Opinion ID: 2107819
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Revival Proceedings

Text: In 2001, Cave filed an application for an order of revivor in Lancaster County Court, and the court conditionally revived the judgment. Both Alfred and Jerald received notice of the conditional revival order. Alfred responded by filing a suggestion in bankruptcy; Jerald filed an answer, in which he alleged that the judgment had been obtained without proper service of summons or an appearance on his part. He also requested a jury trial. The county court initially granted Jerald's request for a jury trial. Later, however, the court reversed its decision and denied a jury trial. At the hearing before the county court, the judge took judicial notice of the record. In addition, Jerald testified that he was never served, he had no knowledge of the lawsuit, and the attorney who appeared on his behalf was not authorized to do so. The county court found that service had been defective, but concluded that Jerald's testimony by itself was not enough to rebut the presumption that he had authorized the attorney to appear on his behalf. Accordingly, the county court entered an order reviving the judgment. Jerald appealed to the district court. The district court reversed, and remanded for a new trial, reasoning as follows: The [county] court found that service on Jerald Reiser was defective but that the testimony of the Defendant by itself is not enough to overcome the presumption that [the attorney] appeared for him when the judgment was entered. The essence of the County Court's order is that, as a matter of law, to overcome the presumption, the Defendant must present witnesses (or perhaps other evidence) that corroborates his testimony. I find that the County Court was in error in so ruling. The Defendant's testimony alone, if believed, is legally sufficient to overcome the presumption raised by the record.