Court Opinion

ID: 9549764
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 18:24:32.882574+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:20:53.530657
License: Public Domain

*1268LAVENDER, Vice Chief Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion.
In the majority opinion, there is reliance on prior authorities of this jurisdiction1 that indicate “out of the state,” as used in statutes concerning tolling of the limitation period, is based on the inability for personal service because one is absent from the state. That, absence from the state is not important other than its effect in preventing personal jurisdiction. Jarchow v. Eder, Okl., 433 P.2d 942 (1967) is then applied. There this court refused through § 98, as then written, to toll the limitation period based on absence from the state for there was available personal jurisdiction, equivalent of personal service, through the “nonresident motorist act.” 2 Here, the majority opinion applies that same rationale for the same equivalent personal jurisdiction is available through that same act and the “long arm statute.”3
The majority opinion ignores the legislative history of § 98 after Jarchow, supra. Laws, 1970, c. 76 took the same § 98 of Jarchow, and added the following language:
“notwithstanding the provisions of Title 12, §§ 141, 187, and 1701.01 to 1706.04, inclusive, and Title 47, §§ 391, 392 and 393 to 403, inclusive, of the Oklahoma Statutes, or any other statutes extending the exercise of personal jurisdiction of court over a person or corporation based upon service outside this state, or based upon substituted service upon an official of this or any other state or nation.”
This amendment made ineffective the rationale of Jarchow. Public policy was expressed contra to Jarchow by the legislative branch of government. Tolling was allowed under § 98 based on one being absent from the state, notwithstanding amenability to service and personal jurisdiction through the “non-resident motorist act” and the “long arm statute.”
I make no judgment as to the wisdom of such a public policy. The effect of such a policy couched in terms of good or bad legislation is not this court’s prerogative to review. Nor do I have a quarrel with the Jarchow decision as an expression of the weight of authority of case law. My disagreement comes with the application of Jar-chow’s reason to deny tolling, after the amendment of § 98. The Jarchow reason has been expressly nullified by statute and the legislature. Here, I limit the review to one of validity or invalidity based on the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of § 98, as now amended. It should be examined only in that perspective.
The majority opinion finds the statutory classification in § 98 of “one out of state,” as opposed to one present in the state, to be denial of equal protection. That opinion recognizes a “two-tiered” approach to equal protection problems on statutory classification of (1) a “fundamental right” and the necessity for a compelling state interest, and (2) “some rational relationship” to a legitimate state purpose.4 The majority opinion does not reach “fundamental right.” That opinion applies the “rational relationship” test to a legitimate state purpose. The majority opinion finds none. I am of the opinion this is basic error.
The entire concept of statutes of limitation is a legitimate state purpose. Statutes *1269of limitation are by legislative grace, and are subject to a relatively large degree of legislative control. To toll the statutes of limitation is to remove the bar. Smedley v. State Industrial Court, Okl., 562 P.2d 847 (1977). A tolling statute is an integral part of the concept of limitations. A statutes of limitation problem and tolling were the subject of Chase Securities Corp. v. Donaldson, 325 U.S. 304, 65 S.Ct. 1137, 89 L.Ed. 1628. That opinion said of such statutes:
“* * *. They are by definition arbitrary, and their operation does not discriminate between the just and the unjust claim, or the avoidable and unavoidable delay. They have come into the law not through the judicial process but through legislation. They represent a public policy about the privilege to litigate. There shelter has never been regarded as what now is called a ‘fundamental’ right or what used to be called a ‘natural’ right of the individual. He may, of course, have the protection of the policy while it exists, but the history of pleas of limitation shows them to be good only by legislative grace and to be subject to a relatively large degree of legislative control.” (Footnotes omitted; emphasis added.)
The classification of § 98 is now “absent from the state,” as opposed to being present in the state. The majority opinion is in error in equating “absence” to be the same as “non-resident.” Residency and non-residency are not the classification of § 98. One may be a resident of the state, but absent therefrom so as to allow tolling, i.e. a student attending an out of state college, one temporarily serving at a military post out of state.
A rational relationship can be drawn between tolling and absence from the state. Tolling when the party is absent from the state allows a delay while awaiting service within the state. This provides a much surer guaranty of a sound judgment than some methods of service allowed by the long arm statute. This provides a much surer guaranty of notice and due process than the more synthetic procedures of the non-resident motorist act. It is reasonable to assume the legislature intended to furnish a plaintiff with a option to proceed at once against the person who is outside that state, or to defer such procedure until his return. Couts v. Rose, 152 Ohio St., 458, 90 N.E.2d 139, 141 (1950). I find a legitimate state purpose and a rational relationship between that purpose and the classification for allowing tolling while absent from the state. I apply the test selected by the majority opinion. There is no denial of equal protection. Section 98 is constitutional.
The majority opinion finds § 98 to be a violation of Art. 5, § 52 of the Oklahoma Constitution. That constitutional provision does not allow the legislature to revive an action already barred by statute. Here, there has been no revival of an action already barred, unless the tolling by § 98 is invalid by its unconstitutionality. The majority opinion would use its finding of unconstitutionality of § 98 to make it also in violation of, and therefore unconstitutional under Art. 5, § 52, Const. I cannot agree with that reasoning or position.
I believe § 98 to be constitutional and would reverse and remand.
I am authorized to state that HODGES, C. J., and WILLIAMS and IRWIN, JJ., join in this dissent.

. St. Louis-S.F.R. Co. v. Taliaferro, 67 Okl. 37, 168 P. 788 (1917); Walker v. L.E. Meyers Const. Co., 175 Okl. 548, 53 P.2d 547 (1935); Graves, et al. v. Foster, 158 Okl. 36, 12 P.2d 502 (1932).

. 47 O.S.1971, §§ 391, 392, and 393 to 403, inclusive.

. 12 O.S.1971, §§ 1701.01 to 1706.04, inclusive.

. Legal literature recognizes in United States Supreme Court decisions two different tests on equal protection problems. There is also thought to be a third test appearing in recent decisions that occupies a middle ground between the two. Gunther, The Supreme Court —Foreward, 86 Harv.L.Rev. 1, 18-24 (1972); Nowak, Realigning the Standards of Review Under the Equal Protection Guarantee — Prohibited, Neutral, and Permissive Classifications, 62 Geo. L.J. 4, 1071-1122.