Case Name: Anthony KEYES, Appellant v. Donald BERRY, Hired Trucks, Inc. and Simpson County, Mississippi, Appellees; Anthony Keyes, Appellant v. Donald Berry and Hired Trucks, Inc., Appellees
Court: Mississippi Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Decision Date: 2008-11-25
Citations: 995 So. 2d 861
Docket Number: Nos. 2007-CA-00618-COA, 2007-IA-00669-COA
Parties: Anthony KEYES, Appellant v. Donald BERRY, Hired Trucks, Inc. and Simpson County, Mississippi, Appellees, Anthony Keyes, Appellant v. Donald Berry and Hired Trucks, Inc., Appellees.
Judges: Before MYERS, P.J., IRVING and CARLTON, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 995
Pages: 861–870

Head Matter:
Anthony KEYES, Appellant v. Donald BERRY, Hired Trucks, Inc. and Simpson County, Mississippi, Appellees, Anthony Keyes, Appellant v. Donald Berry and Hired Trucks, Inc., Appellees.
Nos. 2007-CA-00618-COA, 2007-IA-00669-COA.
Court of Appeals of Mississippi.
Nov. 25, 2008.
Don H. Evans, Jackson, attorney for appellant.
Michael J. Tarlton, Joe S. Deacon, David Michael Brisolara, Gulfport, attorneys for appellees.
Before MYERS, P.J., IRVING and CARLTON, JJ.

Opinion:
CARLTON, J.,
for the Court.
¶ 1. This case comes before the Court from the order of the Circuit Court of Simpson County granting Donald Berry's and Hired Trucks, Inc.'s ("the Appellees") motions to dismiss the counterclaims made against them by Anthony Keyes in the Appellee's negligence suit filed against Keyes and his employer, Simpson County, Mississippi.
¶ 2. Anthony Keyes filed a counterclaim against Donald Berry in the Circuit Court of Simpson County for injuries he sustained as a result of a motor vehicle collision during the course and scope of his employment with Simpson County. However, Keyes failed to file an answer or other responsive pleading in the matter. The crux of the case hinges on whether the counterclaim suffices as a responsive pleading to the complaint whereby the counterclaim fails to respond to or otherwise answer the allegations of the complaint but instead merely advances Keyes claims against Berry in a comparative negligence state. The counterclaim filed by Keyes does not allege that Berry was solely at fault, fails to deny negligence on behalf of Keyes, and does not set forth any defenses to averments in Berry's complaint. See M.R.C.P. 7(a).
¶ 3. The initial answer filed by Simpson County on the case did not purport to answer on behalf of Keyes and Berry failed to effect service on Keyes. However, Keyes asserted himself into the lawsuit and made an appearance asserting his countereomplaint. When Keyes did so, in my view, he was required to assert his counterclaim or countercomplaint, as he labeled it, in a responsive pleading, in this case, an answer. M.R.C.P. 7(a). See Jeffery Jackson, Mississippi Civil Procedure, vol. 2 § 5:20 (2008).
¶4. Aggrieved, Keyes appeals and argues that the trial court erred in granting the Appellees' motions to dismiss. Because Keyes failed to assert his counterclaim in a responsive pleading, we find no error and affirm.
FACTS
¶ 5. Keyes and Berry were involved in an automobile accident. At the time, both Keyes and Berry were acting within the course and scope of their employment. Keyes was employed by Simpson County, Mississippi, and Berry was employed by Hired Trucks, Inc. Both parties received injuries from the unfortunate accident.
¶ 6. On August 9, 2004, Berry and his wife filed suit in the Circuit Court of Simpson County naming as defendants Keyes, Simpson County, and four fictitious parties. Berry properly served Simpson County, which filed an answer that did not indicate that such answer was also filed on Keyes's behalf. Keyes did not file an answer. The return of service indicated that residence service was made on Keyes's mother at Keyes's usual place of abode; however, process was never mailed to Keyes at this address. Hence, service was not perfected as against Keyes.
¶ 7. Keyes did not answer the Appellees' complaint against him. Instead, he first appeared in the action on August 11, 2006, by filing a "counter complaint" against Berry and Hired Trucks, Inc., which was not yet made a party to the action. Keyes effectuated service of process on both Berry and Hired Trucks, Inc.
¶ 8. The Appellees then moved to dismiss Keyes's counterclaims, arguing that Keyes had never been properly served; thus, "[Keyes] was never properly before the court" and/or "lacked standing" to bring the counterclaims. The Appellees also claimed that Keyes never moved for permission to file the counterclaim, and that Hired Trucks, Inc., was improperly brought into the action as a third party pursuant to Mississippi Rule of Civil Procedure 14.
¶ 9. On December 5, 2006, Keyes filed a "motion for additional time to serve defendants with process, motion for leave to amend complaint to correct and add a third party and declare the lawsuit proper or, in the alternative, motion to consolidate lawsuits." According to the Appellees, they received no notice of this motion. As evidenced in the record, the trial court granted Keyes's motion; however, none of the parties received a copy of the trial court's order.
¶ 10. On February 14, 2007, Berry requested an entry of default judgment, claiming that Keyes failed to plead, answer, or otherwise defend the action after making an appearance on August 11, 2006, when he filed the countercomplaint. On the same day, the clerk made an entry of default on the docket. Keyes filed a motion to set aside the entry of default judgment. On March 2, 2007, counsel for Simpson County entered an answer on behalf of Keyes.
¶ 11. After a hearing, the trial court granted the motions to dismiss in favor of the Appellees and dismissed Keyes's counterclaims with prejudice. The trial court reasoned that Keyes filed his counterclaims "in circumvention of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure" and "to allow Keyes' counter complaint to proceed would prejudice the parties by prolonging this litigation and the expense thereof, all in contradiction of MRCP 13 and 14."
¶ 12. Aggrieved by the trial court's ruling, Keyes now appeals to this Court.
STANDARD OF REVIEW
¶ 13. We review the trial court's grant or denial of the motions to dismiss de novo. Burleson v. Lathem, 968 So.2d 930, 932(¶ 7)(Miss.2007); Park on Lakeland, Drive, Inc., v. Spence, 941 So.2d 203, 206(¶ 5)(Miss.2005); Scaggs v. GPCH-GP, Inc., 931 So.2d 1274, 1275(¶ 6) (Miss.2006). "This Court will not disturb the findings of the trial court unless they are manifestly wrong, clearly erroneous or an erroneous legal standard was applied." Scaggs, 931 So.2d at (¶ 6)(citing Bell v. City of Bay St. Louis, 467 So.2d 657, 661 (Miss.1985)).
DISCUSSION
Whether the trial court erred in granting the motions to dismiss in favor of the Appellees.
¶ 14. Keyes argues that (1) he was not required to first seek leave of court to add Hired Trucks, Inc., as a party, and (2) even though he was never properly served with process, he voluntarily appeared in the action and had standing to file the counterclaims.
¶ 15. The Appellees argue that a counterclaim must be filed in a responsive pleading, and the trial court correctly granted their motions to dismiss for this reason. We agree and find this issue dis-positive. We therefore do not need to reach the additional issues.
¶ 16. Counterclaims are addressed under Mississippi Rule of Civil Procedure 13, which provides in part:
(a) Compulsory counterclaims. A pleading shall state as a counterclaim any claim which at the time of serving the pleading the pleader has against any opposing party if it arises out of the transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter of the opposing party's claim and does not require for its adjudication the presence of third parties over whom the court cannot acquire jurisdiction .
(b) Permissive counterclaims. A pleading may state as a counterclaim any claim against an opposing party not arising out of the transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter of the opposing party's claim.
M.R.C.P. 13(a) and (b).
¶ 17. It is beyond dispute that Keyes's counterclaims against Berry and Hired Trucks, Inc., were compulsory, as they arose out of the same transaction or occurrence as the claim against him (the automobile accident). Pursuant to Rule 13(a) a compulsory counterclaim "shall" be asserted. M.R.C.P. 13(a). A compulsory counterclaim that is not raised is waived in future actions by principles of res judicata and collateral estoppel. See Id. Therefore, Keyes's counterclaim was compulsory and was required to be raised to avoid waiver in subsequent litigation.
¶ 18. We find that Keyes, a separately named defendant who appeared in the action, had standing to assert the counterclaim against Berry. Because the counterclaim was compulsory, Keyes was not required to first seek permission from the trial court. While we agree with Keyes that he had standing to assert a compulsory counterclaim against Berry without first seeking permission from the trial court, we find that the more relevant determination is whether Keyes's attempt to assert a counterclaim without filing a responsive pleading was procedurally proper. We find that to assert a claim without filing a responsive pleading was procedurally improper.
¶ 19. As the Appellees correctly point out, "a 'counterclaim' is a claim asserted against a party opposite in a responsive pleading." Jeffrey Jackson, Mississippi Civil Procedure § 5:20 (2008) (citing M.R.C.P. 13(a) and (b)) (emphasis added). Mississippi Rule of Civil Procedure 7 addresses the pleadings allowed. Rule 7 provides in pertinent part that:
(a) Pleadings. There shall be [1] a complaint and [2] an answer; [3] a reply to a counterclaim denominated as such; [4] an answer to a cross-claim, if the answer contains a cross-claim; [5] a third-party complaint, if a person who is not an original party is summoned under the provisions of Rule 14; and [6] a third- party answer, if a third-party complaint is served. No other pleading shall he allowed, except that the court may order a reply to an answer or a third-party answer.
M.R.C.P. 7(a) (emphasis added).
¶ 20. Keyes was required to assert his counterclaim in a responsive pleading, in this case an answer. However, at the time Keyes asserted his counterclaim he had filed no answer. Hence, the averments of the complaint went unanswered. Keyes in his "counter complaint" lagged negligence on the part of Berry but failed to answer the allegations of the complaint. The countercomplaint did not allege that Berry was solely negligent and Keyes failed to deny negligence in the countercomplaint or otherwise set forth any defense. Merely setting forth an independent claim or cause of action against the other party falls short of sufficiency for answer, particularly in a comparative negligence state. Therefore, Keyes's counterclaim was not properly before the court. Accordingly, we find that the trial court did not err in granting the Appellees' motions to dismiss Keyes's counterclaims against them.
¶ 21. THE JUDGMENT OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF SIMPSON COUNTY IS AFFIRMED. ALL COSTS OF THIS APPEAL ARE ASSESSED TO THE APPELLANT.
MYERS, P.J., IRVING, CHANDLER AND ROBERTS, JJ" CONCUR. GRIFFIS, J., DISSENTS WITH SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION JOINED BY LEE, P.J., BARNES AND ISHEE, JJ., KING, C.J., JOINS IN PART.
. A panel of supreme court justices granted Keyes's petition for interlocutory appeal on May 23, 2007. All proceedings in the circuit court regarding the above parties were stayed pending the outcome of the interlocutory appeal.