Opinion ID: 874295
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Default Was Properly Entered

Text: The appellants argue that the district court abused its discretion in refusing to set aside the default entered by the clerk on March 19, 2003, because the appellants did not receive the three-days' notice required by I.R.C.P. 55(b)(2) to parties who have already appeared in an action. The district court, in ruling on the motion to set aside the default, pointed out that the three-day notice requirement of I.R.C.P. 55(b)(2) did not apply to entry of default under I.R.C.P. 55(a). The appellants were not entitled to three-days' notice of intent to take default because the pertinent rule did not require notice at the time the default was entered. The 2003 version of Rule 55(a)(1) provides [w]hen a party against whom a judgment for affirmative relief is sought has failed to plead or otherwise defend ... and that fact is made to appear by affidavit or otherwise, the court, or the clerk thereof, shall enter default against the party. Idaho R. Civ. P. 55(a)(1). This version of the rule did not contain the present three-day notice requirement for parties who have previously appeared. The March 19, 2003 default was properly entered. The appellants appeared specially in this matter and made motions to dismiss or strike Bach's complaint under I.R.C.P. 12. The last of these motions was denied on March 4, 2003, and the notice of service on the order indicates that it was served on all parties the same day. The court also noted in a later order that the order denying the last motion to dismiss was served on appellants by fax on March 4, 2003. Under I.R.C.P. 12(a), where a motion is made under rule 12(b) prior to filing a responsive pleading, a responsive pleading must be filed within ten days of the denial of the last rule 12(b) motion in order to avoid default. Idaho R. Civ. P. 12(a). The appellants were explicitly put on notice of the fact that a responsive pleading had to be filed by the court's service of the order denying their motion. See Idaho R. Civ. P. 77(d) (Immediately upon the entry of an order ... the clerk of the district court ... shall serve a copy thereof.... Such [service] is sufficient notice for all purposes for which notice of the entry of an order is required by these rules.). Accordingly, the appellants' failure to file their answer by March 14, 2003 provided grounds for entry of default by the clerk under I.R.C.P. 12(a) and 55(a)(1); thus, the clerk properly entered default on March 19, 2003. The district court correctly refused to set aside the default. A defaulted party may petition the court to set aside an entry of default for good cause shown. Idaho R. Civ. P. 55(c). One of the requirements of good cause is the showing of a meritorious defense. Russell, 144 Idaho at 62, 156 P.3d at 563; Hearst Corp. v. Keller, 100 Idaho 10, 12, 592 P.2d 66, 68 (1979). This requirement is imposed because [i]t would be an idle exercise for the court to set aside a default if there is in fact no real justiciable controversy. Id. Consequently, where no meritorious defense is shown in support of a motion to set aside a default, a court does not abuse its discretion in denying the motion. While Harris submitted an affidavit in support of the motion to set aside the default, there were no facts alleged in the affidavit that demonstrated a meritorious defense to Bach's claims. The appellants argue that their answer set forth sufficient facts to constitute a meritorious defense, but that pleading was stricken prior to the hearing on the motion to set aside the default and none of those facts were set forth in the affidavit in support of appellants' motion to set aside default. Thus, it could not properly be considered by the district court in ruling on the motion. Furthermore, as this Court has noted, a party may not rely on an ordinary pleading to prove a meritorious defense because [o]nce a default has been entered the pleading of a defensive matter must go beyond the mere notice requirements that would be sufficient if pled before default. Hearst Corp., 100 Idaho at 12, 592 P.2d at 68. The district court did not abuse its discretion in concluding that appellants had failed to demonstrate a meritorious defense. While appellants' motion to set aside the default made reference to I.R.C.P. 60, appellants do not appear to have pursued that avenue of relief in the district court and have presented no argument on the issue on appeal. Therefore, we do not address it here.