Opinion ID: 2408552
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Berry's Motion for Summary Judgment

Text: The standard of review for appealing the grant of summary judgment is well-established: In these cases, we need only decide if the granting of summary judgment was appropriate based on whether the evidentiary items presented by the moving party in support of the motion left a material question of fact unanswered. The burden of sustaining a motion for summary judgment is always the responsibility of the moving party. All proof submitted must be viewed in a light most favorable to the party resisting the motion, and any doubts and inferences must be resolved against the moving party. Our rule states, and we have acknowledged, that summary judgment is proper when a claiming party fails to show that there is a genuine issue as to a material fact and when the moving party is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law. Milam v. Bank of Cabot, 327 Ark. 256, 261-62, 937 S.W.2d 653, 656 (1997). See Renfro v. Adkins, 323 Ark. 288, 914 S.W.2d 306 (1996). Once a moving party establishes prima facie entitlement to summary judgment by affidavits, depositions, or other supporting documents, the opposing party must meet proof with proof and demonstrate the existence of a genuine issue of material fact. Milam v. Bank of Cabot, supra ; Renfro v. Adkins, supra . Sublett contends, as her first point, that Berry waived a defense of insufficiency of service of process under Ark. R. Civ. P. 12(h)(1) because he failed to move to dismiss the complaint on that ground and further failed to raise the defense in his answer. She concedes that service was not accomplished on Berry within 120 days because counsel was under the false impression that he had died without insurance coverage. Sublett further admits that no attempt was made to seek an extension from the court within the 120-day period from the filing of the complaint. Nevertheless, she contends that Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Campbell, 315 Ark. 136, 865 S.W.2d 643 (1993), and Lawson v. Edmondson, 302 Ark. 46, 786 S.W.2d 823 (1990), support her contention that Berry waived his argument regarding insufficiency of process. The issue for this court to resolve is whether Berry's defense raised in his answer is in truth a limitations defense or whether, in actuality, it is a contention of insufficiency of process. We conclude that the defense is one of limitations that is decided by when the litigation was commenced. Under Rule 3 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure, an action is commenced by filing a complaint with the clerk of the proper court. Forrest City Mach. Works, Inc. v. Lyons, 315 Ark. 173, 866 S.W.2d 372 (1993); Green v. Wiggins, 304 Ark. 484, 803 S.W.2d 536 (1991). But this court has also held that the effectiveness of the commencement date is dependent upon meeting the requirements of Rule 4(i), which provides in part that service of process on a defendant must be accomplished within 120 days after the filing of the complaint. See Edwards v. Szabo Food Serv., Inc., 317 Ark. 369, 877 S.W.2d 932 (1994); Hicks v. Clark, 316 Ark. 148, 870 S.W.2d 750 (1994); Forrest City Mach. Works, Inc. v. Lyons, supra ; Green v. Wiggins, supra . In Green v. Wiggins, supra , the appellant filed a medical-malpractice action against several defendants, including the appellees who were two doctors. No attempt at service was made on those appellees, and appellant obtained a voluntary dismissal without prejudice after the two-year medical-malpractice statute of limitations expired. Appellant then refiled his action and attempted unsuccessfully to serve appellees through certified mail. Appellant moved the trial court for an extension 148 days after the filing of his second complaint. We held that because the appellant did not complete service on appellees within 120 days under Rule 4(i), his medical-malpractice action was not commenced, and the savings statute could not be invoked on his behalf. A similar failure by Sublett to commence her cause of action against Berry within the limitations period occurred in the instant case. Moreover, while Rules 12(b)(5) and 12(h)(1) clearly set forth the procedure for raising an insufficiency-of-service-of-process defense, they do not set the conditions for mounting a limitations defense. The touchstone for a limitations defense to a tort action is when the cause of action was commenced. See Ark.Code Ann. § 16-56-105 (1987). Berry raised the statute of limitations as an affirmative defense in his answer and has shown failure to commence the litigation within three years as required by our caselaw. See Forrest City Mach. Works, Inc. v. Lyons, supra ; Green v. Wiggins, supra . That is all that is required. Finally, we view the cases of Lawson v. Edmondson, supra , and Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Campbell, supra , as clearly distinguishable. The Lawson case did not involve the statute of limitations but solely concerned a Rule 12(b)(5) defense of insufficient service. Similarly, the issues of commencement of a cause of action and the running of a limitations period were not before this court in the Farm Bureau case. Hence, neither case is authority for the question at hand. Because the accident occurred on January 8, 1992, and service on Berry was not obtained within 120 days after Sublett filed her complaint on January 3, 1995, and no extension was sought, the statute of limitations ran on this cause of action. The trial court was correct in granting summary judgment in favor of Berry.