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Dorsey v. District of Columbia6/19/2003
See amended opinion filed December 31, 2003.
Argued May 5, 2003
Marion Dorsey appeals the trial court's grant of the District of Columbia's motion to dismiss the complaint, its dismissal of the complaint with prejudice, and its denial, as moot, of her motion under Super. Ct. Civ. R. 41 (b) (2002) for leave to serve Corporation Counsel and reinstate her case against the District of Columbia. We affirm the trial court's grant of the motion to dismiss and the dismissal with prejudice. We also affirm the denial of the motion to reinstate.
I.
Dorsey, who allegedly slipped and fell on ice on January 14, 1999, filed a personal injury suit against the District of Columbia on January 11, 2002, served the Mayor on January 14, and filed an affidavit of service on January 30. On March 21, 2002, under Super. Ct. Civ. R. 41 (b), the District moved to dismiss arguing that Dorsey failed to serve Corporation Counsel as required by Super. Ct. Civ. R. 4 (j) (2002) and failed to file proof of service upon Corporation Counsel pursuant to Super. Ct. Civ. R. 4 (m) (2002). The judge granted the District's motion to dismiss stating that Dorsey "failed to comply with mandatory rules . . . ."
Further, in her opposition to the District's motion to dismiss, Dorsey also moved pursuant to Rule 41(b) for leave to serve Corporation Counsel and to have her case reinstated. The judge denied that motion on the ground that, the complaint having been dismissed with prejudice, the motion to reinstate was moot. This appeal followed.
II.
Dorsey first argues that she was not required to serve Corporation Counsel. She also claims, nonetheless, that she complied with Rule 4 (m). We reject Dorsey's claim that she was not required to serve Corporation Counsel on the authority of Young v. United States, 639 A.2d 92, 97 n.8 (D.C. 1994), because it was raised for the first time on appeal. Moreover, her claim fails on the merits. She argues that she was not required to serve Corporation Counsel because D.C. Code § 2-401 (2001) states that " n suits commenced after June 20, 1874, against the District of Columbia, process may be served on the Mayor of the District of Columbia, until otherwise provided by law." Dorsey's reliance on D.C. Code § 2-401 is misplaced, however, because under D.C. Code § 11-946 (2001), Rule 4 (j) supplanted D.C. Code § 2-401. Rule 4 (j) provides that in order to effect proper service upon the District a plaintiff must serve the Mayor and Corporation Counsel. Therefore, because Dorsey failed to serve Corporation Counsel, service on the District was not proper.
Dorsey also argues for the first time on appeal that despite her failure to serve Corporation Counsel, the trial court erred in dismissing her claim under Rule 4 (m), which provides that "proof shall be filed as to each defendant." Although we reject that claim on the authority of Young, supra, the claim also fails on the merits. In support of her claim, Dorsey contends that when she filed proof of service upon the Mayor, she filed proof of service upon the District, which is the only defendant in the case, and thus she did not need to file proof of service upon Corporation Counsel. We disagree.
Dorsey's reading of Rule 4 (m) is contrary to the plain language of Rules 4 (j) and 4 (m), which must be read together. Reading Rule 4 (m) in conjunction with Rule 4 (j), proof of service upon both the Mayor and Corporation Counsel is required to be filed. See McMasters v. United States, 260 F.3d 814, 817-18 (7th Cir. 2001) (" n order to properly serve the United States or its agencies, corporations or officers, plaintiff must deliver a copy of the summons and the complaint
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