Opinion ID: 1098117
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: whether the district court of louisiana had personal jurisdiction over waveland pursuant to their long arm statute.

Text: ¶ 13. Waveland asserts that the judgment of the Louisiana court should not be enforced because Tel-Com did not have minimum contacts with Waveland, a Mississippi corporation, sufficient to enforce personal jurisdiction in accordance with Louisiana's long-arm statute. Because Waveland was served with proper notice, and it did not appear or answer the suit brought by Tel-Com in Louisiana, it cannot avoid the judgment by asserting lack of personal jurisdiction now. ¶ 14. First, Waveland misstates the requirements for asserting a personal jurisdiction defense as stated in Rule 12(h) of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure. [1] Contrary to Waveland's statements in its brief, personal jurisdiction may not be raised for the first time on appeal and may be waived by the parties. A defense of lack of personal jurisdiction is waived if it is not raised in some form, such as a motion before the trial court. If a party makes a motion but omits a defense such as lack of personal jurisdiction, this defense may not be raised at a later time. La. C.C.P. Art. 928 (West 2000)(The declinatory exception shall be pleaded prior to or in the answer ... and in any event prior to the conformation of a default judgment...); see also M.R.C.P. 12(g). ¶ 15. Second, in its October order, the Circuit Court of Hancock County, fails to cite all the elements of Louisiana's long arm statute. Judge Vlahos failed to recognize that the 1987 amendment to Louisiana's long-arm statute extended personal jurisdiction over a nonresident under the long-arm statute on any basis consistent with the United States Constitution. La. Rev.Stat. Ann. § 13:3201(B) (West 1991). Therefore, the only rule by which to measure the scope of the personal jurisdiction of the Louisiana court would be under the requirements for personal jurisdiction as set forth by the United States Supreme Court. ¶ 16. This Court has recognized the standards for constitutional due process in the context of personal jurisdiction as set forth by the United States Supreme Court in Cappaert v. Walker, Bordelon, Hamlin, Theriot and Hardy, 680 So.2d 831 (Miss. 1996). A defendant must have certain minimum contacts with the forum state such that the maintenance of the suit does not offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice. Cappaert, 680 So.2d at 834 (citing International Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 316, 66 S.Ct. 154, 158, 90 L.Ed. 95 (1945)), A defendant's contacts with the forum state must be such that he should reasonably anticipate being haled into court there. Cappaert, 680 So.2d at 835 (citing World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson, 444 U.S. 286, 291, 100 S.Ct. 559, 564, 62 L.Ed.2d 490 (1980)). ¶ 17. The two constitutional due process requirements cited in Cappaert are easily satisfied in this case. The two parties are business entities, corporations, operating in what appears to be normal contract negotiations. The record shows no signs of the contract being adhesive nor the actions by Tel-Com being overreaching. The contract is only two pages long with no fine print, and the president and general manager of Waveland had an opportunity to review the contract prior to signing. The forum selection clause does no offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice. ¶ 18. In addition, the two cases cited by the circuit court were Louisiana cases decided prior to the amendment to the Louisiana long-arm statute. Therefore, the reasoning of the circuit court is faulty, and the judgment from the Louisiana court should have been upheld.