Opinion ID: 429666
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the propriety of denying the leave to amend

Text: 16 Having decided that the appeal is timely and properly before us and that the court's initial dismissal of the complaint was not a final order, we must still determine whether the trial court erred in denying leave to amend. 17 The plaintiff argues that he had a right to amend the complaint once as a matter of course under Rule 15(a) 5 even after its dismissal. As noted earlier, some courts have adopted this approach on the rationale that the motion to dismiss is not a responsive pleading for the purposes of Rule 15(a), and, therefore, even after dismissal of the complaint the plaintiff has the right to amend. See, e.g., 222 East Chestnut Street Corp. v. Lakefront Realty Corp., 256 F.2d 513 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 358 U.S. 907, 79 S.Ct. 232, 3 L.Ed.2d 228 (1958). The Second Circuit, however, has viewed the right to amend as dissolving upon the granting of the motion to dismiss. Elfenbein, 590 F.2d at 448 n. 2. 18 Our circuit has not expressly decided the issue, see McCrary v. Poythress, 638 F.2d 1308, 1314 (5th Cir.1981) (declining to decide the issue), and the case law is somewhat contradictory. Compare Case v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., 294 F.2d 676, 678 (5th Cir.1961) (speaking of right to amend under Rule 15(a) after dismissal) with Dowdy v. Procter & Gamble Mfg. Co., 267 F.2d 827, 828 (5th Cir.1959) (indicating leave of court needed to amend). See also Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. v. Ambassador Concessions, Inc., 489 F.2d 282, 283 (5th Cir.1973) (discussing both right to amend; need for court's leave to amend) and Exxon Corp. v. Maryland Casualty Co., 599 F.2d 659, 662 n. 10 (5th Cir.1979) (indicating plaintiff had right to amend but right not absolute). 19 The commentators have criticized those courts holding that the plaintiff has an absolute right under Rule 15(a) to amend after dismissal of the complaint as frustrating the desire for certainty in the termination of litigation. Moore's Federal Practice p 15.07; Wright & Miller, Sec. 1483. The criticism is in part premised on the ability of the plaintiff to request leave to amend and the fact that such leave is to be granted liberally. See Moore, supra; Wright & Miller, supra. 20 In light of this criticism and the confusion in this circuit's case law on the issue, we find it appropriate to adopt the rule that after a complaint is dismissed the right to amend under Rule 15(a) terminates; the plaintiff, however, may still move the court for leave to amend, 6 and such amendments should be granted liberally, see, Dowdy, 267 F.2d at 828. The plaintiff may also move for relief under Rules 59(e) 7 or 60(b) 8 on the basis of proposed amendments even after the action is dismissed and final judgment is entered. See Moore's Federal Practice p 15.07. 9 21 Here, the district court denied leave to amend because it viewed its earlier dismissal of the complaint as tantamount to a dismissal of the action. Because this characterization was in error, we remand for the court to determine whether the proposed amendment should be allowed. In making this determination the court should take into account that amendments are to be liberally granted, Dowdy, supra, and weigh those factors which are relevant to the court's exercise of discretion in deciding whether to allow amendment, see Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 182, 83 S.Ct. 227, 230, 9 L.Ed.2d 222 (1962); Moore's Federal Practice, p 15.08. 22 REVERSED and REMANDED.