Pleadings--Rule 11 sanctions--delay of litigation--dismissal without prejudice--no abuse of
discretion
The trial court did not abuse its discretion by dismissing a defamation action without
prejudice but with an assessment of costs to plaintiff as a Rule 11 sanction for intentionally
delaying litigation. Although defendant contended that the dismissal without prejudice effectively
rewarded plaintiff's delay by allowing a year to recommence the action and nullified the statute of
limitations defense, appellate review is limited to abuse of discretion. Dismissal with prejudice is
available as a Rule 11 sanction but is not mandated.
Joyce L. Davis and Associates, by Joyce L. Davis and Laura J.
Wetsch, for the plaintiff-appellee.
Attorney General Michael F. Easley, by Assistant Attorney
General Thomas O. Lawton III, for the defendant-appellant.
LEWIS, Judge.
Plaintiff, acting pro se, brought a defamation action based on
three letters, each written by defendant on 7 November 1996, 8
November 1996 and 23 June 1997. On 28 October 1997, ten days short
of the expiration of the one-year statute of limitations on the
first letter, plaintiff obtained an ex parte order extending the
limitations period on the first two letters to 17 November 1997.
On the same day, plaintiff timely caused summons to issue, but
never delivered it to the sheriff for service. Thereafter,
plaintiff caused six alias and pluries summonses to issue, on 17
November 1997, 22 January 1998, 23 April 1998, 8 July 1998, 1October 1998 and 14 December 1998, none of which were delivered to
the sheriff for service upon defendant. Each of the summons listed
defendant's correct home and office addresses. On 26 January 1999,
the defendant was served by mail. Defendant moved to dismiss the
action pursuant to Rules 11(a), 12(b)(4), 12(b)(5) and 41(b) of the
North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure. On 11 February 1999, at
the hearing on defendant's motion to dismiss, the court concluded
"plaintiff intentionally delayed the litigation in violation of
Rule 11(a)." Plaintiff's action was dismissed without prejudice
pursuant to Rule 41(b), allowing plaintiff one year to commence a
new action on the same claim, upon payment of costs. Defendant
appeals, contesting the court's dismissal without prejudice.
Rule 41(b) provides that a defendant may move for dismissal of
an action against him for failure of the plaintiff to prosecute or
to comply with the Rules of Civil Procedure. N.C.R. Civ. P. 41(b).
Generally, an involuntary dismissal under Rule 41(b) operates as an
adjudication on the merits and ends the lawsuit. Barnes v. McGee,
21 N.C. App. 287, 289, 204 S.E.2d 203, 205 (1974). However, when
the trial court specifically orders the dismissal to be without
prejudice, as in this case, the dismissal is not an adjudication on
the merits and plaintiff is allowed one year in which to re-file
the action. N.C.R. Civ. P. 41(b).
Plaintiff has not cross-assigned error to the trial court's
finding that plaintiff intentionally delayed litigation inviolation of Rule 11(a), and it is binding on this Court. N.C.R.
App. P. 10(d). Upon a violation of Rule 11(a), some degree of
sanction is mandatory. Turner v. Duke University, 91 N.C. App.446, 449, 372 S.E.2d 320, 322 (1988), rev'd on other grounds,
325
N.C. 152, 381 S.E.2d 706 (1989). The trial court's decision of
whether to impose mandatory sanctions under Rule 11(a) is reviewed
de novo. Turner v. Duke University, 325 N.C. 152, 165, 381 S.E.2d
706, 714 (1989). However, our review concerns only the
appropriateness of the sanction. Accordingly, the decision of
which sanction to impose for violation of Rule 11(a), including
involuntary dismissal, is exercised in the broad discretion of the
trial court. Id. (appropriateness of sanctions reviewed for abuse
of discretion); Whedon v. Whedon, 313 N.C. 200, 213, 328 S.E.2d
437, 439 (1985) (dismissal under Rule 41(b) reviewed for abuse of
discretion). Thus, our review is limited to a determination of
whether abuse appeared in the exercise of the trial court's
discretion.
Defendant contends the trial court's dismissal without
prejudice effectively rewarded plaintiff's delay by allowing a year
to recommence the action, and effectively sanctioned defendant by
nullifying his statute of limitations defense. Specifically,
defendant argues a finding of intentional delay in violation of
Rule 11(a) requires the trial court to dismiss plaintiff's action
with prejudice. Thus, we must determine whether the trial court
abused its discretion by dismissing this action without prejudice
pursuant to Rule 41(b), based on its finding that Rule 11(a) was
intentionally violated.
At the outset we note that in addition to dismissing the
action without prejudice, the trial court assessed plaintiff costsof the action. Defendant's argument implies that the dismissal
without prejudice effectively abrogated any penalty resulting from
the court's imposition of costs. While our review focuses on
whether the trial court was required to dismiss this action with
prejudice, we emphasize that imposition of costs is one of many
permissible sanctions under Rule 11(a). Griffin v. Sweet, __ N.C.
App. __, __, 525 S.E.2d 504, 506 (2000).
Defendant contends Smith v. Quinn, 324 N.C. 316, 378 S.E.2d 28
(1989), requires a trial court to dismiss an action with prejudice
upon finding a violation of the Rules of Civil Procedure. We
disagree. The plaintiff in Smith did not attempt to serve
defendant for almost eight months after the complaint was filed.
Id. at 317, 378 S.E.2d at 29. Based upon its finding that
plaintiff willfully and intentionally violated Rule 4(a), the court
dismissed plaintiff's action with prejudice. Id. The court held
dismissal of an action with prejudice pursuant to Rule 41(b) is "an
appropriate" remedy where the Rules of Civil Procedure have been
violated for the purpose of delay or gaining an unfair advantage.
Id. at 318-19, 378 S.E.2d at 30. Although the holding in Smith
illustrates that dismissal with prejudice pursuant to Rule 41(b) is
available as a sanction for violating Rule 11(a), it does not
mandate this sanction in any instance. In light of the trial
court's broad discretion in determining the appropriate remedy, the
court's recitation in Smith that a dismissal with prejudice is
"appropriate" cannot serve as a basis for us to require dismissal
with prejudice here. Based on this authority, we do not find thetrial court abused its discretion. See also Sellers v. High Poi
nt
Mem. Hosp., 97 N.C. App. 299, 303, 388 S.E.2d 197, 199 (1990),
(holding dismissal with prejudice proper where plaintiff
intentionally delayed service of process in violation of Rule 4,
but setting forth no requirement of dismissal with prejudice).
Defendant also contends that the instant case is controlled by
Estrada v. Burnham, 316 N.C. 318, 341 S.E.2d 538 (1986). Again, we
are not persuaded, as Estrada is distinguishable. In Estrada,
plaintiff filed a "bare bones" complaint the day before the
applicable statute of limitations expired. Id. at 319, 341 S.E.2d
at 539. Two minutes after filing the complaint, plaintiff filed a
notice of dismissal purporting to voluntarily dismiss the action
without prejudice, pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1). Id. No attempt was
made to serve the summons, complaint or notice of dismissal on
defendant -- plaintiff filed the action merely to toll the statute
of limitations for one year. Id. at 320, 341 S.E.2d at 540.
Because the plaintiff gained a year in voluntarily dismissing the
action, the next day plaintiff's counsel was able to file a new
complaint without violating the statute of limitations. The trial
court dismissed this second action with prejudice. Id. at 321, 341
S.E.2d at 540. The Court of Appeals reversed, allowing plaintiff
to recommence the action within one year. The Supreme Court,
however, held that dismissal with prejudice was required because
plaintiff had no intention of actually prosecuting the first filed
action. Instead, his sole purpose in filing the first action was
to toll the statute of limitations and gain another year in whichto re-file the claim. His action thus amounted to a "sham and
false" pleading, thereby mandating dismissal with prejudice. Id.
at 323-24, 341 S.E.2d at 542.
Defendant argues the rule from Estrada should apply to
dismissals under Rule 41(b). We disagree. The plaintiff in
Estrada had no intention of prosecuting the first filed action, and
in addition, took advantage of its automatic right to an
involuntary dismissal pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1). Under Rule
41(a)(1), before the plaintiff rests his case, he is entitled to
one voluntary dismissal upon mere provision of notice, without
order of the court. Under Rule 41(b), however, a motion to dismiss
must be made by defendant, and the trial court must necessarily
review that motion. Thus, Rule 41(b) offers its own protection
against flagrant violations of our Rules of Civil Procedure.
Because of these differences in the applicable rules, given our
standard of review, we will not extend the rule from Estrada
requiring dismissal with prejudice to this case. As such, we find
no abuse of discretion by the trial court based on the rule
espoused in Estrada.
Although we view the plaintiff's practices less than
exemplary, see, e.g., Robinson v. Parker, 124 N.C. App. 164, 476
S.E.2d 406 (1996), we reemphasize that our review is limited to
finding an abuse of discretion. Until our Supreme Court either
sets forth a rule mandating involuntary dismissal for abuses such
as the one here or alters the applicable standard of review, we do
not find the trial court abused its discretion by dismissing thisaction without prejudice, while assessing the costs to plaintiff.
Affirmed.
Judges GREENE and EDMUNDS concur.
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