Opinion ID: 578274
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Service on Mr. Goodman.

Text: 19 Audio contends that valid service of process was effected on Mr. Goodman by the mailing of the required documents under Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(c)(2)(C)(ii). Mr. Goodman contends, on the other hand, that the package he received did not contain the acknowledgement form required by the rules. Even assuming that all of the required documents were sent to Mr. Goodman by Audio, service was never completed. 20 Audio never filed an acknowledgment with the court. Audio does not contend that it ever received the acknowledgement from Mr. Goodman. Thus, service was never completed under Rule 4(c)(2)(C)(ii). The count against Mr. Goodman should have been dismissed for insufficiency of service of process. 21 It should be noted that Mr. Goodman has not appealed any of the district court's decisions. Audio, however, has appealed the district court's dismissal of the count against Mr. Goodman. At oral argument, Mr. Goodman pointed to insufficiency of service of process as an alternate reason to uphold that dismissal. 6 The district court never reached the issue of service because it dismissed for failure to state a claim. 22 Review of the district court's holding that Audio failed to state a claim against Mr. Goodman upon which relief could be granted would needlessly involve this Court in a review of the merits of the claims against both B & W and Mr. Goodman. Because we find that Mr. Goodman was never properly served, this Court affirms the dismissal of the count against Mr. Goodman without reaching the failure to state a claim argument.