Opinion ID: 1668095
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the 60(b)(3) motion

Text: Ben Gray alleged, in his Motion for Relief from Final Judgment under Rule 60(b)(3) filed on May 1, 1989, that [a]t the time of the trial in this cause, Mrs. Gray's net salary was $93.31. Since the entry of this decree, Mrs. Gray has become employed in Drew, Mississippi and now earns $250.00 per week. (Emphasis Added.) This allegation is inconsistent with Ben Gray's Response to Motion to Strike, in which he alleges that [ s ] ince the entry of final judgment in this cause, the Plaintiff has become gainfully employed at the TWL Variety Store in Ruleville, Mississippi. Upon information and belief, the Plaintiff earns $250.00 per week. (Emphasis Added.) Gray's Petition for Modification alleges that [a]t the time of the entry of the aforesaid decree, Mrs. Gray was not employed. Since the decree, upon information and belief, Mrs. Gray is employed at TWL Variety Store in Ruleville, Mississippi at a substantial income. (Emphasis Added.) The chancery court found as a fact that at the time of trial Mary Gray worked at TWL at a salary of $93.91 per week, and this finding is supported by trial testimony. Despite the contradictions in Ben Gray's various motions, there is one consistency: the alleged change in income occurred after the trial or decree. Miss.R.Civ.P. 60 states in part: (b) Mistakes; Inadvertence; Newly Discovered Evidence; Fraud, etc. On motion and upon such terms as are just, the court may relieve a party or his legal representative from a final judgment, order, or proceeding for the following reasons: ... . (3) newly discovered evidence which by due diligence could not have been discovered in time to move for a new trial under Rule 59(b); ... . The motion shall be made within a reasonable time, and for reasons (1), (2) and (3) not more than six months after the judgment, order, or proceeding was entered or taken. A motion under this subdivision does not affect the finality of a judgment or suspend its operation. Leave to make the motion need not be obtained from the appellate court unless the record has been transmitted to the appellate court and the action remains pending therein. This rule does not limit the power of a court to entertain an independent action to relieve a party from a judgment, order, or proceeding, or to set aside a judgment for fraud upon the court... . Miss.R.Civ.P. 81(a)(9) states that divorce actions are governed primarily by statute, and that the rules of civil procedure apply only if they govern an area not covered by the statute or if they are not in conflict with the statute. Because we find no statute setting up any special procedure for appeal from a divorce action, or relief from a divorce judgment, if other conditions are met, Rule 60 is controlling in this situation. The chancery court found that it could not modify the judgment in question, as Ben Gray had already filed bond for supersedeas. Because the record in this case had not yet been transmitted to this Court when the Motion for Relief under Rule 60(b)(3) was filed, the chancellor did have the authority to alter the final judgment if 60(b)(3) was otherwise applicable. However, this Court often looks to federal authority when construing state rules of civil procedure modeled after federal counterparts. The federal counterpart of Miss.R.Civ.P. 60(b)(3) is Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b)(2). The federal authorities seem unanimous in holding that for evidence to meet the requirement of 60(b)(2), it must have been in existence at the time of trial or at the time of the judgment which is allegedly in need of correcting. 7 J. Moore & J. Lucas, Moore's Federal Practice ¶ 60.23 (2d ed. 1987); 11 C. Wright & A. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 2859 (1973); Rivera v. M/T Fossarina, 840 F.2d 152, 156-157 (1st Cir.1988); Southmark Properties v. Charles House Corp., 742 F.2d 862, 873 (5th Cir.1984). Ben Gray's allegations only deal with evidence not in existence at the time of the judgment of divorce, and because of this, Rule 60(b)(3) is not applicable here. Therefore his argument for relief from judgment fails.