Opinion ID: 1734348
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: did the trial court err in denying appellant roy duncan's motion to expand time for appeal?

Text: ¶ 5. We first address the question of whether Roy received sufficient notice of the entry of the judgment. [2] Roy cites to M.R.C.P. 77(d) which requires that, immediately upon entry of an order or judgment, the clerk shall serve a notice of the entry to the parties. In addition to the clerk's notice, a party may serve notice on the other party. Roy argues that the faxed copy of the judgment from the chancellor was insufficient notice because it was not notice from the clerk or the other party and that the thirty day period for making an appeal was therefore not triggered. However, M.R.C.P. 77(d) further states that lack of notice by the clerk neither affects the time for appeal nor relieves a party for failure to appeal within the time allowed, except as permitted by the Rules of Appellate Procedure. Thus the fact that notice of the judgment came from the judge instead of the clerk or a party becomes relevant only in Roy's argument under M.R.A.P. 4(h). [3] Reopening time for appeal under M.R.A.P. 4(h) ¶ 6. The official comment to M.R.A.P. 4(h) provides a limited opportunity for relief, independent of and in addition to that available under M.R.A.P. 4(g), in circumstances where the notice of entry of judgment or order, required to be mailed by the clerk of the trial court pursuant to Rule 77(d) of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure, is either not received by the party or is received so late as to impair the opportunity to file a timely notice of appeal. Roy argues that his counsel did not receive notice as set forth in M.R.C.P. 77(d), until October 2, 1999, when notice was given of Helen's motion to docket and dismiss filed with this Court. By filing his motion for out-of-time appeal on October 6, Roy claims that he complied with M.R.A.P. 4(h), in that he filed within 7 days of receiving notice of the July 20, 1999, entry of judgment. ¶ 7. A close reading of M.R.A.P. 4(h) reveals that two requirements must be met before the time for appeal may be reopened: (1) that a party entitled to receive notice fails to receive such notice from the clerk or any party within 21 days of its entry; and (2) that no party would be prejudiced, with prejudice defined as some adverse consequence other than the cost of having to oppose the appeal and encounter the risk of reversal. Once these are established, a motion must be filed within 180 days of entry of the judgment or within 7 days of receipt of such notice, whichever is earlier. ¶ 8. The first notice that Roy received that a final judgment had been entered, as contemplated by M.R.A.P. 4(h), occurred on or about October 1, 1999, when Helen filed a motion to dismiss with this Court. On October 6, 1999, Roy timely and within the 7 days as prescribed in M.R.A.P. 4(h), filed his motion to reopen time for appeal. In limiting this decision to the facts before us and taking the rule as written, while also noting the absence of any argument by Helen that she is in any way prejudiced, we find that the trial court erred in failing to grant Roy's motion to reopen time for appeal.