Opinion ID: 1145379
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: substituted service by mail

Text: This case presents the issue whether service of the original process  summons and complaint  by mail is deemed complete upon mailing. Under CR 4(d)(4), a party may conduct service by mail. A court will issue an order allowing service by mail when there are circumstances justifying service by publication and if the serving party demonstrates, by affidavit, facts which show that service by mail is just as likely to give actual notice as service by publication. CR 4(d)(4). Although the language in CR 4 is not explicit as to when service by mail is deemed complete, it provides that: The summons shall contain the date it was deposited in the mail and shall require the defendant to appear and answer the complaint within 90 days from the date of mailing. Service under this subsection has the same jurisdictional effect as service by publication. (Italics ours.) CR 4(d)(4). Service by mail is also covered in CR 5. That rule provides that service by mail is deemed complete upon the third day following the day upon which [the pleadings and other papers] are placed in the mail, unless the third day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday.... CR 5(b)(2)(A). The scope of CR 5's application is limited to every pleading subsequent to the original complaint . (Italics ours.) CR 5(a). Stebbins argues that the Court of Appeals improperly concluded that Jones' service of process by mail was timely. Stebbins contends the Court of Appeals' opinion is contrary to this court's rulings in Citizens Interested in Transfusion of Yesteryear v. Board of Regents of UW, 86 Wn.2d 323, 544 P.2d 740 (1976) and Nearing v. Golden State Foods Corp., 114 Wn.2d 817, 792 P.2d 500 (1990). Jones contends that the Court of Appeals' opinion is not in conflict with either Citizens or Nearing. We agree with Jones that the Court of Appeals' opinion is correct. [1, 2] Court rules are construed using the rules of statutory construction. In re McGlothlen, 99 Wn.2d 515, 522, 663 P.2d 1330 (1983). Where statutory language is plain and unambiguous, the statute's meaning must be derived from the wording of the statute itself. Bellevue Fire Fighters Local 1604 v. Bellevue, 100 Wn.2d 748, 750, 675 P.2d 592 (1984), cert. denied, 471 U.S. 1015 (1985). [3] To resolve the issue before us, we must determine whether CR 4(d)(4) or CR 5(b)(2)(A) applies and when substituted service by mail of an original summons and complaint is deemed complete. We hold that service of the original summons and complaint by mail is complete upon mailing under CR 4(d)(4). CR 4(d) describes the different methods by which service of the summons and complaint may be accomplished. Service and the filing of pleadings and other papers, subsequent to the original complaint, are covered under the auspices of CR 5. Accordingly, we conclude from the plain language of both CR 4 and CR 5 that CR 4 controls service of the original summons and complaint. Under CR 4, [t]he summons ... shall require the defendant to appear and answer the complaint within 90 days from the date of mailing.  (Italics ours.) CR 4(d)(4). The plain language of CR 4(d)(4) is clear. See Bellevue, 100 Wn.2d at 750. Therefore, we hold that, pursuant to CR 4(d)(4), service by mail of the original summons and complaint is complete on the date of mailing. If this were not the case, language mirroring CR 5(b)(2)(A) or language to the effect that the defendant will appear and answer within 90 days from the date of receiving the mailing would have been used. Stebbins argues that the Court of Appeals' determination that service was timely under CR 4(d)(4) is incorrect because it is contrary to the ruling in Citizens. We disagree. In Citizens, plaintiffs' initial suit was dismissed because of their failure to serve or file a summons with the complaint. Plaintiffs then filed a summons and amended complaint under the same cause number and subsequently mailed the summons and amended complaint to the defendants on the last day of the 90-day tolling period. Citizens, 86 Wn.2d at 325. The amendment was factually the original complaint. The court, relying on the presumption that service by mail is not deemed complete until the third day following the date of mailing, ruled that the plaintiffs had not perfected their action within the 90-day tolling period. Citizens, 86 Wn.2d at 330 (citing CR 5(b)(2)(A) and Moore v. Wentz, 11 Wn. App. 796, 798-99, 525 P.2d 290 (1974)). The Court of Appeals distinguished Citizens from this case, holding that CR 5 applies to the service and filing of pleadings and other papers other than the original complaint , and therefore CR 5 did not apply because the mailing in this case was of the original complaint. Jones, 67 Wn. App. at 900. The Court of Appeals also explained that the court in Citizens could not have considered the effect of CR 4(d)(4) on CR 5(b)(2)(A)'s language regarding the 3-day presumption since CR 4(d)(4) was not in effect when Citizens was decided. Jones, 67 Wn. App. at 900. We agree with the Court of Appeals and overrule Citizens to the extent that it holds that service of an original complaint is deemed complete on the third day after mailing under CR 5. Stebbins also argues that CR 5(a), which limits the scope of CR 5's applicability to pleadings subsequent to the original complaint, does not apply to the remainder of CR 5. We disagree. CR 5(a) describes what kind of papers are covered under the rule (everything subsequent to the original complaint) and who should be served those papers. Section (b) of CR 5 describes how those particular papers may be served. We find nothing in the plain language of CR 5(b)(2)(A) to indicate that the rule was meant to govern service of an original complaint. Stebbins contends that the Court of Appeals' decision improperly permits service by mail (pursuant to CR 4(d)(4)) to toll the statute of limitations. According to Stebbins, the basis of the impropriety is that service by mail is not mentioned in RCW 4.16.170 as a method that will toll the statute of limitations and is therefore contrary to this court's holding in Nearing v. Golden State Foods Corp., supra . We disagree. RCW 4.16.170 provides: For the purpose of tolling any statute of limitations an action shall be deemed commenced when the complaint is filed or summons is served whichever occurs first. If service has not been had on the defendant prior to the filing of the complaint, the plaintiff shall cause one or more of the defendants to be served personally, or commence service by publication within ninety days from the date of filing the complaint. If the action is commenced by service on one or more of the defendants or by publication, the plaintiff shall file the summons and complaint within ninety days from the date of service.... (Italics ours.) In Nearing, we held that RCW 4.16.170 controls the tolling of the period of limitations while [CR 3] governs the commencement of actions. [2] 114 Wn.2d at 821. We find nothing in RCW 4.16.170's language which prohibits service by mail to toll the statute of limitations. Therefore, the Court of Appeals' opinion is not contrary to this court's holding in Nearing. In the present case, the filing of the complaint on March 21, 1989, tolled the statute of limitations pursuant to RCW 4.16.170. If Jones had served Stebbins by mail first, that would also have been sufficient to toll the statute of limitations, as RCW 4.16.170 allows an action to be commenced by serving the summons. Stebbins also argues that the Court of Appeals' opinion conflicts with Nearing by allowing CR 4(d)(4) to circumvent the requirements of RCW 4.16.170. Stebbins contends RCW 4.16.170 permits only personal service or service by publication to perfect commencement of an action. We disagree. [4, 5] Where rule of court is inconsistent with the procedural statute, the power of this court to establish the procedural rules for the courts of this state is supreme. Petrarca v. Halligan, 83 Wn.2d 773, 776, 522 P.2d 827 (1974). See also RCW 2.04.200. Apparent conflicts between a court rule and a statutory provision should be harmonized and both given effect, if possible. State v. Thomas, 121 Wn.2d 504, 511, 851 P.2d 673 (1993). By harmonizing the language from CR 4(d)(4) with RCW 4.16.170, we conclude that since service by mail can be as effective as service by publication, service by mail is effective to perfect commencement of an action under RCW 4.16.170. Facially, service under CR 4(d)(4) is excluded by CR 3 as a method for perfecting commencement of an action. However, since service by mail is an alternative to service by publication and has the same jurisdictional effect as service by publication under CR 4(d)(4), we interpret the language from RCW 4.16.170 regarding service by publication to include alternatives to service by publication, i.e., service by mail.