Opinion ID: 2524445
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: The plaintiffs in both cases contend that an objection to a party's failure to file proof of service of a request for trial de novo cannot be waived. Their primary argument in support of that assertion is that MAR 7.1(a)'s proof of service requirement [6] is jurisdictional in nature and that, as a consequence, the failure of the party requesting a trial de novo to timely file proof that he or she served a copy of the request on the other parties deprives the superior court of authority to do anything other than to enter an order of dismissal of the trial de novo and to enter judgment on the arbitration award. See Skagit Surveyors & Eng'rs, LLC v. Friends of Skagit County, 135 Wash.2d 542, 556, 958 P.2d 962 (1998) (holding that a court is powerless to adjudicate a controversy over which it lacks subject matter jurisdiction). The plaintiffs assert, therefore, that a party's noncompliance with MAR 7.1(a)'s proof of service requirement, like a court's lack of subject matter jurisdiction, may be raised at any time. The defendants respond that MAR 7.1(a)'s proof of service requirement is not jurisdictional. Although they each concede that an objection to a trial de novo on grounds that the party requesting the trial failed to file proof of service of the request, when raised prior to the trial de novo, is grounds for denial of the request for trial, they argue that the objection is waived if not raised prior to the trial de novo. In support of their argument that MAR 7.1(a)'s proof of service requirement is jurisdictional, both plaintiffs point to statements we made in Nevers. There, we framed the issue that was before us as follows: The issue before us is whether the MAR 7.1(a) requirement that proof of service be filed within 20 days of the date the arbitration award is filed is mandatory and thus a condition precedent to obtaining a trial de novo. If it is, failure to strictly comply with that requirement is fatal to a request for trial de novo and the superior court's authority is limited to entering a judgment upon the arbitrator's decision and award. Nevers, 133 Wash.2d at 811, 947 P.2d 721. We then concluded: We are of the view that timely filing of a request for trial de novo of an arbitrator's decision in court ordered arbitration is necessary for the superior court to conduct a trial de novo. In that regard we are in accord with the Court of Appeals in State v. Hofer, 86 Wash.App. 497, 942 P.2d 979 (1997) to the effect that failure to strictly comply with MAR 7.1(a)'s filing requirement prevents the superior court from conducting a trial de novo. It follows, we believe, that the requirement in MAR 7.1(a) that proof of service of copies of the request for trial de novo be filed is also a prerequisite to obtaining a trial de novo.... [I]t is only when there has been timely service and filing of proof of that service, that the court may conduct a trial de novo. Both steps must be taken, and on this the rule is unambiguous. Nevers, 133 Wash.2d at 811-12, 947 P.2d 721 (footnote omitted). What the plaintiffs overlook is the fact that we did not say that the requirements of MAR 7.1(a) are jurisdictional. Indeed, we said just the opposite, observing, albeit in a footnote, that: Although we recognize the filing of the request and proof of service with the superior court is somewhat akin to filing a notice of appeal, it is not a step that invokes the superior court's jurisdiction. That court's jurisdiction is invoked upon the filing of the underlying lawsuit and it is not lost merely because the dispute is transferred to mandatory arbitration. Nevers, 133 Wash.2d at 812 n. 4, 947 P.2d 721. Moreover, in Roberts v. Johnson, 137 Wash.2d 84, 969 P.2d 446 (1999), we reaffirmed what we said in Nevers, indicating that the failure of a person to strictly observe the filing requirements set forth in the mandatory arbitration rules does not deprive the superior court of jurisdiction. We observed that a judgment entered on an arbitration award by a superior court, where the arbitrator had failed to file proof of service of that award on the parties as required by MAR 6.2, [7] is not subject to being vacated as a void judgment. We note, also, that Division One of the Court of Appeals has similarly held that MAR 7.1(a)'s proof of service requirement is not jurisdictional and that an objection to failure to file proof of service can be waived if not raised in a timely manner. See Wright v. Miller, 93 Wash.App. 189, 963 P.2d 934 (1998), review denied, 138 Wash.2d 1017, 989 P.2d 1143 (1999). Our conclusion that a party's noncompliance with MAR 7.1(a)'s proof of service requirement does not deprive a superior court of jurisdiction to conduct a trial de novo following mandatory arbitration is consistent with the Legislature's purpose in enacting the mandatory arbitration statutes: `to reduce congestion in the courts and delays in hearing civil cases.' Nevers, 133 Wash.2d at 815, 947 P.2d 721 (emphasis omitted) (quoting Perkins Coie v. Williams, 84 Wash.App. 733, 737, 929 P.2d 1215, review denied, 132 Wash.2d 1013, 940 P.2d 654 (1997)). We believe that if we were to conclude otherwise, we would be defeating, rather than promoting, this purpose. The plaintiffs' approach, in short, would serve to increase congestion in our trial courts by allowing a party to await the outcome of the trial de novo before deciding whether to object to what he or she already knowsthat their opponent did not file proof of service. If we were to adopt that reasoning, we would be coming down on the side of needless trials, wasting of judicial resources, and the unnecessary expenditure of funds for attorney fees and costs. We would also be violating the principle that procedural rules should be interpreted to eliminate procedural traps and to allow cases to be decided on their merits. In re Detention of Turay, 139 Wash.2d 379, 390, 986 P.2d 790 (1999), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 121 S.Ct. 880, 148 L.Ed.2d 789 (2001). Finally, we note that the defect in these casesthe defendants' failure to timely file proof of service of their request for trial de novobears greater similarity to waivable procedural defects, [8] than to a defect that deprives a court of subject matter jurisdiction. Although the plaintiffs contend that the superior court acted outside its authority, we are satisfied that both of the trial courts were not deprived of jurisdiction any more than is a trial court that entertains litigation where a party has been improperly served with process and that party fails to object to the improper service until after trial. In this regard, we think our recent decision in Lybbert v. Grant County, 141 Wash.2d 29, 1 P.3d 1124 (2000), is instructive. There, we held that a party waived the right to the defense of insufficient service of process where it failed to preserve the defense by pleading it in its answer or other responsive pleading before proceeding with discovery..., it engaged in discovery over the course of several months and then, after the statute of limitations had apparently extinguished the claim against it, it asserted the defense. Lybbert, 141 Wash.2d at 44, 1 P.3d 1124; see also Raymond v. Fleming, 24 Wash.App. 112, 114-15, 600 P.2d 614 (1979), review denied, 93 Wash.2d 1004 (1980).