Court Opinion

ID: 9636652
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 14:36:46.628979+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:09:47.746763
License: Public Domain

JOHNSON, Judge,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent. Appellee’s Preliminary Objections, which were sustained by the trial court, raised an important factual issue which Appellant denied in her Answer to Preliminary Objections. I believe the trial court should have taken evidence on this factual dispute before deciding to grant the relief that Appellee requested.
*382On February 27, 1981 Appellee Edmund J. Urban filed a Complaint in Equity alleging that an agreement existed between the parties to sell residential property which they jointly owned as tenants by the entireties and divide the net proceeds equally. A copy of the complaint containing a notice to defend was served on March 6, 1981 and fourteen months later on May 14, 1982 Appellant Margaret A. Urban filed an Answer and New Matter. Appellee responded on June 8, 1982 by filing unverified Preliminary Objections seeking to strike off Appellant’s Answer and New Matter because of lack of conformity to rules of court. Paragraph 13 of the Preliminary Objections alleged that Appellant’s delay in filing her Answer and New Matter prejudiced Appellee. This averment was denied in Appellant’s Answer to Plaintiff’s Preliminary Objections filed on June 23, 1982, but Appellant did not challenge the lack of verification of Appellee’s Preliminary Objections.1
On August 6, 1982, without taking any evidence, the Honorable Isaac S. Garb sustained Appellee’s Preliminary Objections and ordered that Appellant’s Answer and New Matter be stricken.
Pa.R.C.P. 1026 provides:
Every pleading subsequent to the complaint shall be filed within twenty (20) days after service of the preceding pleading, but no pleading need be filed unless the preceding pleading contains a notice to defend or is endorsed with a notice to plead.
This rule, which Appellant clearly did not follow, prescribes no remedy for noncompliance. Where the late filing of a pleading has caused prejudice to the opposing party, however, late pleadings have been stricken.
*383In Moore v. Clabell-Hickory, 301 Pa.Super. 154, 447 A.2d 288 (1982) plaintiffs, shortly before the expiration of the statute of limitations period, brought an action against two general partnerships believed to be the operators of an apartment complex. Defendants’ answer filed almost three months later denied that they operated the apartment complex. Timely preliminary objections to defendants answer claimed that, if the answer had been filed in a timely fashion, plaintiffs would have had an opportunity to join others as additional defendants prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
The trial court concluded that plaintiffs had contributed to the late filing of the answer by waiting until just before the running of the statute to file the complaint. This court, believing that the equities favored the plaintiffs, found that the trial court’s failure to strike the defendant’s answer was an abuse of discretion. See also Commonwealth, Department of Environmental Resources v. Marcoal Company, 54 Pa.Commw. 87, 419 A.2d 821 (1980).
In Moore v. Clabell-Hickory, the record on its face demonstrated that the plaintiffs had been prejudiced by the running of the statute of limitations. There were no unresolved issues of fact before the court on the question of prejudice. In the instant case, however, the issue of prejudice is contested. Appellee Edmund A. Urban alleged that the Appellant’s substantial delay in answering the complaint significantly prejudiced him. This claim of prejudice was denied by Appellant leaving this important factual issue unresolved.
Pa.R.C.P. 1028(c) provides guidance to trial courts when factual issues raised in preliminary objections remain unresolved. The rule states:
A party may file an amended pleading as of course within ten (10) days after service of a copy of preliminary objections. The court shall determine promptly all preliminary objections. If an issue of fact is raised, the court shall take evidence by depositions or otherwise. (Emphasis supplied).
*384In the case at bar, the trial court should have resolved the factual dispute by receiving evidence through interrogatories, depositions or an evidentiary hearing even though the parties had not provided the trial court with evidence necessary for a proper resolution. Luitweiler v. Northchester Corporation, 456 Pa. 530, 535, 319 A.2d 899, 902 (1974); Holt Hauling & Warehousing v. Aronow Roofing, 309 Pa.Super. 158, 161, 454 A.2d 1131, 1133 (1983).
When, as in the instant case, preliminary objections can only be resolved by the presentation of facts outside the record, the trial court must take additional evidence. The failure of the trial court to take evidence where an issue of fact is raised on preliminary objection is a ground, on appeal, to vacate and remand any determination on the preliminary objection. Telstar Corp. v. Berman, 281 Pa. Super. 443, 422 A.2d 551 (1980). See also Bell v. Jefferson Republican Club, 304 Pa.Super. 157, 450 A.2d 149 (1982) (trial court decision opening default judgment was reversed and remanded where no depositions were taken and where there were contested issues of fact).
Because I believe that the trial court had no basis of record finding that the Plaintiff-Appellee had been prejudiced, I would vacate and remand to permit the trial court to take evidence on the question of prejudice.

. Appellant argues before this court that Appellee's Preliminary Objections should be stricken because they are not verified, but since, this argument was raised for the first time in Appellant’s Brief it is waived. Williams v. Stoudt & Son, Inc., 9 D & C 2d 786, 27 Leh.Co.LJ. 130 (1956). See abo General Milb, Inc. v. Suavely, 203 Pa.Super. 162, 199 A.2d 540 (1964); Pa.R.C.P. 1032; Goodrich-Amram 2d § 1024(a):4. But see Siegel v. Stahlfield, 64 D. & C.2d 132 (1973).