Opinion ID: 1191255
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the validity of the john doe judgment

Text: We shall first consider whether the trial court erred in declaring the John Doe default judgment void because the trial court did not have jurisdiction of the defendant. Title 12, O.S. 1971, § 320 allows suit against unknown parties: When the plaintiffs shall be ignorant of the name of a defendant such defendant may be designated, in any pleading or proceeding, by any name or description, and when his true name is discovered, the pleading or proceeding may be amended accordingly. The plaintiff, in such case, must state in his petition that he could not ascertain the true name; and the summons must contain the words, `real name unknown,' and a copy thereof must be served personally upon the defendant.  (emphasis supplied) This Court has never construed the unknown parties statute. The Oklahoma Law was derived from the Kansas Code which contains a similar provision. The Supreme Court of Kansas has held that the section applies only where personal service has been made upon the defendant, even though his true name is not known. Whitney v. Masemore, 75 Kan. 522, 89 P. 914 (1907). Likewise, the Oklahoma Statute clearly states that even though the defendant's true name is unknown the summons must be personally served upon the defendant. If it appears on the face of the petition, summons, and journal entry that a default judgment was rendered without service having been made upon the defendant the judgment is void on its face. Sabin v. Levorsen, 193 Okl. 320, 145 P.2d 402 (1944), cert. den. 320 U.S. 792, 64 S.Ct. 205, 88 L.Ed. 477, rhg. den., 320 U.S. 815, 64 S.Ct. 368, 88 L.Ed. 492. There is no provision in Oklahoma for service upon an individual by service upon his agent. 12 O.S. 1971, § 159, requires that the defendant either be served personally or by the service officer leaving the summons at the defendant's residence with a member of the defendant's family over fifteen years of age. The pleadings and judgment roll filed in the instant case clearly show that the only service upon John Doe as an individual was service upon an alleged agent. The default judgment is therefore void.