Title: Ex parte Susan S. DePaola, Trustee in Bankruptcy for Clifford H. Willcutt III. PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS: CIVIL (In re: Danny Clements Builder, Inc. v. Clifford H. Willcutt III)
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 1071620
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: February 12, 2010

Rel: 02/12/10 
N o t i c e : 
T h i s 
o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e 
p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e 
advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e 
r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of 
Decisions, 
Alabama 
A p p e l l a t e 
C o u r t s , 
300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 
((334) 
2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r 
t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may be made 
b e f o r e t h e 
o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2009-2010 
1071620 
Ex p a r t e Susan S. DePaola, t r u s t e e i n 
bankruptcy f o r 
C l i f f o r d H. W i l l c u t t 
I I I 
PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS 
( I n r e : Danny Clements B u i l d e r , Inc. 
v. 
C l i f f o r d H. W i l l c u t t 
I I I ) 
(Montgomery C i r c u i t Court, CV-07-709) 
WOODALL, J u s t i c e . 
C l i f f o r d H. W i l l c u t t I I I 
p e t i t i o n e d t h i s C o u r t f o r 
a w r i t 
o f mandamus, s e e k i n g 
r e l i e f f r o m t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
d e n i a l o f 
1071620 
W i l l c u t t ' s m o t i o n s t o amend h i s a n s w e r and 
c o u n t e r c l a i m s i n 
an 
a c t i o n 
Danny C l e m e n t s 
B u i l d e r , 
I n c . 
( " C l e m e n t s 
B u i l d e r " ) , 
f i l e d 
a g a i n s t 
W i l l c u t t 
i n 
t h e M o n t g o m e r y C i r c u i t C o u r t . 
On 
S e p t e m b e r 10, 
2008, W i l l c u t t 
f i l e d 
i n t h i s C o u r t a s u g g e s t i o n 
o f b a n k r u p t c y , 
and 
on 
S e p t e m b e r 
15, 
2008, 
t h i s C o u r t 
p l a c e d 
W i l l c u t t ' s p e t i t i o n on i t s a d m i n i s t r a t i v e 
d o c k e t . 
On November 
19, 
2008, S u s a n S. D e P a o l a , as W i l l c u t t ' s b a n k r u p t c y 
t r u s t e e , 
f i l e d 
a 
n o t i c e 
o f 
s u b s t i t u t i o n 
o f 
p a r t y , 
s u b s t i t u t i n g 
t h e 
t r u s t e e 
f o r W i l l c u t t as t h e p e t i t i o n e r . D e P a o l a , as 
W i l l c u t t ' s 
t r u s t e e 
i n b a n k r u p t c y , 
now 
p u r s u e s 
W i l l c u t t ' s 
p e t i t i o n 
f o r 
mandamus r e l i e f . 
We 
deny t h e 
p e t i t i o n . 
F a c t s 
and 
P r o c e d u r a l 
H i s t o r y 
I n 
December 
2005, 
W i l l c u t t 
c o n t r a c t e d 
w i t h 
C l e m e n t s 
B u i l d e r 
f o r 
t h e 
c o n s t r u c t i o n 
o f 
a 
c o m m e r c i a l 
b u i l d i n g 
i n 
M o n t g o m e r y . 
I n M a r c h 2007, a f t e r 
c o n s t r u c t i n g 
t h e 
b u i l d i n g , 
C l e m e n t s B u i l d e r s u e d W i l l c u t t , a l l e g i n g t h a t W i l l c u t t owed i t 
a p p r o x i m a t e l y $22,000 i n u n p a i d c o n s t r u c t i o n c o s t s . 
W i l l c u t t 
a n s w e r e d t h e c o m p l a i n t and 
f i l e d s e v e r a l 
c o u n t e r c l a i m s a g a i n s t 
C l e m e n t s B u i l d e r . 
I n h i s c o u n t e r c l a i m s , W i l l c u t t a l l e g e d 
t h a t 
C l e m e n t s B u i l d e r 
( 1 ) 
had 
b e e n o v e r p a i d 
f o r 
i t s w o r k ; ( 2 ) 
had 
b r e a c h e d t h e 
c o n t r a c t by 
f a i l i n g 
t o f o l l o w 
t h e 
c o n t r a c t 
p l a n s 
2 
1071620 
w i t h r e s p e c t t o e x t e r i o r w a l l s t u d s , e l e c t r i c a l p a n e l s , 
l o u v e r 
v e n t s , 
and a d r i v e w a y ; ( 3 ) h a d f r a u d u l e n t l y 
m i s r e p r e s e n t e d 
f a c t s 
r e g a r d i n g 
t h e e l e v a t i o n o f t h e b u i l d i n g ; and ( 4 ) h a d 
f r a u d u l e n t l y m i s r e p r e s e n t e d 
f a c t s r e l a t e d t o t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n 
o f a 
f i r e p l u g . 
I n May 2007, t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t e n t e r e d a s c h e d u l i n g 
o r d e r , 
s e t t i n g t h e c a s e f o r t r i a l on November 26, 2007, and 
s t a t i n g 
t h a t d i s c o v e r y h a d t o be c o m p l e t e d b y November 5, 2007. 
On 
November 16, 2007, 
a f t e r t h e c l o s e o f d i s c o v e r y and o n l y 10 
d a y s 
b e f o r e 
t h e s c h e d u l e d 
t r i a l , 
W i l l c u t t 
f i l e d 
a " S e c o n d 
Amendment t o C o u n t e r c l a i m , " 
s e e k i n g 
l e a v e o f c o u r t t o add a 
demand f o r a t t o r n e y 
f e e s . 
T h r e e d a y s l a t e r , on November 19, 
W i l l c u t t 
f i l e d a " T h i r d Amendment t o C o u n t e r c l a i m , " 
s e e k i n g 
l e a v e 
o f 
c o u r t 
t o add a 
c l a i m 
t h a t 
C l e m e n t s 
B u i l d e r h a d 
b r e a c h e d 
t h e 
c o n t r a c t 
i n 
a n o t h e r 
manner 
b y 
i m p r o p e r l y 
i n s t a l l i n g a n c h o r b o l t s i n t h e b u i l d i n g . 
On t h a t same d a y , 
W i l l c u t t 
a l s o s o u g h t t o amend h i s a n s w e r t o add a c l a i m f o r 
a t t o r n e y 
f e e s . 
C l e m e n t s 
B u i l d e r moved 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
t o 
s t r i k e e a c h o f t h e r e q u e s t e d amendments, a r g u i n g t h a t 
W i l l c u t t 
had n o t d e m o n s t r a t e d g o o d c a u s e f o r t h e amendments and t h a t 
C l e m e n t s B u i l d e r " w o u l d be s u b s t a n t i a l l y p r e j u d i c e d i f i t i s 
3 
1071620 
f o r c e d 
t o 
d e f e n d 
new 
c l a i m s 
t h a t 
i t d i d n o t 
have 
an 
o p p o r t u n i t y 
t o 
e x p l o r e 
d u r i n g 
t h e 
d i s c o v e r y 
p r o c e s s . " 
( E m p h a s i s i n o r i g i n a l 
m o t i o n . ) 
On November 20, 2007, t h e t r i a l c o u r t c o n t i n u e d t h e 
t r i a l 
d a t e b e c a u s e o f a s c h e d u l i n g c o n f l i c t . 
On M a r c h 14, 2008, t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t h e l d a h e a r i n g on a l l t h e p e n d i n g m o t i o n s . A t t h e 
h e a r i n g , t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t 
o r a l l y d e n i e d 
W i l l c u t t ' s m o t i o n s t o 
amend h i s a n s w e r and c o u n t e r c l a i m s . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
s t a t e d 
t h a t t h e amendments were u n t i m e l y b e c a u s e d i s c o v e r y was c l o s e d 
and 
b e c a u s e 
W i l l c u t t 
knew o r s h o u l d 
h a v e known o f h i s new 
c o u n t e r c l a i m s 
f o r a t t o r n e y 
f e e s 
and 
a l l e g i n g 
b r e a c h 
o f 
c o n t r a c t w e l l i n a d v a n c e o f t h e t i m e he f i l e d h i s m o t i o n s t o 
amend. 
I n 
A p r i l 
2008, 
W i l l c u t t 
p e t i t i o n e d 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
f o r 
mandamus 
r e l i e f 
f r o m t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
r u l i n g . 
T h i s 
C o u r t 
d i s m i s s e d 
W i l l c u t t ' s 
p e t i t i o n on t h e g r o u n d 
t h a t t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s o r a l r u l i n g was n o t an " o r d e r , " u n d e r R u l e 5 8 ( a ) , 
A l a . 
R. C i v . P.
1 
On A u g u s t 19, 2008, t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t 
e n t e r e d a 
1 R u l e 
5 8 ( a ) , A l a . 
R. C i v . P., 
p r o v i d e s : 
"A j u d g e may r e n d e r an o r d e r o r a j u d g m e n t : (1) b y 
e x e c u t i n g 
a 
s e p a r a t e 
w r i t t e n 
d o c u m e n t , 
(2) 
b y 
i n c l u d i n g 
t h e 
o r d e r 
o r 
j u d g m e n t 
i n a 
j u d i c i a l 
o p i n i o n , 
(3) by e n d o r s i n g 
upon a m o t i o n t h e w o r d s 
4 
1071620 
w r i t t e n o r d e r d e n y i n g 
W i l l c u t t ' s m o t i o n s t o amend h i s a n s w e r 
and 
c o u n t e r c l a i m s . 
On 
A u g u s t 
29, 2008, 
W i l l c u t t 
a g a i n 
p e t i t i o n e d 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
f o r a w r i t o f mandamus 
d i r e c t i n g t h e 
t r i a l c o u r t t o g r a n t h i s 
m o t i o n s f o r 
l e a v e t o amend h i s 
a n s w e r 
and 
c o u n t e r c l a i m s . 
D e P a o l a , 
as 
W i l l c u t t ' s 
t r u s t e e 
i n 
b a n k r u p t c y , 
now 
p u r s u e s 
W i l l c u t t ' s 
s e c o n d 
p e t i t i o n 
f o r 
mandamus 
r e l i e f . 
We deny t h e p e t i t i o n . 
S t a n d a r d o f R e v i e w 
"Mandamus i s 
an e x t r a o r d i n a r y remedy and w i l l be 
g r a n t e d o n l y where t h e r e i s '(1) a c l e a r l e g a l 
r i g h t 
i n 
t h e p e t i t i o n e r 
t o t h e o r d e r 
s o u g h t ; 
(2) an 
i m p e r a t i v e 
d u t y 
upon 
t h e r e s p o n d e n t 
t o 
p e r f o r m , 
a c c o m p a n i e d by a r e f u s a l t o do s o ; (3) t h e l a c k o f 
a n o t h e r 
a d e q u a t e r e m e d y ; and (4) p r o p e r l y 
i n v o k e d 
j u r i s d i c t i o n o f t h e c o u r t . ' " 
Ex p a r t e Ocwen F e d . Bank, FSB, 872 So. 2d 810, 813 ( A l a . 2003) 
( q u o t i n g Ex p a r t e 
A l f a b , I n c . , 58 
6 So. 2d 8 
8 
9, 
8 
91 
( A l a . 
1 9 9 1 ) ) . 
"A 
w r i t 
o f 
mandamus, 
b e i n g 
a 
d r a s t i c 
and 
e x t r a o r d i n a r y remedy, 
w i l l 
i s s u e t o c o r r e c t a t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
r u l i n g 
r e g a r d i n g t h e amendment o f p l e a d i n g s 
o n l y when i t i s 
shown t h a t t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t h a s e x c e e d e d i t s 
d i s c r e t i o n . " 
Ex 
' g r a n t e d , ' 
' d e n i e d , ' 
'moot,' 
o r w o r d s o f 
s i m i l a r 
i m p o r t , and d a t i n g and s i g n i n g o r i n i t i a l i n g 
i t , (4) 
by m a k i n g o r c a u s i n g t o be made a n o t a t i o n i n 
t h e 
c o u r t r e c o r d s , o r (5) by e x e c u t i n g and t r a n s m i t t i n g 
an 
e l e c t r o n i c 
document 
t o t h e 
e l e c t r o n i c - f i l i n g 
s y s t e m . " 
5 
1071620 
p a r t e 
L i b e r t y N a t ' l L i f e I n s . 
Co., 858 So. 2d 950, 952 
( A l a . 
2 0 0 3 ) . 
A n a l y s i s 
T h i s C o u r t h a s s t a t e d : 
" R u l e 1 5 ( a ) , A l a . R. C i v . P., r e f l e c t s A l a b a m a ' s 
l i b e r a l 
p o l i c y i n f a v o r o f a l l o w i n g amendments t o 
p l e a d i n g s : 
" ' U n l e s s 
a c o u r t h a s o r d e r e d 
o t h e r w i s e , a 
p a r t y may amend a p l e a d i n g w i t h o u t l e a v e o f 
c o u r t , b u t s u b j e c t t o d i s a l l o w a n c e on t h e 
c o u r t ' s own m o t i o n o r a m o t i o n t o s t r i k e o f 
an 
a d v e r s e 
p a r t y , a t any t i m e more 
t h a n 
f o r t y - t w o 
(42) 
d a y s 
b e f o r e 
t h e 
f i r s t 
s e t t i n g 
o f t h e c a s e f o r t r i a l , 
and s u c h 
amendment 
s h a l l 
be 
f r e e l y 
a l l o w e d 
when 
j u s t i c e so r e q u i r e s . 
T h e r e a f t e r , a p a r t y 
may 
amend 
a 
p l e a d i n g 
o n l y 
b y 
l e a v e 
o f 
c o u r t , and l e a v e 
s h a l l be g i v e n 
o n l y upon 
a s h o w i n g o f good c a u s e . ... ' 
"We 
n o t e d i n Ex p a r t e GRE I n s u r a n c e 
G r o u p , 822 
So. 
2d 388, 390 
( A l a . 
2001 
), 
t h a t 
u n d e r 
R u l e 
15 
amendments t o p l e a d i n g s a r e t o be 
' f r e e l y 
a l l o w e d ' 
u n l e s s t h e r e e x i s t s some v a l i d r e a s o n t o d e n y them, 
s u c h as ' a c t u a l p r e j u d i c e o r undue 
d e l a y [ . ] ' 
"When, as h e r e , t h e amendment i s s o u g h t w i t h i n 
t h e 42-day window, t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t i s f r e e t o d e n y 
a p a r t y 
l e a v e t o amend h i s o r h e r p l e a d i n g 
u n l e s s 
t h e p a r t y c a n d e m o n s t r a t e 'good c a u s e . ' ... H o w e v e r , 
i n 
l i g h t 
o f t h e 
o v e r a r c h i n g 
l i b e r a l 
p o l i c y 
o f 
a l l o w i n g amendments u n d e r R u l e 15, t h e a p p r o p r i a t e 
way t o v i e w t h e r e q u e s t 
f o r l e a v e t o amend, i f a 
6 
1071620 
p a r t y 
d e m o n s t r a t e s 
'good c a u s e , ' i s as t h o u g h t h e 
r e q u e s t 
h a d b e e n b r o u g h t more t h a n 42 d a y s 
b e f o r e 
t r i a l , when t h e t r i a l c o u r t d o e s n o t have ' u n b r i d l e d 
d i s c r e t i o n ' t o d e n y t h e l e a v e t o amend, b u t c a n do 
so o n l y upon t h e b a s i s o f a ' v a l i d g r o u n d ' as s t a t e d 
a b o v e . " 
L i b e r t y N a t i o n a l , 858 So. 2d a t 953-54. 
I n 
B l a c k m o n v . N e x i t y 
F i n a n c i a l C o r p . , 953 So. 2d 1180, 
1189 
( A l a . 2 0 0 6 ) , 
t h i s C o u r t 
n o t e d : 
" R u l e 1 5 [ , 
A l a . 
R. C i v . 
P.,] 
' " i s n o t c a r t e 
b l a n c h e 
a u t h o r i t y t o amend ... a t any t i m e . " ' 
B u r k e t t v .  
A m e r i c a n Gen. F i n . , I n c . , 
607 So. 2d 138, 141 ( A l a . 
1992) 
( q u o t i n g 
S t a l l i n g s v . A n g e l i c a 
U n i f o r m 
Co., 
388 
So. 2d 942 , 
947 
( A l a . 
1 
98 
0 ) ) . 
... The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t c a n r e f u s e t o a l l o w an amendment i f a l l o w i n g 
i t w o u l d r e s u l t i n a c t u a l p r e j u d i c e t o t h e 
o p p o s i n g 
p a r t y o r f o r r e a s o n s o f 'undue d e l a y . ' 
[Ex p a r t e ]  
GRE I n s . 
G r o u p , 822 So. 2d [388,] 390 [ ( A l a . 
2 0 0 1 ) ] . 
"Undue d e l a y c a n have two d i f f e r e n t m e a n i n g s i n 
a c a s e . 
F i r s t , t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t h a s d i s c r e t i o n t o 
d e n y an amendment t o a p l e a d i n g 
i f a l l o w i n g t h e 
amendment w o u l d u n d u l y d e l a y t h e t r i a l . 
S e c o n d , an 
u n e x p l a i n e d undue d e l a y i n f i l i n g an amendment when 
t h e p a r t y h a s h a d s u f f i c i e n t o p p o r t u n i t y t o d i s c o v e r 
t h e f a c t s n e c e s s a r y t o f i l e t h e amendment e a r l i e r i s 
a l s o 
s u f f i c i e n t 
g r o u n d s 
upon 
w h i c h 
t o d e n y t h e 
amendment." 
The 
C o u r t i n B l a c k m o n went on t o s a y t h a t t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t h a d 
n o t e x c e e d e d i t s d i s c r e t i o n i n d e n y i n g 
B l a c k m o n ' s m o t i o n t o 
amend h i s c o m p l a i n t 
b e c a u s e t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t h a d f o u n d 
t h a t 
" B l a c k m o n 
was 
aware 
o f t h e 
f a c t s 
j u s t i f y i n g 
t h e amended 
c o m p l a i n t when he f i l e d h i s o r i g i n a l c o m p l a i n t , " and b e c a u s e 
7 
1071620 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t h a d f o u n d t h a t " t h e amendment w o u l d 
r e q u i r e 
a d d i t i o n a l d i s c o v e r y and w o u l d 
s u b s t a n t i a l l y d e l a y t h e 
t r i a l 
s e t t i n g . " 
I d . a t 1 1 8 9 - 9 0 . 
D e P a o l a a r g u e s t h a t W i l l c u t t d e m o n s t r a t e d good c a u s e f o r 
t h e 
d e l a y 
i n a m e n d i n g h i s a n s w e r 
and c o u n t e r c l a i m s 
and 
t h a t 
C l e m e n t s 
B u i l d e r w o u l d n o t be p r e j u d i c e d i f t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
a l l o w e d 
t h e amendments. 
D e P a o l a 
a l s o a r g u e s 
t h a t 
t h e r e 
i s 
s t i l l t i m e f o r d i s c o v e r y and t h a t t h e f a c t s r e g a r d i n g t h e 
new 
c l a i m s a r e w i t h i n C l e m e n t s B u i l d e r ' s k n o w l e d g e . 
H o w e v e r , a t 
t h e h e a r i n g on W i l l c u t t ' s m o t i o n s t o amend, C l e m e n t s 
B u i l d e r 
a r g u e d 
t h a t 
i t w o u l d 
"be 
p r e j u d i c e d by 
[ W i l l c u t t ' s ] 
c l a i m s 
b e c a u s e 
[ i t 
had] n o t h a d an o p p o r t u n i t y t o c o n d u c t 
d i s c o v e r y 
i n 
r e g a r d 
t o 
[ t h o s e 
c l a i m s ] . " 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
a g r e e d , 
s t a t i n g : 
" I 
t h i n k 
t h e y ' r e 
r i g h t . 
I mean, 
d i s c o v e r y 
i s  
c l o s e d . 
You know, I t h i n k t h e y make a good 
p o i n t . 
We've a l r e a d y a n s w e r e d . 
We've a l r e a d y amended. 
I 
d o n ' t t h i n k t h a t i t w o u l d be p r o p e r f o r me t o 
g r a n t 
t h a t b e c a u s e 
d i s c o v e r y i s c l o s e d 
" 
( E m p h a s i s added.) W i t h 
r e g a r d 
t o W i l l c u t t ' s 
new 
b r e a c h - o f -
c o n t r a c t c l a i m , t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t went on t o s a y : 
"You 
a l r e a d y know t h e r e ' s p r o b l e m s . 
You c a n ' t come 
i n 
h e r e and s a y , 'Judge, we 
d i d n ' t know [ a b o u t t h e 
b r e a c h - o f - c o n t r a c t 
c l a i m ] 
u n t i l 
[ t h e a n c h o r 
b o l t s ] 
8 
1071620 
were 
dug 
up 
and 
we 
f o u n d 
o u t 
t h a t 
i t w a s n ' t 
done 
c o r r e c t l y . ' 
" W e l l , 
h e r e ' s 
e v i d e n c e 
r i g h t 
h e r e 
[ f r o m 
W i l l c u t t ' s 
O c t o b e r 
1, 
2007, 
d e p o s i t i o n 
t e s t i m o n y ] 
t h a t 
i t h a d n ' t b e e n done 
c o r r e c t l y . ... 
T h a t 
t h e y 
w e r e n ' t 
s c r e w i n g 
t h i n g s 
i n 
r i g h t ; 
t h a t 
t h e y 
were 
u s i n g t h e w r o n g s i z e s c r e w ; t h a t t h e y w e r e n ' t 
l i n i n g 
up 
t h e 
p l a t e s ; t h a t 
t h e y were 
u s i n g 
t h e 
t o r c h 
t o 
make them f i t . 
What a b o u t a l l o f t h i s ? 
I s t h i s 
n o t 
a p r o b l e m ? " 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
c o n c l u d e d t h a t 
W i l l c u t t was 
"on 
n o t i c e 
t h a t 
t h e r e were p r o b l e m s w i t h 
t h e 
c o n s t r u c t i o n 
o f t h a t b u i l d i n g , " 
s u c h 
t h a t 
W i l l c u t t s h o u l d 
h a v e c o n d u c t e d 
d i s c o v e r y 
on 
t h a t 
i s s u e 
e a r l i e r , 
and 
t h a t 
W i l l c u t t was 
"on 
n o t i c e a b o u t 
t h o s e 
a t t o r n e y ' s 
f e e s 
So 
y ' a l l 
l o s e on t h o s e two 
i s s u e s . " 
I t 
a p p e a r s t h a t 
i n t h i s c a s e , as 
i n B l a c k m o n , t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t d e t e r m i n e d t h a t W i l l c u t t "had 
s u f f i c i e n t o p p o r t u n i t y 
t o 
d i s c o v e r 
f a c t s n e c e s s a r y 
t o 
f i l e 
t h e amendment[s] 
e a r l i e r , " 
B l a c k m o n , 953 
So. 
2d a t 1189, 
and 
t h a t C l e m e n t s B u i l d e r w o u l d 
s u f f e r p r e j u d i c e 
i f t h e m o t i o n s t o amend were g r a n t e d . 
These 
r e a s o n s c o n s t i t u t e " v a l i d g r o u n d s " u n d e r R u l e 15, A l a . R. 
C i v . 
P., 
and 
u n d e r 
o u r 
c a s e l a w 
a d d r e s s i n g 
m o t i o n s 
t o 
amend 
p l e a d i n g s 
f i l e d 
w i t h i n 
42 
d a y s 
o f 
t r i a l . 
See 
L i b e r t y 
 
N a t i o n a l , 
858 
So. 
2d 
a t 
953 
( " [ U ] n d e r R u l e 
15 amendments 
t o 
p l e a d i n g s 
a r e t o be 
' f r e e l y a l l o w e d ' 
u n l e s s 
t h e r e 
e x i s t s some 
9 
1071620 
v a l i d r e a s o n t o deny them, s u c h as 
' a c t u a l p r e j u d i c e o r undue 
d e l a y ' 
" ) . B e c a u s e t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s d e c i s i o n was 
b a s e d 
on v a l i d g r o u n d s a d e q u a t e l y s u p p o r t e d by t h e e v i d e n c e b e f o r e 
i t , D e P a o l a has n o t d e m o n s t r a t e d 
t h a t t h e t r i a l c o u r t 
e x c e e d e d 
i t s 
d i s c r e t i o n 
i n d e n y i n g 
W i l l c u t t ' s 
m o t i o n s . 
T h e r e f o r e , 
we 
d e n y t h e p e t i t i o n f o r t h e w r i t o f mandamus. 
P E T I T I O N DENIED. 
Cobb, C . J . , and S m i t h , P a r k e r , and Shaw, J J . , c o n c u r . 
10