Court Opinion

ID: 9753110
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 18:57:52.628996+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:27:29.971294
License: Public Domain

HOOD, Chief Judge
(dissenting).
It is my opinion that the judgment should be set aside and a new hearing had on the issue of the amount of damages, and then only after notice to appellant with an opportunity to participate in the hearing.
Here appellant was in default for failure to appear, and judgment by default was taken against him. He then appeared and moved to vacate the judgment. The trial court granted the motion to vacate the judgment, ruling that judgment could properly be had only after a hearing as to the amount of damages; but the court refused to vacate the entry of default and to permit the filing of an answer. The situation then was that appellant had appeared in court, had been successful in vacating the judgment, but had failed in his endeavor to vacate the default and defend the action; and he was faced with a judgment of uncertain amount, depending upon the evidence to be adduced by appellee. No date was fixed for the hearing on the question of damages. A month later the case was returned “to the files.” After another month had passed, appellee without notice to appellant caused a hearing to be set for assessment of damages and at that hearing obtained a judgment for the full amount claimed in his complaint.
The entry of default constituted an admission by appellant of appellee’s right to recover, but it did not admit the amount of unliquidated damages claimed. Anderson v. Gallman, D.C.Mun.App., 99 A.2d 560. Appellant had the right to appear at and participate in the hearing on the amount of damages,1 and in order to exercise this *352right he was entitled to notice of the hearing. “Where a defendant has been defaulted after he has made an appearance in the action it is generally necessary to notify him of the hearing to make the necessary proof and assess the damages. But a defendant in default for lack of an appearance is not entitled to notice of application for a judgment or the hearing to assess damages.” 3 Freeman Judgments § 1291 (5th ed.), quoted in Lewellyn v. Follansbee, 94 N.H. 111, 47 A.2d 572, 573.
Regardless of the rules of the trial court, appellant was entitled to notice of, and opportunity to be heard at, the hearing to assess damages. Fie was not given this right and for this reason I would reverse.

. 30A Am.Jur. Judgments § 219; Clark v. Collins, 213 Ark. 386, 210 S.W.2d 505; Carson v. Perkins, 217 Ind. 543, 29 N.E, 2d 772; Electrolytic Chlorine Co. v. Wallace & Tiernan Co., 328 Mo. 782, 41 S.W. 2d 1049, 78 A.L.R.. 930; Lindsey v. Drs. Keenan, Andrews and Allred, 118 Mont. 312, 165 P.2d 804, 163 A.L.R. 487; St. Louis & S. F. R. Co., v. Zumwalt, 31 Okl. 159, 120 P. 640; Wileman v. Mayors & Aldermen, etc., 29 Tenn.App. 172, 195 S.W.2d 325.