Opinion ID: 1990428
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Abusive Delay.

Text: 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.