Opinion ID: 1852308
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Personal Jurisdiction over Rockaway

Text: ¶ 8. We review de novo questions of law. Doe v. Stegall, 757 So.2d 201, 204 (Miss.2000). The exercise of in personam jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant may be achieved pursuant to Mississippi's long-arm statute. McCain Builders, Inc. v. Rescue Rooter, LLC, 797 So.2d 952, 954 (Miss.2001) (citing Miss.Code. Ann. § 13-3-57 (Supp.2000)). If a Mississippi court has personal jurisdiction over a defendant based on our long-arm statute, the assertion of jurisdiction must then pass muster under the constitutional limitation of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. McCain Builders, Inc., 797 So.2d at 954. ¶ 9. In order for the long-arm statute to apply, the nonresident corporation over which personal jurisdiction is sought must be a corporation which is not qualified to do business in this state. Miss.Code. Ann. § 13-3-57 (Rev.2002). If that condition is satisfied, the long-arm statute authorizes in personam jurisdiction where: (1) the nonresident made a contract with a resident of this state to be performed in whole or in part in this state; (2) the nonresident committed a tort in whole or in part in this state against a resident or nonresident of this state; or (3) the nonresident did business or performed any character of work or service in this state. Id. ¶ 10. Rockaway is not qualified to do business in Mississippi and, therefore, meets the threshold requirement for coverage under the long-arm statute. However, there is no evidence in the record which demonstrates that Rockaway has acted in such a way as to be brought under the contract, tort, or doing business in provisions of the long-arm statute. Therefore, there is no need to go into the analysis under the Fourteenth Amendment, because there is no long-arm jurisdiction over Rockaway anywhere in the State of Mississippi, much less in Smith County.