Opinion ID: 1679692
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: did the trial court err by granting summary judgment for cal-maine on the basis of res judicata?

Text: As stated above, one of the reasons for the lower court's granting of Cal-Maine's motions for summary judgment was res judicata. The lower court's determination that res judicata precluded appellants' actions were based upon the fact that appellants had filed on March 3, 1983 an almost identical actions against Cal-Maine in the Chancery Court of Hinds County. These matters were never brought to trial, and on March 13, 1986, Chancery Judge Paul G. Alexander dismissed both actions for failure to prosecute. Subsequently, on April 2, 1986, appellants filed the present actions, which Chancellor Stuart Robinson dismissed in part on the basis that Chancellor Alexander's dismissal of appellants' previously filed suits for failure to prosecute was res judicata to the present actions. A critical fact that must be noted is that none of the pleadings, discovery, motions, etc. reflected by the records in either case mention the prior filing by Wholey and Rodgers, their subsequent dismissal by Chancellor Alexander, or that such might be res judicata. Indeed, the first point in the record at which res judicata is raised is in Chancellor Robinson's order dismissing both cases. Rule 8(c) of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure provides that: Affirmative Defenses. In pleading to a preceding pleading, a party shall set forth affirmatively accord and satisfaction, arbitration and award, assumption of risk, contributory negligence, discharge in bankruptcy, duress, estoppel, failure of consideration, fraud, illegality, injury by fellow servant, laches, license, payment, release, res judicata, statute of frauds, statute of limitations, waiver, and any other matter constituting an avoidance or affirmative defense. When a party has mistakenly designated a defense as a counterclaim or a counterclaim as a defense, the court on terms, if justice so requires, shall treat the pleading as if there had been proper designation. As is readily apparent from the plain language of the above rule, if a party intends to rely on one of the above enumerated defenses, including res judicata, he must affirmatively plead it. Affirmative defenses neither pleaded nor tried by consent are deemed waived. Bell v. First Columbus National Bank, 493 So.2d 964, 968 (Miss. 1986). Cal-Maine did not set forth res judicata in its answer as an affirmative defense, as is required by Rule 8(c). The question thus becomes whether a trial court, in this instance the Chancery Court of Hinds County, may raise res judicata on its own motion or otherwise utilize such when this defense has not been affirmatively plead. In Glass v. Armstrong, 330 So.2d 57 (Fla.App. 1976), it was held that a trial court is not authorized to take judicial notice of cases pending or previously disposed of in the same court but outside the record in the case before it. Glass at 58 quoting Kostecos v. Johnson, 85 So.2d 594 (Fla. 1956). Further, the Glass case held that res judicata may not be first raised on a motion to dismiss, as in the present case, for the reason that res judicata is an affirmative defense requiring both pleading and proof. 330 So.2d at 58. Res judicata is an affirmative defense which may not be raised on motion to dismiss unless allegations of a prior pleading in the case demonstrates its existence. Livingston v. Spires, 481 So.2d 87 (Fla.App. 1 Dist. 1986). Neither record reveals the manner in which the prior dismissal of both appellants' cases was brought to Chancellor Robinson's attention. However, whether the chancellor took judicial notice of the prior dismissals, or whether they were brought to his attention during argument concerning Cal-Maine's summary judgment motions is irrelevant. Since res judicata was not affirmatively plead by Cal-Maine it was error for the lower court to grant summary judgment on this basis.