Opinion ID: 666893
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Denial of Motion for Leave to File a Second Amended Complaint

Text: 54 Vicom argues in the alternative that we should reverse the district court's denial of Vicom's motion for leave to file a second amended complaint. Because Vicom styled its motion as a Rule 15(a) motion for leave to file an amended complaint, and not as a Rule 59(e) motion, the district court summarily denied the motion. See Tr. at 3 (I will just consider it under what it is. It is not a 59(e) motion. It's a 15(a) motion. It is denied.... I think it is an inappropriate motion to bring.). On appeal, Vicom concedes that it should have expressly argued the motion under Rule 59(e) instead of Rule 15(a). Nonetheless, Vicom submits that, by denying the motion solely because it was not expressly labelled a Rule 59(e) motion, the district court abused its discretion. 55 We cannot accept Vicom's argument. There exists in this circuit a line of cases that require a plaintiff seeking leave to amend in the post-judgment context to file a Rule 59(e) or 60(b) motion prior to filing a Rule 15(a) motion. See Twohy v. First Nat'l Bank, 758 F.2d 1185, 1196 (7th Cir.1985) (This circuit has recently clarified that once a district court enters judgment upon a dismissal (as opposed to a mere dismissal of the complaint), the plaintiff may amend the complaint under Rule 15(a), Fed.R.Civ.P., solely with 'leave of court' after a motion under Rule 59(e) or 60(b), Fed.R.Civ.P., has been made and the judgment has been set aside or vacated.) (citing Car Carriers, Inc. v. Ford Motor Co., 745 F.2d 1101, 1111 (7th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 470 U.S. 1054, 105 S.Ct. 1758, 84 L.Ed.2d 821 (1985)). 12 Under our established caselaw, therefore, the district court did not err in declining to rule on the merits of Vicom's Rule 15(a) motion absent a prior Rule 59(e) or 60(b) motion to re-open judgment. See Johnson v. Levy Org. Dev. Co., 789 F.2d 601, 611 n. 8 (7th Cir.1986) (stating that until a plaintiff file[s] a motion to vacate the judgment against him and ha[s] that judgment lifted, the court [does] not have to consider the merits of whether to allow him to amend his complaint). 13