Case Name: Shirley K. WILLIAMS v. CLAY COUNTY, Mississippi
Court: Mississippi Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Decision Date: 2003-11-13
Citations: 861 So. 2d 953
Docket Number: No. 2002-CA-00224-SCT
Parties: Shirley K. WILLIAMS v. CLAY COUNTY, Mississippi.
Judges: SMITH, P.J., EASLEY AND CARLSON, JJ., CONCUR. GRAVES, J., DISSENTS WITHOUT SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION. McRAE, P.J., DISSENTS WITH SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION. COBB, J., DISSENTS WITH SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION JOINED BY PITTMAN, C.J. DIAZ, J., NOT PARTICIPATING.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 861
Pages: 953–984

Head Matter:
Shirley K. WILLIAMS v. CLAY COUNTY, Mississippi.
No. 2002-CA-00224-SCT.
Supreme Court of Mississippi.
Nov. 13, 2003.
Rehearing Denied Dec. 31, 2003.
Jim Waide, Tupelo, Brent Hazzard, attorneys for appellant.
Katherine S. Kerby, Columbus, attorney for appellee.

Opinion:
WALLER, Justice, for the Court.
¶ 1. Shirley K. Williams appeals the dismissal of her action for failure to state a claim on the basis that the action was time barred under the one-year statute of limitations contained in the Mississippi Tort Claims Act (MTCA). See Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-11 (Rev.2002). Williams's suit is brought under the MTCA because she injured herself when she fell down the stairs at the Clay County Courthouse. Conelud- ing that the circuit court correctly found that Williams did not timely file her suit, we affirm.
FACTS
¶2. On November 1, 1999, Shirley Williams fell down the stairs at the Clay County courthouse, tearing her pantsuit. She immediately asked to see the Chancery Clerk of Clay County, Robbie Robinson. After Robinson attended to Williams, Williams went home and did not immediately see a doctor.
¶ 3. Later that month, Williams sent Robinson a letter thanking him for his assistance after the fall. She wrote that the pantsuit she was wearing at the time of the fall was badly torn and needed replacement. Robinson forwarded a check to Williams for the amount of the pantsuit. Williams never cashed the check.
¶ 4. In early 2000, Williams noticed that her knee was still sore from the fall. Soon thereafter, she began seeing a doctor.
¶ 5. Williams had an appointment to meet with the Clay County Board of Supervisors on March 16, 2000, but all of the Board members were not present. Williams did meet with Shelton Dean, the president of the Board, and Board member Darrell Meyers. Williams told Shelton and Meyers about her injury and that she had been seeing a doctor who recommended that she see a specialist.
¶ 6. Williams phoned Robinson later that day. Robinson told her that Clay County was willing to pay any valid medical claims. He also told her he had put his insurance company on notice of Williams's claim. This conversation was confirmed via a letter to Williams's attorney, Jim Waide, on February 13, 2001.
¶ 7. Williams eventually had surgery on her knee. She filed this lawsuit against the County on January 31, 2001. Clay County filed a motion to dismiss claiming that Williams' pre-suit notice did not meet the requirements of the Tort Claims Act and did not toll the statute of limitations. The trial judge granted Clay County's motion.
STANDARD OF REVIEW
¶ 8. A motion to dismiss under Miss. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) raises an issue of law. Burgess v. City of Gulfport, 814 So.2d 149, 151 (Miss.2002) (collecting authorities). We conduct a de novo review of questions of law. Id. (citing T.M. v. Noblitt, 650 So.2d 1340, 1342 (Miss.1995)). When considering a motion to dismiss, the allegations in the complaint must be taken as true, and the motion should not be granted unless it appears beyond a reasonable doubt that the plaintiff will be unable to prove any set of facts in support of his claim. Id. at 1342.
DISCUSSION
I. WHETHER WILLIAMS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIED WITH THE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MTCA.
¶ 9. The Mississippi Torts Claim Act diminished sovereign immunity for state governmental entities. Under the Act, a plaintiff may sue a governmental entity provided the action is brought within one year of the injury and proper notice of the claim is given to the governmental entity. Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-11(3) (Rev.2002). Proper notice:
shall be in writing, and shall be delivered in person or by registered or certified United States mail. Every notice of claim shall contain a short and plain statement of the facts upon which the claim is based, including the circumstances which brought about the injury, the extent of the injury, the time and place the injury occurred, the names of all persons known to be involved, the amount of money damages sought and the residence of the person making the claim at the time of the injury and at the time of filing the notice.
Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-11(2) (Rev.2002).
¶ 10. We required strict compliance with the Act's notice requirements until we issued our opinion in Reaves ex rel. Rouse v. Randall, 729 So.2d 1237 (Miss.1998), where we held that substantial compliance was all that was needed in order to satisfy the Act's notice requirement. Later, in Carr v. Town of Shubuta, 733 So.2d 261 (Miss.1999), we provided this standard for substantial compliance:
What constitutes substantial compliance, while not a question of fact but one of law, is a fact-sensitive determination. In general, a notice that is filed within the [requisite] period, informs the municipality of the claimant's intent to make a claim and contains sufficient information which reasonable affords the municipality an opportunity to promptly investigate the claim satisfies the purpose of the statute and will be held to substantially comply with it.
Id. at 263 (emphasis added) (quoting Collier v. Prater, 544 N.E.2d 497, 498-99 (Ind.1989)). Even though substantial compliance is sufficient, "we stress that substantial compliance is not the same as, nor a substitute for, non compliance." Carr, 733 So .2d at 265.
¶ 11. Williams fell on November 1, 1999. Soon after, she wrote to Chancery Clerk Robinson as follows:
As you may remember, on November 1, 1999, while leaving the courthouse building on Court Street, I stepped in a hole at the building's exit. Losing my balance, I fell down several flight[s] of steps. I appreciate the assistance you gave in attempting to help relieve my injuries. The pants to the suit that I was wearing was also badly torn. At that time you told me that the county would pay for the damage done to my clothes. Since then I have looked for another pair of pants that would match the suit jacket. The search, however, has been to no avail. I have been told that the tear is irreparable.
I am, therefore, writing to let you know that I purchased the suit from Parisians in Alabama and paid $349.00 plus the 8% Alabama state tax ($27.92) for it. I would appreciate your assistance in helping to resolve this matter as soon as possible. You may reach me at the above address of by phone at.... I await your reply.
¶ 12. This letter by itself does not substantially comply with the notice of claim requirements of Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-11. However, on March 16, 2000, Williams spoke with two county supervisors and also spoke with Robinson. During these conversations she informed both the supervisors and Robinson of her injuries. Robinson acknowledged the conversation with Williams in a letter written to Williams's attorney:
As we discussed last evening the county has always been willing to pay any and all valid medical claims for the above referenced person. I told her as much in a March 16, 2000 phone conversation when she called me at the courthouse. Steve McKinney of Galloway, Chandler & McKinney Insurance was put on notice by me on that date, but to this date there has been no follow up by Ms. Williams or any medical bills presented.
¶ 13. We find that the written notice, along with conversations with the Board members and the Chancery Clerk, was sufficient to put Clay County on notice of the injury since it assumes the recipient, the chancery clerk, had knowledge of the incident. The Court of Appeals has interpreted the Act to require that all notice of claims be received at the same time: "Diffused, even somewhat confused notice staggered over months of contacts does not provide the certain notice required under the statute." Soileau v. Miss. Coast Coliseum, Comm'n, 730 So.2d 101, 104 (Miss.Ct.App.1998). The Soileau court also held that "[cjompliance with the obligation to deliver or send by registered mail the notice of claim is not shown by proof that the chief executive officer learned of the claim through other means." Id. at 105. See also Holmes v. Defer, 722 So.2d 624, 628 (Miss.1998) (requiring strict compliance and holding that actual knowledge is irrelevant).
¶ 14. However, Soileau and Holmes were decided while we required strict compliance with the statute. Their prece-dential effect on this issue is limited as their analysis was based on a strict interpretation of the Act.
¶ 15. In a case similar to the case sub judice, the Court of Appeals found substantial compliance with the notice requirements of the Act where a governmental official knew of the claim and the claimant had been dealing directly with the liability insurance carrier. In Overstreet v. George County School Dist., 741 So.2d 965 (Miss.Ct.App.1999), Overstreet was injured when she was struck by a school bus on September 27, 1995. She dealt directly with the school district's insurance company concerning her property damage claim. Id. at 966. She also retained an attorney for assistance with her personal injury claims. On January 4, 1996, her attorney sent notice via U.S. Mail to Shows, the superintendent of the school district. A complaint was filed on June 6,1996. On July 2,1997, The school district filed a motion to dismiss based on Overstreet's failure to comply strictly with the notice requirements of the Act. Shows claimed that he never received or saw the January 4 notice prior to July, 1997. In deposition testimony, Shows stated that he received notice of Overstreet's accident the day it occurred and also knew that Overstreet was making a property and personal injury claim which would be handled by the school district's insurance company. Id. The circuit court concluded that Overstreet did not comply with the Act's notice requirements because the notice was not delivered in person or by certified mail and the letter did not contain all of the information required by the Act. Id. at 967.
¶ 16. In applying the substantial compliance requirement of the Act, the Court of Appeals found that even though Shows had not seen the notice of claim letter, he had knowledge of Overstreet's claims. Id. at 970. "Shows knew that Overstreet had made a property damage claim for the damages to her vehicle and was aware that there was a question as to her personal injury claims." Id.
¶ 17. In the present case, Robinson, the chancery clerk, knew immediately of Williams's accident; he helped her clean her wounds. He also knew of her medical claims on March 16, 2000, which he referenced in his letter to Williams's attorney. As in Overstreet, notice was properly given applying the substantial compliance requirement.
(a) Effects of the Tolling Provisions:
¶ 18. Clay County argues that even if notice was sufficient, she is still barred by the statute of limitations. The Act, in pertinent part, provides:
(3) All actions brought under the provisions of this chapter shall be commenced within one (1) year next after the date of the tortious, wrongful or otherwise actionable conduct on which the liability phase of the action is based, and not after; provided, however, that the filing of a notice of claim as required by subsection (1) of this section shall serve to toll the statute of limitations for a period of ninety-five (95) days from the date the chief executive officer of the state agency receives the notice of claim, or for one hundred twenty (120) days from the date the chief executive officer or other statutorily designated official of a municipality, county or other political subdivision receives the notice of claim, during which time no action may be maintained by the claimant unless the claimant has received a notice of denial of claim. After the tolling period has expired, the claimant shall then have an additional ninety (90) days to file any action against the governmental entity served with proper claim notice. However, should the governmental entity deny any such claim, then the additional ninety (90) days during which the claimant may file an action shall begin to run upon the claimant's receipt of notice of denial of claim from the governmental entity.
Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-11(3) (2001).
¶ 19. Clay County argues that Williams had one year from the date of her injury, November 1, 1999, to bring her claim. After the 120-day tolling period expired, Williams had an additional 90 days to file an action. Clay County asserts that after the additional 90 days, Williams's claim was barred even if it was within the one year time period of the statute of limitations. We do not agree.
¶ 20. In Marshall v. Warren County Bd. of Supervisors, 831 So.2d 1211 (Miss.Ct.App.2002), the cause of action accrued on July 31, 1999. Warren County received notice on March 6, 2000. A complaint was filed on November 2, 2000. The circuit judge used Clay County's interpretation of the statute of limitations and reasoned that the tolling provision began on March 6, 2000, and ended on July 4, 2000. After the tolling period, Marshall had 90 additional days to file her complaint, which was barred after October 2, 2000. The Court of Appeals affirmed the circuit court's decision, but not its interpretation of the Act, stating "there is nothing to indicate that the Legislature intended to shorten the time frame for filing suit which was provided in previous versions of [the Act].... " The Marshall court examined our opinion in Roberts v. New Albany Separate School District, 813 So.2d 729 (Miss.2002), and determined that Roberts was distinguishable because the Roberts claimant
gave notice of her claim some five days before the one-year statute of limitations expired. Therefore, the court found that when calculating the time of the tolling provision, she received the bene fit of the 'full measure of the 120 day period.' In this case, Marshall filed her notice of claim nearly four months prior the expiration of the one year statute of limitations. Consequently, the 120-day tolling period expired during the one year time period. Keeping in mind that in amending Mississippi Code Annotated Section 11-46-11 (Supp.1998), the Legislature did not shorten the one year statute of limitations, we hold that the amended statute, 2002 Miss. Laws Chapter 380 (Senate Bill 3052), requires that a plaintiff received, at a minimum, ninety days to file his action following the running of the one year statute of limitations.
Marshall did not file her action until ninety-four days after the one year statute of limitations had run. The amendment to the statute requires, "[a]fter the tolling period has expired, the claimant shall then have an additional ninety (90) days to file any action against the governmental entity served with proper claim notice." 2002 Miss. Laws. Ch. 380 (S.B.3052). Giving the statute plain meaning, we must find that Marshall's action is time-barred.
Marshall, 831 So.2d at 1213.
¶21. In Roberts, we stated that the claimant was not barred by the statute of limitations when she brought suit. Roberts was injured on August 8, 1998, gave a notice of claim on August 3, 1999, and filed suit on December 6, 1999. The complaint was dismissed as untimely. On appeal, we reversed and remanded, stating that she gave notice of her claim within the one-year statute of limitations, which tolled the statute of limitations for 120 days. She was then given a 90-day period to file the suit, which she filed within. It is clear that Marshall and Roberts do not allow for Clay County's interpretation of the Act.
¶ 22. Williams interprets the statute of limitations as tolling for 120 days then resuming the counting of the one-year statute of limitations, thus giving her 485 days to file her suit from the time of her injury. She argues that once notice was given on November 15, 1999, the statute stopped running for 120 days, then resumed, barring all claims after February 28, 2001. Through this interpretation, it is arguable that a claimant has an additional 90 days after the 120 day tolling period if the governmental entity does not deny the claim within the 120 day tolling period. The result would be that a claimant has one year plus two hundred and ten days to file his or her action, or 575 days. We disagree because:
[а]ny suggestion that a claimant has one year plus 95 (or 120) days plus 90 days must overcome both the natural reading of the overall statute and the specific interpretation barrier that "the additional ninety (90) days" during which the claimant may file an action shall begin to run upon the claimant's receipt of notice of denial of claim from the governmental entity.
Burge v. Richton Mun. Separate Sch. Dist., 797 So.2d 1062, 1068 (Miss.Ct.App.2001) (Southwiek, P.J., concurring).
¶ 23. Marshall's interpretation of Roberts is correct. In Roberts, the plaintiff was given the full 120-day tolling period because notice was given within the final 120 days of the limitation period, whereas Marshall gave notice outside the final 120-day period of the limitations period. In Moore v. Memorial Hospital of Gulfport, 825 So.2d 658, 666-67 (Miss.2002), we stated that Moore's complaint was timely. The cause of action accrued on August 31, 1998. Suit was filed on December 31, 1998, and was voluntarily dismissed on May 20, 1999. Moore gave statutory notice on June 9, 1999, which was within the last 120 days of the statute of limitations. Moore then had 120 days from the date of the notice to file her complaint.
¶24. Here, the accident occurred on November 1,1999, and notice was given on November 15, 1999. The 120-day tolling period expired within the one-year statute of limitations. Williams was then entitled to a minimum of 90 days to file an action after the 120-day tolling period, which also expired before the one-year statute of limitations. When November 1, 2000, passed, so did the time for filing Williams's action.
II. WHETHER WILLIAMS SUFFERED A LATENT INJURY WHICH WOULD TOLL THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.
¶25. Williams argues that she did not know the extent of her injury or that it would require surgery until March 2000, thereby extending the statute of limitations to March 2001. Thus, Williams's second notice of claim filed on February 2, 2001, was timely. This Court has held that the discovery rule applies to Tort Claims Act actions involving latent injuries. Barnes v. Singing River Hosp. Sys., 733 So.2d 199, 204 (Miss.1999).
¶ 26. We defined the date of accrual of a personal injury action relative to the type of injury sustained in a case applying the Federal Employers' Liability Act's three-year statute of limitations:
In eases involving traumatic injury, when the symptoms are immediately manifested so that the employee is aware of the event causing the injury, the cause of action accrues upon the occurrence of the injury, regardless of whether the full extent of the disability is known at the time. By the same token, with industrial diseases, where the symptoms are not immediately manifested, the cause of action does not accrue until the employee is aware or should be aware of his condition.
Ill. Cent. Gulf R.R. v. Boardman, 431 So.2d 1126, 1128 (Miss.1983) (quoting Fletcher v. Union Pac. R.R., 621 F.2d 902 (8th Cir.1980)). We applied this very same definition in Robinson v. Singing River Hosp. Sys., 732 So.2d 204, 208 (Miss.1999), a case arising under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act wherein the plaintiff sustained burns to his calves from hot packs, because the plaintiff knew he was injured when the hot packs were applied. Here, Williams knew she was injured when she fell down the stairs. She may not have known the "full extent of the disability" when she fell, but she did know she was injured. Her injuries were not comparable to a delayed onset industrial disease. The cause of action accrued on November 1,1999, the date of the fall.
III. WHETHER CLAY COUNTY IS EQUITABLY ESTOPPED FROM ASSERTING THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.
¶ 27. Williams argues that Clay County should be equitably estopped from asserting a statute of limitations defense. Equitable estoppel can be asserted to a statute of limitations defense to avoid a serious injustice if there is inequitable conduct. Trosclair v. Miss. Dep't of Transp., 757 So.2d 178, 181 (Miss.2000). "Estoppel is action or nonaction that induces another's reliance thereon, either in the form of action or nonaction, to his or her detriment." Carr, 733 So.2d at 265 (quoting Fritsch v. St. Croix Cent. Sch. Dist., 183 Wis.2d 336, 515 N.W.2d 328 (Ct.App.1994)). For equitable estoppel to apply, there must be a representation by a party, reliance by the other party, and a change in position by the relying party. Carr, 733 So.2d at 265. Governmental entities are not immune from equitable estoppel. Id.
¶ 28. We did not apply equitable estop-pel to prevent the State from asserting a statute of limitations defense when the State was diligent in working with the claimant and made attempts to settle the claim. Miss. Dep't of Pub. Safety v. Stringer, 748 So.2d 662, 665 (Miss.1999). Stringer was in constant contact with the Department of Public Safety after his accident. Id. at 664. He was paid for his property damage, but rejected two offers to settle his other claims. Id. Stringer filed his complaint two years after the accident. Id. Addressing his equitable es-toppel argument, we stated, "[ajdditionally, while inequitable or fraudulent conduct does not have to be established to estop an assertion of an inadequate notice of claim defense, inequitable or fraudulent conduct must be established to estop a party from asserting a statute of limitations defense." Id. at 665. We also stated that equitable estoppel should not be applied liberally:
Although under certain circumstances a defendant's actions may be such that estop that defendant from claiming the protection of a statute of limitations, we do not agree that equitable estoppel should be applied so liberally as to allow a plaintiff to assert estoppel where no inequitable behavior is present. Statutes of limitations are well established in our judicial system. We have stated their purpose before as follows:
The primary purpose of statutory time limitations is to compel the exercise of a right of action within a reasonable time. These statutes are founded upon the general experience of society that valid claims will be promptly pursued and not allowed to remain neglected. They are designed to suppress assertion of false and stale claims, when evidence has been lost, memories have faded, witnesses are unavailable, or facts are incapable of production because of the lapse of time.
Accordingly, the fact that a barred claim is a just one or has the sanction of a moral obligation does not exempt it from the limitation period. These statutes of repose apply with full force to all claims and courts cannot refuse to give the statute effect merely because it seems to operate harshly in a given case. The establishment of these time boundaries is a legislative prerogative. That body has the right to fix reasonable periods within which an action shall be brought and, within its sound discretion, determine the limitation period....
Deficiencies, if such there should be, in statutes of limitation should be remedied by the legislature. It should not be the province or function of this court to intrude upon an area peculiarly within the channel of legislative action....
Stringer, 748 So.2d at 665-66 (quoting Smith v. Sneed, 638 So.2d 1252, 1263 (Miss.1994) (Hawkins, C.J., dissenting)). We found there was no allegation or evi dence the State misled or caused Stringer to believe he did not need to comply with the notice provision or statute of limitations. Id. at 667
¶ 29. Here, Robinson, the chancery clerk, told Williams that Clay County would pay for any valid medical claims. In his letter to Waide, Robinson admitted he told Williams this on March 16, 2000, but he also stated that she never presented any bills or medical claims as of that date, February 13, 2001. Robinson's conduct did not rise to the level of inequity or fraud. He told Williams that Clay County would pay a valid claim, yet Williams never presented any bills or anything indicating her expenses. Instead of bringing forth her medical bills so the county could review or pay them, she brought suit nearly fifteen months after her accident. As in Stringer, there is no allegation or evidence that Robinson misled or caused Williams to believe that she did not have to comply with the statute.
¶ 30. This claim is without merit.
CONCLUSION
¶ 31. We find that Williams substantially complied with the notice requirement of the statute, but her lawsuit was still filed outside of the statute of limitations. We also find that Robinson's actions did not rise to the level of fraud or inequity which would estop the County from asserting a statute of limitations defense. We therefore affirm the Clay County Circuit Court's dismissal of Williams' complaint as untimely filed.
¶ 32. AFFIRMED.
SMITH, P.J., EASLEY AND CARLSON, JJ., CONCUR. GRAVES, J., DISSENTS WITHOUT SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION. McRAE, P.J., DISSENTS WITH SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION. COBB, J., DISSENTS WITH SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION JOINED BY PITTMAN, C.J. DIAZ, J., NOT PARTICIPATING.
. Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-1 to -23 (Rev. 2002).
. This letter was sent after Williams filed the instant lawsuit.
. The exact dates of mailing and receipt are not known.
. Since this Court adopted the substantial compliance requirement, we have found substantial compliance in Williams v. Toliver, 759 So.2d 1195 (Miss.2000) (plaintiff placed wrong name under "the name of a person known to be involved."); Powell v. City of Pascagoula, 752 So.2d 999 (Miss.1999) (original notice letter contained all statutorily required information except plaintiff's residence address); Alexander v. Miss. Gaming Comm'n, 735 So.2d 360 (Miss.1999) (all the information required for a statutory notice of claim, except for information regarding the extent of the injury); Carr, 733 So.2d 261 (all requirements of notice provision given except the amount of damages sought, and the plaintiff's injuries were described generally).
. For purposes of this discussion we apply the 120-day provision since the present case concerns a county. We do not suggest that the statute of limitations is less than one year. The tolling provision allows the claimant up to an additional 120 days to bring suit if notice is given within the final 120 days of the one year limitation period. A claimant has, at a minimum, one year to bring suit. If a claimant files notice 30 days after the injury, and the government denies the claim 30 days later, the claimant still has one year from the date of the injury to bring suit. If a claimant files notice eleven months and twenty-nine days from the date of the injury, the statute is tolled for 120 days from that notice. After the 120-day period, the claimant has 90 days to bring suit. Should the government respond within the 120-day period, the claimant has 90 days to bring suit from the date of response.
. We note that in Carr, 733 So.2d 261, and Ferrer v. Jackson County Bd. of Supervisors, 741 So.2d 216 (Miss.1999), we found the defendants estopped from raising a notice of claim defense under the Act. We are dealing with a statute of limitations defense in the case sub judice.