e F

. E n t m a n

, T

e n n e s s e e C i v i l P r o c e d u r e § 2

- 5 ( b )

, a t 2

- 6 4 t o

- 6 5 ( 3 d e d

. 2 0 0 9 )

. T h e

r e c o r d c o n t a i n s a n a f

f i d a v i t a n d e n d o r s e m e n t f r o m t h e s e c r e t a r y o f s t a t e s t a t i n g t h a t c e r t i f i e d

(... con ti nue d) 2

(1) Wh ene ver the la w of thi s st at e per m it s ser vice of any pro ces s, not ic e, or demand,

upon a def

end ant out si de the te rr it ori al li m it s of thi s st at e, the sec re t a r y o f s t at e m ay be

ser ved as the agent for tha t def end ant . Service sha ll be m ade by del iveri ng to the sec re ta ry

of st at e the ori ginal and one cop y of suc h proce ss, not ic e, or dem and , duly cer ti fi ed by the

cl er k of the cou rt in whic h the sui t or act ion is pen din g or bro ught, toget her wit h the pro per

fe e. A st at ement tha t ide nti fi es the grounds for whic h ser vice on the sec re ta r y o f st at e is

app li cab le m

ust be inc lud ed.

(2) T he sec re ta ry of st at e sha ll e n d o r se the ti m e of re cei pt upon the ori ginal and

cop y and imm edi at el y sha ll pro m ptl y sen d, pos ta ge pre pai d, the cer ti fi ed cop y by re giste re d

or cer ti fi ed re tur n re cei pt m ai l to the def end ant

, al ong wit h a wri tt en not ic e tha t ser vice was

so m ade

. I f the def

end ant to be ser ved is a cor por at ion

, the sec re ta ry of st at e shal l sen d the

cop y, a lon g wi th a wri tt en not ic e t hat se rvice of th e ori ginal was m ade

, add re sse d to suc h

cor por at ion at it s re giste re d off ic e or pri nci pal off

ic e as shown in the rec ord s on fi le in the

sec re ta ry of st at e' s off

ic e or as sho wn in the off

ic ia l re gistr y of the st at e or cou ntr y in whic h

suc h cor por at ion is inc orp ora te d. I f none of the pre viousl y m ent ion ed add re sse s is avail abl e

to the sec re ta ry of st at e, ser vice m ay be m ade on any one (1) of the inc orp ora tor s a t t h e

add re ss set f

o r t h in the cha rt er

. T he sec re ta ry of st at e m ay re qui re the pla int if f or the

pla int if f' s a tt orn ey to f

urn is h t he l at te r a ddr ess

.

. . . .

(6) T he re fus al or fa il ure of a def end ant

, or the def

end ant ' s agent, to acc ept del ivery

of the re giste re d or cer ti fi ed m ai l pro vided for in sub par t (1)

, or the re fus al or fa il ure to si gn

the re tur n re cei pt, sha ll not af fe ct the valid it y of suc h ser vice; and any suc h def end ant

r e f u s i ng or fa il ing to acc ept del ivery of suc h re giste re d or cer ti fi ed m ai l sha ll be cha r ge d

wit h knowle dge of the con te nts of any pr oce ss, not ic e, o r d emand con ta ine d t her ei n.

(7) Wh en the re giste re d or cer ti fi ed m ai l re tur n re cei pt is re cei ved by the sec re ta ry

of st at e or when a def

end ant re fus es or fa il s to acc ept del ivery of the re giste re d or cer ti fi ed

m ai l and it is re tur ned to the sec re ta ry of st at e, the sec re ta ry of st at e sha ll for war d the re cei pt

o r s u c h r e f

u s e d o r unde li vered m ai l to the cl er k of the cou rt in whic h the sui t or act ion is

pen din g, toget her wit h the ori ginal pro ces s, noti ce, or demand, a cop y of the not ic e sen t to

the def end ant cor por at ion and the sec re ta ry of st a t e 's a f f i davit set ti ng for th his or her

c o mp l i a n c e wit h thi s Rule

. Upon re cei pt the re of, the cl er k sha ll cop y the af fi davit on the

rul e doc ket of the cou rt and sha ll m ar k it

, the re cei pt or re fus ed or unde li vered m ai l, and the

cop y of not ic e a s of

th e da y rece ived a nd p la ce the m in th e f il e of th e s uit or ac ti on whe re

the pro ces s and ple adi ngs ar e kept, and suc h re cei pt or re fus e d o r u n del ivere d m ai l,

af fi davit

, and cop y of not ic e sha ll be and bec om e a par t of the te chn ic al re cor d in the sui t

or act ion and th er eup on s er vice o n t he d ef end ant sha ll be complet e.

-3 -c o p i e s o f t h e s u m m o n s a n d c o m p l a i n t w e r e s e n t b y r e g i s t e r e d o r c e r t i f i e d r e t u r n

- r e c e i p t m a i l

t o A m e r i q u e s t a l o n g w i t h w r i t t e n n o t i c e t h a t s e r v i c e w a s m a d e

. T h e c e r t i f i e d m a i l w a s

r e t u r n e d t o t h e s e c r e t a r y o f s t a t e ’ s o f f i c e

, h o w e v e r

, w i t h t h e n o t a t i o n “ M O V E D L E F T N O

A D D R E S S

. ” T h e r e a f

t e r

, t h e s e c r e t a r y o f s t a t e f o r w a r d e d t h e r e t u r n e d m a i l t o t h e c l e r k o f

t h e C r o c k e t t C o u n t y C h a n c e r y C o u r t

.

A l t h o u g h t h e a f

f i d a v i t s e e m s t o c o m p o r t w i t h t h e s e c r e t a r y o f s t a t e ’ s d u t i e s u n d e r R u l e

4 B

, w e a r e u n a b l e t o c o n c l u d e t h a t M s

. T h o m p s o n p r o p e r l y s e r v e d A m e r i q u e s t

. M s

.

T h o m p s o n f

a i l s t o p r o v i d e u s w i t h a n y a r g u m e n t o r c i t a t i o n t o t h e r e c o r d t h a t w o u l d s u p p o r t

o u r r e v e r s a l o f t h e t r i a l c o u r t

. I n f a c t

, M s

. T h o m p s o n ’ s b r i e f f o c u s e s s o l e l y o n t h e m e r i t s o f

h e r c a s e a n d a s k s t h i s C o u r t t o r u l e i n h e r f a v o r d e s p i t e h e r f

a i l u r e t o p r o p e r l y s e r v e

A m e r i q u e s t

. M o r e o v e r

, u p o n t h o r o u g h r e v i e w o f t h e r e c o r d

, w e n o t e t h a t t h e a d d r e s s f o r 3

A m e r i q u e s t p r o v i d e d i n t h e s e c r e t a r y o f s t a t e ’ s a f f i d a v i t d i f

f e r s f r o m t h e m a i l i n g a d d r e s s

l i s t e d f o r A m e r i q u e s t o n t h e d e e d o f t r u s t

. I n l i g h t o f t h e s e i n c o n s i s t e n c i e s

, a n d i n t h e

a b s e n c e o f a t r a n s c r i p t o r s t a t e m e n t o f t h e e v i d e n c e

, w e a r e u n a b l e t o a d e q u a t e l y r e v i e w t h e

t r i a l c o u r t ’ s r e a s o n s f

o r r e f u s i n g t o a c c e p t M s

. T h o m p s o n ’ s a t t e m p t t o s e r v e t h e s e c r e t a r y o f

s t a t e a s a n a g e n t o f A m e r i q u e s t

. A s n o t e d a b o v e

, w h e n t h e r e c o r d o n a p p e a l d o e s n o t c o n t a i n

a t r a n s c r i p t o r s t a t e m e n t o f t h e e v i d e n c e

, w e a r e “ r e q u i r e d t o p r e s u m e t h a t t h e r e c o r d

, h a d i t

b e e n p r o p e r l y p r e s e r v e d

, w o u l d h a v e s u p p o r t e d t h e a c t i o n o f t h e t r i a l c o u r t

. ” A l l e n v

. A l l e n

,

N o

. W 2 0 1 0

- 0 0 9 2 0

- C O A

- R 3

- C V

, 2 0 1 1 W L 1 9 8 5 1 6

, a t * 3 ( T e n n

. C t

. A p p

. J a n

. 1 2

, 2 0 1 1 )

( c i t i n g R e i n h a r d t v

. N

e a l

, 2 4 1 S

. W

. 3 d 4 7 2

, 4 7 7 ( T e n n

. C t

. A p p

. 2 0 0 7 ) ; S h e r r o d v

. W i x

, 8 4 9

S

. W

. 2 d 7 8 0

, 7 8 3 ( T e n n

. C t

. A p p

. 1 9 9 2 ) )

. A c c o r d i n g l y

, w e f i n d n o e r r o r i n t h e t r i a l c o u r t ’ s

j u d g m e n t

.

C o n c l u s i o n

F o r t h e f o r e g o i n g r e a s o n s

, w e a f f i r m t h e j u d g m e n t o f t h e t r i a l c o u r t

. C o s t s o f t h i s

a p p e a l a r e t a x e d t o t h e A p p e l l a n t

, D o n n a F

. S m i t h T h o m p s o n

, f o r w h i c h e x e c u t i o n m a y i s s u e

i f n e c e s s a r y

.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ D A V I D R

. F A R M E R

, J U D G E

Addi ti ona ll y, Ms

. T hompson st at es in her bri ef tha t the tr ia l cou rt a s ke d h e r to at te m pt to ser ve 3

Am er iqu est by p ubl ic at ion

. At ora l ar gum ent

, however

, Ms

. T hompson admitt ed tha t she did no t a t t e m pt

ser vice b y publi cat ion bec aus e s he c oul d no t a ff ord to do s o at th e t ime.

-4 -