Court Opinion

ID: 9668376
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 02:10:43.402383+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:44.913099
License: Public Domain

David Newbern, Justice, concurring. The majority opinion reaches the correct result in affirming this case. Because we are not confronted with an action by the Huffmans raising the same claim upon which they first succeeded against Mr. Alderson, and because we are not confronted with the filing of an action by the Huffmans raising an issue previously litigated, although we may be aware of their desire to do so, I believe the discussion of res judicata and collateral estoppel is unnecessary. The issue before us is solely whether the Trial Court erred in refusing to set aside the earlier judgment due to misconduct on the part of Mr. Alderson, Ark. R. Civ. P. 55(c)(3), or other reason justifying relief from the judgment. Ark. R. Civ. P. 55(c)(4). The misconduct alleged is Mr. Alderson’s failure to notify his insurer of the claim. By virtue of his inaction, Mr. Alderson deprived himself of insurance coverage. That was not misconduct to the direct prejudice of the Huffmans. Nor have we been given any other reason to set aside the default judgment which, after all, favored the Huffmans. Underlying all of this is the language of Rule 55(c) that seems to contemplate setting aside a judgment only upon motion by a defendant who must “demonstrate a meritorious defense” unless the judgment is “void.” The rule obviously does not contemplate allowing a party who has obtained a judgment by default to return to the trial court to have it set aside because of some error or failure to obtain an advantage which he or she perceives may have been lost due to his or her own failure. The Trial Court correcdy declined to set the judgment aside. Brown, J., and Imber, J., join in this opinion.