Court Opinion

ID: 9720787
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 08:41:30.514523+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:21.296253
License: Public Domain

SULLIVAN, Judge,
concurring.
I agree that the trial court erroneously concluded that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction over Montgomery's claim.
I further agree that Montgomery was not entitled to a default judgment against the State for failure to file a responsive pleading. I part company, however, from the majority opinion with respect to the rationale stated for the holding. The majority rests its decision upon the proposition that the trial court had "granted extensions to file an answer in the cause." Slip op. at 6. The majority's statement is certainly an accurate statement but it does not, in itself, provide a resolution of the issue.
The extension of time granted to file an answer terminated on October 16, 2002. On that date the State did not file a responsive answer but instead filed its motion to dismiss. This state of affairs, however, does not entitle Montgomery to a reversal of the trial court's implicit denial of a default judgment.
The motion for default judgment was not filed until November 1, 2002. At that time, the State's motion to dismiss had been pending for 15 days and awaited ruling by the trial court. At no time had Montgomery moved to strike the State's motion to dismiss as being not in conformity with the pleading specifically authorized by the extension of time. The trial court was therefore entitled to consider and rule, albeit erroneously, upon the motion to dismiss. -
Upon this basis I am able to concur in the decision of the majority and in the remand for further proceedings.