Opinion ID: 163105
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Pre-Answer Motion

Text: Rule 12(a) gives a federal governmental defendant 60 days in which to answer a plaintiff’s complaint. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(3)(A)-(3)(B). In this case the governmental defendants never answered Plaintiff’s complaint. Instead, they moved to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). The district -4- court granted their motion. Plaintiff asserts that Defendants defaulted when they failed to answer his complaint within the 60-day period. The 12(b)(6) defense may be raised in a pre-answer motion. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b). “Unless a different time is fixed by court order, the service of a [12(b)(6)] motion . . . alters the[] period[] of time [for filing an answer].” Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(4). “[I]f the court denies the motion . . . , the [answer must] be served within 10 days after notice of the court’s action.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(4)(A). If the court grants the motion, as it did here, the plaintiff’s action is dismissed, and an answer is no longer necessary. Thus, Defendants did not default.