Court Opinion

ID: 9963182
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-24 17:07:06.452866+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:24:41.766414
License: Public Domain

04/24/2024

                                       rj ORIGINAL
                                                                                         Case Number: DA 23-0582
           IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA

                                        DA 23-0582

PERKINS FAMILY HOLDINGS, LLC                                             FILED
            Plaintiff and Appellant,                                     APR 2 4 2024
                                                                       Bowen Greenwood
                                                                     Clerk of Supreme Court
                                                                        State of Montana
      v.
                                                                     ORDER
THE TILE GUYS, LLC, and
MARSHAL RAY BUTTERFIELD,

             Defendant and Appellee.

       Appellant Perkins Family Holdings appeals from the September 12, 2023 Findings of
Fact, Conclusions of Law and Order on Motion to Set Aside Entry of Default from the
Eleventh Judicial District Court, Flathead County.
       Perkins filed his Notice of Appeal on October 4, 2023, and timely filed an Opening
Brief on January 12, 2024. No parties filed a response, and the case was then submitted to
this Court for disposition. Having read the Opening Brief and having reviewed the
underlying District Court record, we have determined it is not properly before this Court on
appeal.
       Perkins appeals an order of the District Court setting aside an entry of default against
Appellee. "The right of appeal exists only by statute or rule. There is no statute or ruling
authorizing appeal from an order setting aside entry of default before judgment is taken."
McClurg v. Flathead County Comm'rs, 179 Mont. 518, 519, 587 P.2d 415, 416 (1978)
(internal citation omitted). M. R. App. P. 6 authorizes certain specific interlocutory appeals
and states that all other interlocutory judgments are not appealable. See M. R. App. P.
6(5)(f). "We have expressly held that an order setting aside a default is not appealable where
final judgment has not been entered." McClurg, 179 Mont. at 519-20, 587 P.2d at 416.
      Here, Perkins appealed directly after the District Court's order setting aside the entry
of default. A final judgment has not been entered in the case.
      IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that this appeal is DISMISSED and this matter is
REMANDED to the District Court for further proceedings as necessary.
      Dated thisZLI day of April, 2024.

                                                                 Chief Justice

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