Title: Pratt Capital, Inc. v. Boyett
Citation: 840 So. 2d 138
Docket Number: 1001653
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: June 28, 2002

840 So. 2d 138 (2002)
PRATT CAPITAL, INC.
v.
Thomas BOYETT and Nelda Boyett.
1001653.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
June 28, 2002.
J. Myron Smith, Prattville, for appellant.
*139 Clifford W. Cleveland and Kelly Tipton Lee of Cleveland &amp; Colley, P.C., Prattville, for appellees Thomas Boyett and Nelda Boyett.
Harry W. Gamble, Jr., of Gamble, Gamble &amp; Calame, L.L.C., Selma, for appellee The Peoples Bank &amp; Trust Company.
MADDOX, Retired Justice.
The dispositive issue presented by this appeal is whether the plaintiffs can amend the complaint to add new defendants after a certificate of judgment had already been entered against the defendant named in the original complaint, where no appeal was taken from that judgment. Because we hold that, based on the facts of this case, the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure do not permit the trial court to allow the plaintiffs to amend their complaint to add additional defendants after a certificate of judgment has been entered, we reverse the judgment of the trial court that permitted the plaintiffs to so amend their complaint, and we remand the cause to the trial court for further proceedings.
Because a statement of the facts of this case is helpful in understanding the reasons we conclude that the judgment of the trial court should be reversed, we set out those facts for a more complete understanding of what led to the original dispute between the original parties and why we conclude that the plaintiffs should not have been permitted to amend their original complaint to add Pratt Capital, Inc. ("Pratt Capital"), as a defendant. We will, however, confine our discussion to those facts and the procedural history that relate to the issue presented.
On August 27, 1999, the plaintiffs, Thomas Boyett and Nelda Boyett, individually and doing business as Prattville Roller Rink (hereinafter referred to collectively as "the Boyetts"), sued George Creel in the Autauga Circuit Court,[1] alleging breach of contract, fraud, and conversion. The Boyetts alleged that they and Creel had agreed to acquire property in Elmore County on which they planned to build an entertainment facility to be known as the Action Zone. The Boyetts alleged that they had provided $61,500 for the purchase of the property and over $80,000 for improvements. They said that Creel had agreed to provide similar amounts of cash but that he did not. They also alleged that Creel had had title to the property placed in his name only, contrary to their agreement, and that on July 19, 1999, Creel had told them that the building would not be used for the Action Zone, but would be used for a restaurant. The Boyetts alleged that Creel stated that he would return the money the Boyetts had already invested within 30 days, i.e., by August 18, 1999. When Creel did not return the money, the Boyetts sued.
On September 27, 1999, Creel filed an answer. Neither party requested a trial by jury, and on October 25, 1999, the case was set for trial on February 1, 2000.
On November 5, 1999, Creel's attorney at that time filed a motion to withdraw as counsel, alleging that Creel had not complied with the employment agreement between Creel and him. On February 1, 2000, the case was continued, apparently because Creel did not attend the trial set on that date.
On March 1, 2000, the Boyetts filed a request for admissions, a motion to shorten time, and a motion to set the case for trial.[2] On March 7, 2000, the court ordered *140 that Creel respond to the request for admissions on or before March 22, 2000.[3] On March 21, 2000, the case was set for trial on April 25, 2000, at 1:30 p.m.
On March 22, 2000, the Boyetts filed a motion to compel discovery. In their motion they alleged that Creel had failed to respond to the request for admissions. On March 22, 2000, the court ordered that Creel respond to the request for admissions on or before April 5, 2000. On March 24, 2000, the Boyetts filed a motion for a summary judgment, alleging that, based on Creel's failure to respond to the request for admissions, there was no genuine issue of material fact and they were entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.
On March 29, 2000, the Boyetts' motion for a summary judgment was set for hearing on April 25, 2000, at 9:00 a.m. On April 19, 2000, Creel, represented by attorney J. Myron Smith, apparently responded to the request for admissions,[4] but his response does not appear in the record before us. On April 22, 2000, just three days before the hearing on the motion for a summary judgment, Creel deeded the property that is the subject of this dispute to Pratt Capital; the president of Pratt Capital was Creel's attorney, J. Myron Smith. On April 25, 2000, the trial court entered a summary judgment for the Boyetts against Creel. The docket notation states, "Case called for testimony on damages. Testimony taken. Upon hearing the evidence, testimony on damages alone taken, Judgment is entered in favor of Thomas Boyett and Nelda Boyett and against George Creel in the amount of $168,767 compensatory damages plus $100,000 punitive damages plus cost of court."
On April 26, 2000, a certificate of judgment was issued. On May 25, 2000, Creel, appearing pro se, filed a motion to alter, amend, or vacate the judgment and for findings of fact. On June 6, 2000, the court denied the motion. Creel did not appeal.
On September 13, 2000, the Boyetts filed an amendment to their original complaint, attempting to add as additional parties Pratt Capital, Inc., The People's Bank &amp; Trust Co., and fictitiously named defendants A, B, C, and D. On that same day, the Boyetts also filed a motion to set aside the transfer of the property by Creel to Pratt Capital, and they asked the court to perfect and enforce a lien on the property and to order its sale. On September 14, 2000, the Boyetts filed a motion for an injunction preventing Pratt Capital and Creel from encumbering or transferring the property.[5] On September 25, 2000, the trial court set the motion for an injunction and the motion to set aside the transfer of property for a hearing on November 7, 2000, at 9:00 a.m. On October 20, 2000, Pratt Capital filed a motion to dismiss, alleging various grounds, including:
(Emphasis original.) In the motion to dismiss Pratt Capital also alleged that Pratt Capital, Inc., was improperly named as a defendant and also as a garnishee, and that the motion to set aside the transfer of property should have been filed in Elmore County, where the real property was located, rather than in Autauga County. On October 31, 2000, the trial court set the motion to dismiss for hearing on November 20, 2000, and on November 7, 2000, the trial court made the following entries on the case action summary sheet:
On January 23, 2001, the trial court made the following entry on the case action summary sheet: "Motion to set aside transfer order of 11-7-00 is set aside. No written order following that 11-7-00 entry. Pratt Capital to file answer in 20 days. Case set for 2-20-01 @ 9:00 a.m." On February 20, 2001, the trial court made the following entry to the case action summary sheet: "Motion to set aside transfer is set for trial on 3-20-01 at 9:00 a.m. Before the Court this date, Plaintiff offers to move cause to Elmore County if Defendant Pratt Capital wants to change venue to Elmore County. Case transferred to Elmore County.... Case set in Elmore 3-28-01 @ 9:00 before this Judge."
On March 29, 2001, the trial court entered the following order on the motion to set aside the transfer of property:
On April 30, 2001, Pratt Capital filed a motion to alter, amend, or vacate the judgment, which the trial court denied on May 2, 2001. Pratt Capital appealed.
Justice See, writing for the Court in Bay Lines, Inc. v. Stoughton Trailers, Inc., 838 So. 2d 1013 (Ala.2002), set out the standard of review:
838 So. 2d  at 1017-18.
Pratt Capital argues that the trial court committed reversible error by "conducting proceedings on allegations of `Amendment to Complaint' filed after the conclusion of trial and entry of judgment on the original complaint, where Plaintiffs did not move for leave to amend and Court did not grant leave to Amend Complaint, and new Defendant objected to proceedings." (Pratt Capital's brief, p. 15, emphasis original.) We agree.
It is undisputed that the trial court issued a certificate of judgment in the Boyetts' case against Creel on April 26, 2000. On May 25, 2000, Creel filed a motion to alter, amend, or vacate the judgment and for findings of fact; the trial court denied this motion on June 6, 2000.
Rule 4(a)(1), Ala. R.App. P., provides:
Because the motion to alter, amend, or vacate the judgment, filed pursuant to Rule 59, Ala. R. Civ. P., was denied on June 6, 2000, the last day Creel could have possibly filed a notice of appeal in this case was July 18, 2000.
(Emphasis added.) Clearly, a judgment is not subject to revision after all the claims of all parties have been adjudicated, absent a timely motion filed pursuant to Rules 55, 59, or 60, Ala. R. Civ. P. Although Creel, on May 25, 2000, filed a motion to alter, amend, or vacate the judgment, the court denied that motion on June 6, 2000, and Creel filed no notice of appeal. Consequently, *144 the judgment entered by the trial court in the case became final.
This case is similar to Hammond v. Realty Leasing, Inc., 351 So. 2d 893 (Ala. 1977). In that case, the trial court dismissed the plaintiff's complaint, and the plaintiff appealed to this Court. After we dismissed his appeal, the plaintiff attempted to amend his original complaint, and the trial court dismissed the petition to amend. On appeal from that denial, this Court stated:
351 So. 2d  at 895.
In Wiggins v. State Farm Fire &amp; Casualty Co., 686 So. 2d 218 (Ala.1996), the plaintiff obtained a default judgment against Chris Sanders on a complaint charging Sanders with assault and battery. After the default judgment had been entered in that case, the plaintiff attempted to add Sanders's insurance company as a defendant and force the insurance company to satisfy the default judgment pursuant to §§ 27-23-1 and -2, Ala.Code 1975. This Court held that the plaintiff could not recover against the insurance company in the action against Sanders and that to recover she would have to bring a separate action against the insurance company.
In Nichols v. Ingram Plumbing, 710 So. 2d 454, 455 (Ala.Civ.App.1998), the Court of Civil Appeals stated:
454 So. 2d  at 455-56. See also Ex parte Insurance Co. of North America, 523 So. 2d 1064 (Ala.1988)(rule on amendment of pleadings did not allow insured to amend complaint on remand after the Supreme Court had reversed the judgment against the insurer on the bad-faith count, even though the remand was without directions, where the mandate of the Supreme Court did not permit such an amendment and amounted to a final adjudication; overruling Havard v. Palmer &amp; Baker Eng'rs, Inc., 293 Ala. 301, 302 So. 2d 228 (1974)).
In this case, the Boyetts, suing individually and d/b/a Prattville Roller Rink, have attempted to amend their original complaint to add defendants after the judgment became final. All their claims against Creel had been adjudicated, and when that judgment was entered Creel was the only defendant. After the plaintiffs filed their amended complaint, Pratt Capital filed a motion to dismiss the complaint against it on the ground that "the amendment of the cause of action originally filed against George Creel, is improper in that such action was concluded by a judgment entered by the court on August [sic] 25, 2000," and that "[t]here has been no appeal." Pratt Capital further averred that "[t]he attempted Amendment erroneously presumes that the case remains an active viable action which is capable of amendment." The trial court denied Pratt Capital's motion to dismiss. We believe the trial court erred in allowing the plaintiffs to amend the original complaint to add additional defendants after a final judgment had been entered in the case. If the Boyetts want to set aside Creel's transfer of the real property, as may be permitted by law, they must file a separate proceeding.
The judgment of the trial court entered on April 25, 2000, in favor of the Boyetts on the original complaint was a final judgment, and no appeal was taken from that judgment. Consequently we reverse the judgment entered on plaintiffs' amended complaint, and we remand the cause to the trial court for proceedings consistent with this opinion.
This opinion was prepared by Retired Justice Hugh Maddox, sitting as a Justice of this Court pursuant to § 12-18-10(e), Ala.Code 1975.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
MOORE, C.J., and HOUSTON, LYONS, JOHNSTONE, and WOODALL, JJ., concur.
[1]  The case was later transferred to the Elmore Circuit Court.
[2]  The Boyetts had filed a motion to shorten time on January 19, 2000, asking that the court shorten the time to respond to interrogatories from 30 days to 5 days. On January 21, 2000, the court granted the Boyetts' motion. The record before us does not contain a copy of the interrogatories. See Rule 10, Ala. R.App. P.
[3]  The order stated: "[T]he Defendant is required to respond to Plaintiffs' Request for Admissions within fifteen (15) days from the date of this Order or unless the original time to respond of thirty (30) days comes first, whichever is shorter, with the applicable Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure to apply." Because the request for admissions was filed on March 1, 2000, the 15-day period was the shorter period, and Creel was due to respond to the request for admissions on or before March 22, 2000.
[4]  An entry on the case action summary sheet shows this fact.
[5]  We note that Creel had transferred his interest in the property to Pratt Capital on April 22, 2000.