Opinion ID: 1464679
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Defendant's Motion to Enforce the Plaintiff's Voluntary Dismissal of their Action Against Him

Text: The defendant next argues that the Superior Court erred in denying his motion to enforce a dismissal filed by the plaintiffs. We disagree. On October 12, 1983, the plaintiffs filed a Notice of Dismissal Under Rule 41(a) attempting to voluntarily dismiss Dr. Painter from the case. At that time Dr. Amalfitano was a co-defendant in the case. The plaintiffs subsequently filed a withdrawal of their notice of dismissal on October 14. On November 10, 1983, Dr. Painter moved to enforce the plaintiffs' dismissal. In the same motion he asked for summary judgment contending that because the plaintiffs' dismissal was effective, and suit was not re-instituted within two years of the alleged negligent conduct, their suit against him was barred by the statute of limitations. The Superior Court denied the motion. The defendant argues that the Superior Court erred in denying his motion to enforce dismissal because a notice of dismissal once filed cannot properly be withdrawn. We conclude, however, that the plaintiffs' notice of dismissal was ineffective to terminate the action against the defendant and the act of withdrawal was superfluous. Rule 41(a)(1) of the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure provides in pertinent part: [A]n action may be dismissed by the plaintiff without order of court (i) by filing a notice of dismissal at any time before commencement of trial of the action.... A dismissal under this paragraph may be as to one or more, but fewer than all claims, but not as to fewer than all of the plaintiffs or defendants. (Emphasis added.) Under the clear provisions of Rule 41(a)(1), the plaintiffs' attempted dismissal of Dr. Painter, without the inclusion of all other defendants in the action, was ineffective. Cf. State v. Northern Products, Inc., 440 A.2d 1070, 1072 (Me.1982) (voluntary dismissal ineffective to dismiss action as to fewer than all plaintiffs). Dr. Painter cannot enforce the plaintiffs' ineffective notice of dismissal, nor can he rely on an ineffective dismissal to argue that the statute of limitations barred the plaintiffs' action against him. Thus, the Superior Court correctly denied his motion.