Opinion ID: 1191526
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Assigned Claims of Teas

Text: The News' complaint contained a claim for relief against Teas for allegedly misrepresenting that Tribulation Trail was a public road. Teas filed a cross-claim against the Demoskis seeking to recover the attorney's fees and costs that the Demoskis' conduct had forced him to expend in defense of News' claim. The Demoskis never answered Teas' claim and Teas never requested an entry of default. This situation persisted until the middle of trial, when Teas assigned his cross-claim to the News and they moved for a default in open court. Default was granted. Subsequently, however, the court denied a request to award Teas' fees and costs. Thus the court has declined to enter a judgment against the Demoskis on the default. The News have taken a cross-appeal from this refusal. We conclude that the court erred in entering default. We have approved of the following standard of conduct: When [a lawyer] knows the identity of a lawyer representing an opposing party, he should not take advantage of the lawyer by causing any default or dismissal to be entered without first inquiring about the opposing lawyer's intention to proceed. American College of Trial Lawyers Code of Trial Conduct, No. 14A, at 149 (1971-72), quoted in Hertz v. Berzanske, 704 P.2d 767, 772 (Alaska 1985); City of Valdez v. Salomon, 637 P.2d 298, 299 (Alaska 1981); and Cook v. Aurora Motors, Inc., 503 P.2d 1046, 1049 n. 6 (Alaska 1972). Counsel for the News did not observe this standard before moving for a default. The court compounded the error by declining the request of counsel for the Demoskis for a brief period of time in which the Demoskis could file an answer and cure the default. Further, Teas had waived his right to request a default by failing to request one before evidence was introduced. Most courts which have considered the question as to when a default must be sought conclude that it must be sought within a reasonable period after the default occurs. See 47 Am.Jur.2d Judgments § 1161, at 191 (2d ed. 1969); 49 C.J.S. Judgments § 203, at 361-62 (1947). When an answer has never been filed, the plaintiff cannot wait to move for default until after trial has commenced, [4] a jury has been selected, [5] or evidence has been introduced on the merits. [6] We hold that waiver occurs at least when evidence is presented at trial without a default first being requested. The News are bound by Teas' waiver because they are Teas' assignees. In addition, the News claim that the court erred in refusing to grant contribution in favor of Teas. Their motion for contribution was dependent on a valid entry of default on Teas' cross-claim. Since we have concluded that the court erred in entering default, this point need not be discussed further.