Opinion ID: 1990428
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Abusive Delay in Service of Process.

Text: A rule 179(b) motion is necessary to preserve error when a trial court fails to resolve an issue, claim, defense, or other theory properly submitted to it for adjudication. Iowa R.Civ.P. 179(b); Lawrence v. Grinde, 534 N.W.2d 414, 418 (Iowa 1995). The purpose of a rule 179(b) motion is to advise counsel and the appellate court of the basis of the trial court's decision in order that counsel may direct his attack upon specific adverse findings or rulings in the event of an appeal. City of Fort Dodge v. Civil Serv. Comm'n, 562 N.W.2d 438, 440 (Iowa App.1997) (quoting Berger v. Amana Soc'y, 254 Iowa 1036, 1040, 120 N.W.2d 465, 467 (1963)). Ritz contends the Board failed to preserve its abusive delay in service of process claim because it failed to file a rule 179(b) motion requesting the trial court to enlarge its ruling. We have recognized, however, a distinction between successful and unsuccessful parties for purposes of error preservation. See Johnston Equip. Corp. of Iowa v. Industrial Indem., 489 N.W.2d 13, 16 (Iowa 1992) (successful party need not cross appeal to preserve error on ground urged but ignored or rejected in trial court). Rule 179(b) is directed at unsuccessful parties who intend to challenge the district court's ruling on issues it did not resolve. A successful party would have no motivation to raise a rule 179(b) motion to challenge the basis upon which the district court made its decision. Consequently, the requirements of rule 179(b) are only applied to unsuccessful parties challenging the district court decision. The Board was the successful party in this case. Accordingly, it was not required to file a rule 179(b) motion on its abusive delay in service of process claim.
At the time this action was commenced, our rules of civil procedure did not provide a specific time period in which service of process must be made following the filing of a petition. [2] See McCormick, 582 N.W.2d at 145. Nevertheless, our cases have required dismissal of a lawsuit if an unjustified abusive delay in completing service occurs. Id.; Alvarez v. Meadow Lane Mall Ltd. Partnership, 560 N.W.2d 588, 591 (Iowa 1997). Under this standard, the court must first determine if the delay was presumptively abusive. McCormick, 582 N.W.2d at 145. If presumptively abusive, the court must then determine if the plaintiff has shown the delay was justified. Id. If it is justified, dismissal is inappropriate. Alvarez, 560 N.W.2d at 591. The delay between the filing of the petition and service of process in this case was 166 days. Although the district court made no finding whether this delay was presumptively abusive, we have found similar delays in other cases to be presumptively abusive. See Henry v. Shober, 566 N.W.2d 190, 192 (Iowa 1997) (169-day delay presumptively abusive); Alvarez, 560 N.W.2d at 591 (159-day delay presumptively abusive); see also Turnbull v. Horan, 522 N.W.2d 860, 861 (Iowa App.1994) (126-day delay presumptively abusive). Although we can resolve issues on appeal based upon grounds raised but not relied upon by the district court, those grounds must be supported by facts in the record unless the matter can be decided as a matter of law. See Tate, 510 N.W.2d. at 887. Because of the procedural posture of this case, there is no record on appeal for us to determine whether or not the delay was justified. Therefore, we are unable to decide the appeal on grounds raised but not relied upon by the district court.