Court Opinion

ID: 9711716
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 04:37:41.291144+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:07.028425
License: Public Domain

DEL SOLE, Judge,
concurring.
While I concur in the result reached by the majority in this case, I write separately to point out that I believe the trial court’s error caused the defendant not to file a post trial motion to remove the non pros.
The facts in this case, briefly stated, show that on the date when the case was called for trial, the plaintiff did not appear, and on motion of the defendant, the court dismissed the matter with prejudice.
Pa.R.C.P. 218(a) provides that where a plaintiff is not ready when a case is called for trial “the court may enter a non suit on motion of the defendant or á non pros on the court’s own motion.” Here, since the defendant made the motion to dismiss, the court, in effect, entered a non suit. Pa.R.C.P. 227.1(a)(3) requires the filing of a post trial motion to remove a non suit.
However, since the trial court did not clearly label its order the granting of a non suit and since a good deal of confusion exists with regard to the appropriate practice in this case, I would join the result of the majority that would excuse the failure to file a post trial motion and vacate the non suit.