Court Opinion

ID: 9965366
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-05-02 14:09:00.715315+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:24:55.746992
License: Public Domain

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
                               APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
        This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court ." Although it is posted on the
     internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.

                                                         SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
                                                         APPELLATE DIVISION
                                                         DOCKET NO. A-0772-22

HIGH QUALITY IMPORTS, INC.,

           Plaintiff-Respondent,

v.

MAURO MOTORS, LLC,

           Defendant-Appellant,

and

JOSEPH MAURO,

     Defendant.
_____________________________

                    Submitted January 18, 2024 – Decided May 2, 2024

                    Before Judges Accurso and Walcott-Henderson.

                    On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law
                    Division, Middlesex County, Docket No. L-0092-21.

                    Ferrara Law Group PC, attorneys for appellant (Ralph
                    Peter Ferrara and Noah A. Schwartz, of counsel and on
                    the briefs).
             Nemergut & Duff, attorneys for respondent (Paul J.
             Nemergut III, of counsel and on the brief; Jeffrey M.
             Zajac, on the brief).

PER CURIAM

      In this breach of contract action, defendant-landlord Mauro Motors, LLC

appeals from an order denying its motion to vacate default judgment in favor of

plaintiff-tenant High Quality Imports, Inc., for return of its security deposit of

$59,000.00. Defendant claims plaintiff failed to effect substituted service on it

by certified mail in accordance with our service rules. Because a review of the

record makes clear plaintiff failed to effect proper service on the LLC, we

reverse.

                                          I.

      On April 26, 2012, High Quality Imports, as tenant, and Mauro Motors,

LLC, as landlord, executed a five-year commercial lease agreement with respect

to property in Woodbridge. There is no dispute plaintiff vacated the property

on or before the termination date in the lease and sought the return of its

$59,000.00 security deposit.      When defendant failed to return the security

deposit, plaintiff sued to get it back.

      In a certification accompanying his request for entry of default, plaintiff's

counsel averred service of the summons and complaint was attempted by

Guaranteed Subpoena on defendant at an address on Cross Road in Colts Neck

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but was unsuccessful. Attached to the certification was Guaranteed Subpoena's

notice form indicating service was unsuccessful because "THE ENTITY IS

UNKNOWN AT THE GIVEN COLTS NECK, NJ ADDRESS. A SKIP TRACE

IS RECOMMENDED."

      Counsel certified service was thereafter effected on February 9, 2021,

when plaintiff sent the summons and the complaint by certified mail return

receipt requested to the Cross Road address. Counsel attached a green card

receipt, along with a signature, though there was no printed name and the

adjacent boxes for "Agent" and "Addressee" were left unmarked. Counsel

certified he also served defendant at 611 Amboy Avenue, Woodbridge,

defendant's address listed in the lease, by certified mail return receipt requested.

Attached to counsel's certification was a photocopy of the postal tracking

information confirming delivery was successful; however, the green card was

returned unsigned and otherwise blank.

      Counsel further certified the skip trace revealed a residential address on

Princeton Lane in Colts Neck associated with Cecelia Mauro. Plaintiff claims

Cecelia Mauro is Joseph Mauro's mother and is the president of Mauro Motors. 1

      Counsel certified plaintiff thereafter attempted to personally serve

1
  According to defendant, at no time was she authorized to accept service as its
agent.

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                                         3
defendant with the summons and complaint at the Princeton Lane address.

Attached to plaintiff's certification was Guaranteed Subpoena's notice form

indicating service was unsuccessful, and marked "[e]vading."

      Counsel certified he thereafter served defendant with the summons and

complaint at the Princeton Lane address by certified mail. Attached to plaintiff's

certification was a photocopy of the postal tracking information confirming the

item was delivered on April 12, 2021; however, the green card was returned

unsigned and otherwise blank.

      The certification accompanying plaintiff's request for default did not

reference Rule 4:7, and although noting the failure to make personal service, did

not comply with the Rule's requirement of setting forth the facts of counsel's

diligent inquiry to determine defendant's principal place of business or where an

agent of defendant authorized to accept service on behalf of the LLC could be

located.

      On April 27, 2021, the clerk entered default against defendant. Plaintiff

did not attempt to serve defendant with the request for entry of default or the

entry of default as required under Rule 4:43-1. Thereafter, on June 24, 2021,

plaintiff filed a notice of motion for default judgment and an accompanying

certification pursuant to Rule 4:43-2, serving defendant by regular mail, in

accordance with Rule 1:6 at the Princeton Lane address.

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      The trial court entered final judgment by default against defendant as to

liability. The court further ordered that a determination of the issue of damages

would be reserved for trial and included a brief addendum stating "[h]aving

reviewed the above motion, I find it to be meritorious on its face and it is

unopposed. Therefore, pursuant to [Rule] 1:6-2, it is GRANTED substantially

for the reasons set forth in the moving papers." Plaintiff did not serve the default

judgment on defendant as required by Rule 1:5-2.

      Plaintiff moved for judgment of $26,200.56 by affidavit, providing an

accompanying certification pursuant to Rule 4:43-2. Plaintiff's counsel certified

he served notice of the motion for judgment on defendant by regular mail at the

Princeton Lane address. On October 8, 2021, the court entered an order denying

plaintiff's motion for the entry of final judgment without prejudice and the

matter was scheduled for a proof hearing on the issue of damages.2

      By letter dated February 23, 2022, plaintiff provided notice to defendant

of the proof hearing which was scheduled for March 17, 2022. The letter was

addressed to Mr. Joseph Mauro in care of the law firm Venezia & Nolan P.C.,

2
   The proof hearing was initially scheduled for December 16, 2021 but was
adjourned several times. It was finally heard on March 17, 2022. Plaintiff failed
to serve defendant with any of the proof hearing notices but for the final
adjournment to March 17, 2022.

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"GN Venezia, Agent 306 Main Street Woodbridge, NJ 07095" and "Cecelia

Mauro, President" at the Cross Road address."

      On March 16, 2022, defendant filed a motion to set aside the entry of

default and the default judgment pursuant to Rule 4:50-1(d). In support of the

motion, Joseph Mauro provided a certification stating he had received notice of

the proof hearing and learned of the pending litigation for the first time from an

agent of the law firm of Venezia & Nolan, P.C. on March 5, 2022.                 The

certification also indicated:

             4. The first and only document Defendants received
             relative to this litigation was Plaintiff’s letter dated
             February 23, 2022 which was apparently sent to the law
             firm Venezia & Nolan, P.C. and received by
             Defendants on March 5, 2022. See, Exhibit B.

             5. At no time relative to this litigation has my usual
             place of abode been located at [the Cross Road
             address], 611 Amboy Avenue, Woodbridge, New
             Jersey or [the Princeton Lane address], nor has my
             business or employment been located there.

             6. At no time relative to this litigation has Mauro
             Motors, LLC had a place of business located at [the
             Cross Road address], 611 Amboy Avenue,
             Woodbridge, New Jersey or [the Princeton Lane
             address.]

      On April 11, 2022, Joseph Mauro filed a supplemental certification

seeking to clarify his address, stating:

             3. At all times relevant to the events relative to the
             within motion to vacate default judgment, specifically

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            regarding service of the summons and complaint and
            the other documents which Plaintiff claims to have
            served on me, I have resided at [an address in] Brick.3

      Another judge denied defendant's motion to set aside the default

judgment. In a written statement of reasons, the judge concluded the default

judgment had been properly entered based on his finding that the prior judge

had already determined that service of the complaint was proper. The judge also

found defendant's arguments "unconvincing" and concluded that plaintiff "ha[d]

established a connection between each of the addresses [] and the [d]efendants,"

and that defendant offered no proofs "beyond the self-serving statement that the

only appropriate address is [the Brick address]" to establish plaintiff's service at

the other addresses was improper. The judge further concluded the evidence

"sufficiently support[ed] a finding that [defendant was] evading service" and

that service was proper upon the mailing of the summons and complaint to

defendant via certified mail return receipt requested at 611 Amboy Avenue,

Woodbridge and the Princeton Lane address.

      With the denial of defendant's motion to set aside the default judgment,

the parties appeared before another judge on September 22, 2022 for a proof

hearing on the issue of damages. Having found plaintiff sustained its burden

3
 He further averred the Brick address is the principal place of business of Mauro
Motors.

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with the respect to its breach of contract claim, the court entered judgment for

$59,000.00, the full amount of the unreturned security deposit.

      This appeal followed.

                                     II.

      Rule 4:50-1(d) provides the court may relieve a party from a final

judgment if it is void. "The decision whether to grant such a motion is left to

the sound discretion of the trial court." U.S. Bank Nat'l Ass'n v. Curcio, 444

N.J. Super. 94, 105 (App. Div. 2016) (alteration in original) (quoting Mancini

v. EDS ex rel. N.J. Auto. Full Ins. Underwriting Ass'n, 132 N.J. 330, 334,

(1993)).   However, "[a] default judgment will be considered void when a

substantial deviation from service of process rules has occurred, casting

reasonable doubt on proper notice." Jameson v. Great Atl. & Pac. Tea Co., 363

N.J. Super. 419, 425 (App. Div. 2003) (citing Sobel v. Long Island Entm't Prod.,

Inc., 329 N.J. Super. 285, 293-94 (App. Div. 2000)). "If a judgment is void in

this fashion, a meritorious defense is not required to vacate under the rule." M

& D Associates v. Mandara, 366 N.J. Super. 341, 353 (App. Div. 2004).

      "The primary method of obtaining in personam jurisdiction over a

defendant in this State is by causing the summons and complaint to be personally

served within this State pursuant to R. 4:4–3[.]" R. 4:4–4(a). However,

            if personal service cannot be effected after a reasonable
            and good faith attempt, which shall be described with

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                                           8
            specificity in the proof of service required by R. 4:4–7,
            service may be made by mailing a copy of the summons
            and complaint by registered or certified mail, return
            receipt requested, to the usual place of abode of the
            defendant. . . . The party making service may, at the
            party's option, make service simultaneously by
            registered or certified mail and ordinary mail, and if the
            addressee refuses to claim or accept delivery of
            registered mail and if the ordinary mailing is not
            returned, the simultaneous mailing shall constitute
            effective service. . . . Return of service shall be made
            as provided by R. 4:4–7.

            [R. 4:4–3(a).]

      Under Rule 4:4–7:

            If service is made by mail, the party making service
            shall make proof thereof by affidavit which shall also
            include the facts of the failure to effect personal service
            and the facts of the affiant's diligent inquiry to
            determine defendant's place of abode, business or
            employment. With the proof shall be filed the affidavit
            or affidavits of inquiry, if any, required by R. 4:4–4 and
            R. 4:4–5.

      On appeal, defendant contends the trial court erred in denying its motion

to set aside the default judgment. Defendant argues the judgment is void

because it was never personally served with the summons and complaint.

Plaintiff contends it was justified in serving defendant by mail, arguing it "made

a reasonable and good faith attempt to serve the [defendant] personally at [the

Cross Road address] and [the Princeton Lane address]," and that "any such

notice [of the entry of default] would have been futile, given defendant's position

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                                        9
"that the three addresses at which service of process was attempted had no

relationship to either [its] residence or business." Plaintiff further maintains

"any alleged prejudice suffered" "represents a self[]created hardship, since their

evasion of service of process . . . directly caused the situation[.]" 4

      Here, the primary question is whether plaintiff personally served

defendant, consistent with the Rules of Court, and whether plaintiff filed a return

of service explaining its efforts in adducing where the LLC could have properly

been served.

      From this record, it is undisputed that plaintiff made only one attempt to

personally serve defendant at the Cross Road address on February 5, 2021,

where Guaranteed Subpoena said defendant was unknown, prior to resorting to

substituted service by mail. Critically, after purporting to serve defendant by

substituted service, plaintiff failed to show "by affidavit . . . the facts of the

failure to effect personal service and the facts of the affiant's diligent inquiry, "

into the defendant entity's principal place of business or where an agent of

defendant authorized to accept service could be located. Rule 4:4–7.

4
  Default judgment was also entered against Joseph Mauro, individually, though
no argument was presented as to how defendant could be deemed personally
responsible for the return of plaintiff's security deposit under the lease.
Although plaintiff represented before the trial court that it was not pursuing that
judgment, the judgment against Joseph Mauro, individually, should be vacated
on remand.
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                                         10
      The Rule is clear that the use of all service modes—other than personal

service—must be supported by an affidavit of inquiry showing that the

defendant cannot be personally served. See City of Passaic v. Shennett, 390 N.J.

Super. 475, 483-84 (App. Div. 2007). The filing of an affidavit of inquiry is a

jurisdictional requirement and, thus, a valid judgment cannot be entered based

on alternative service when a diligent inquiry for the identity and location of the

persons entitled to be noticed of the action is not set forth pursuant to Rule 4:4-

7.

      Thus, we conclude that service on defendant was improper and

ineffective. We disagree with the court's conclusion that plaintiff "was forced

to serve" the summons and complaint by certified mail after its first attempt at

personal service or that service by certified mail was "sufficient and [did] not

violate the Due Process rights" of defendant.        Plaintiff, faced with failed

personal service at the Cross Road address, was required to present by

affidavit—within thirty-five days of the attempted substituted service—the facts

of its diligent inquiry into how the LLC could not be personally served under

Rule 4:4-4(a)(5), and how it determined the LLC was connected to any of the

addresses where it attempted substituted service.           See MTAG v. Tao

Investments, LLC, 476 N.J. Super. 324, 339 (App. Div. 2023).

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                                        11
      While plaintiff was not required to leave no stone unturned, Curcio, 444

N.J. Super. at 108, the "affidavit of inquiry . . . demand[s] more than cursory

inquiries or recitals not only as a matter of due process, but also of fundamental

fairness." M & D Associates, 366 N.J. Super. at 354. Plaintiff, faced with the

difficulty of locating defendant LLC for personal service had an alternative to

effectuate service as provided in our Rules, which it failed to employ. The

service of process procedures in the Revised Uniform Limited Liability

Company Act, N.J.S.A. (RULLCA), 42:2C-1 to -94, create an alternative

method of effective service specifically for LLCs. See N.J.S.A. 42:2C-17(b).

"Because RULLCA permits service on the State filing office, service may be

effective on the LLC pursuant to N.J.S.A. 42:2C-17 even where personal service

on an officer of the LLC is defective under Rule 4:4-4(a)(5)." MTAG, 476 N.J.

Super. at 329. Thus, plaintiff inexplicably declined to use a service method that

would guarantee effective service in favor of substituted service . This weighs

heavily against finding plaintiff's service was proper.

      We, therefore, reverse the order declining to vacate entry of default,

vacate the orders entering judgment by default as to liability and entering

judgment in favor of plaintiff-tenant, and remand to allow defendant to answer

the complaint. We further remand for the court to vacate the judgment entered

against Joseph Mauro individually. We do not retain jurisdiction.

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