Court Opinion

ID: 9451154
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 17:08:01.93323+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:35.455912
License: Public Domain

ON PETITION FOR REHEARING
PER CURIAM.
Appellant Anderson now argues that the judgment of the lower court should have been affirmed because the order and proceedings below for substituted service upon him had been defective. Having hardly more than mentioned this point in his original brief without any supporting argument either in the brief or orally, he well could be deemed to have waived it. J. F. White Engineering Corporation v. United States, 311 F. 2d 410 (10th Cir. 1962); cf. Parrott v. Whisler, 313 F.2d 245 (6th Cir. 1963), and Taylor v. Fee, 233 F.2d 251 (7th Cir. 1956). However, a reference to the record establishes that the present claim in substance is devoid of merit.
There was, indeed, a motion to quash service of summons upon Anderson on the ground that the court’s order for publication of summons was defective for failure to require him to appear and plead by a designated day certain, even though the published summons directed him to appear and plead “within twenty days” and he did in fact specially appear within twenty days after the date of the last publication. This motion by Anderson was entitled “Motion to Quash” and also included a demand for dismissal of the action for “improper venue”. The plaintiff below, appellant here, did not question the irregularity of the process and there is still undisposed of his motion to the trial court for a new order for substituted service requiring the defendant Anderson to appear and plead by a day certain, in order to meet any contention in that respect. The court ruled upon neither this motion nor upon the motion to quash service of process. On the contrary, not even mentioning these matters, it began its decision with the statement, “The question here involved is one of proper venue”. Its conclusions were “that the aims and objects of the action determine that the nature and character of this action is in personam and not in rem and is not maintainable in this venue under the provisions of Section 1655”; and it ordered “that the motions of the defendants to dismiss the action are granted and the complaint is hereby dismissed.”
This was the order from which the appeal was taken and the one that we have reversed. The case was remanded “for further proceedings”. With venue established, it is to be assumed that the trial court will consider whether previous service of process upon Anderson was irregular or adequate and, depending on such ruling, determine what further action, if any, may be necessary, consistent with our decision, with respect to substituted service of process. These questions were not before us and it would be inappropriate to express any opinion concerning them.
The substance of all other matters presented by the petition for rehearing already has been considered and ruled upon by us adversely to Anderson’s present contentions.
The Motion for Rehearing is, denied.