Court Opinion

ID: 9692660
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 15:59:35.20805+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:19:35.875299
License: Public Domain

DYKMAN, J.
(dissenting). Though sec. 801.02(1), Stats., requires service of a summons and a complaint within sixty days after filing the summons and complaint with the court, that section does not answer the question, "what is the penalty for a late filing?"
In Clausen and Lowe, The New Wisconsin Rules of Civil Procedure: Chapters 801-803. 59 Marq. L. Rev. 1, 8 (1976), the authors propose an answer to this question:
It may be, of course, (and the writer would argue that it should be) that the supreme court will, if presented with the issue, hold that a late service does not create jurisdictional defenses, but rather constitutes simply a failure to comply with the rules giving rise to such sanctions as are appropriate under section 805.03.
Here, a plaintiff exercised great diligence attempting to timely serve a summons and complaint, but was frustrated by a dilatory sheriff in a distant state. I see no reason to destroy plaintiff's cause of action. Instead, I *774would adopt Clausen and Lowe's suggestion and remand for a determination of what, if any, sanctions are appropriate.