Opinion ID: 1129523
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: vacation of default judgment

Text: Lastly, we must address Mitchell's argument concerning the trial court's vacation of the default judgment which was granted in favor of Mitchell. In Beck v. Jarrett, 363 P.2d 215, 218 (Okla. 1961), we found the defendant's failure to appear at the trial was the result of a misunderstanding which did not amount to the type of negligence as would justify the sustaining of the default judgment. We quoted with approval from Hodges v. Alexander, 44 Okla. 598, 145 P. 809 (1915) stating: `It is an abuse of discretion for the Court to refuse to open a judgment by default where the answer presents a good defense, and the showing made by the defendant is a reasonable excuse for the absence of the defendant and his attorney at the time of the trial, with no negligence on his part, and where no substantial prejudice would result from the sustaining of such motion.' Additionally, a default judgment must be set aside if the court had no jurisdiction over the subject matter of the action. Farmers' Union Co-op. Royalty Co. v. Woodward, 515 P.2d 1381, 1384 (Okla. 1973). In the present case appellee's attorney failed to appear at the December 4, 1987, hearing because he thought it was unnecessary after being told by the Court Clerk of Atoka County that Mitchell had not filed a writ of habeas corpus ad testificandum. Appellee timely filed a motion to set aside the default judgment explaining his misunderstanding. Under the circumstances, we find the order of the trial court setting aside the default judgment was not an abuse of discretion. AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART AND REMANDED WITH DIRECTIONS to conduct a due process hearing on the loss of earned credits as set out in Part II. DOOLIN, C.J., HARGRAVE, V.C.J., and LAVENDER, OPALA, ALMA WILSON and SUMMERS, JJ., concur. SIMMS, J., concurs in result. KAUGER, J., recused.