Wolf Organization, Inc. v. TNG Contractors, LLC ( 2017 )


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  • J-S41037-17
    NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
    WOLF ORGANIZATION, INC.                  :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
    :        PENNSYLVANIA
    Appellee              :
    :
    v.                           :
    :
    TNG CONTRACTORS, LLC, T/D/B/A            :
    SHOWPLACE DESIGN AND REMODEL             :
    :
    Appellant             :        No. 2029 MDA 2016
    Appeal from the Order Entered November 16, 2016
    In the Court of Common Pleas of York County
    Civil Division at No(s): 2015-SU-001461-86
    BEFORE:     GANTMAN, P.J., LAZARUS, J., and PLATT, J.*
    JUDGMENT ORDER BY GANTMAN, P.J.:                      FILED JUNE 19, 2017
    Appellant, TNG Contractors, LLC, t/d/b/a Showplace Design and
    Remodel, appeals from the order entered in the York County Court of
    Common Pleas, which denied Appellant’s motion to open a default judgment
    in this breach of contract action.   Appellee, Wolf Organization Inc., filed a
    complaint against Appellant on April 27, 2015, for breach of contract.
    Appellant failed to respond to the complaint. Appellee served Appellant on
    May 28, 2015, with a 10-day notice of intent to take default as required
    under Pa.R.C.P. 237.1. Appellant again failed to respond to the complaint.
    On July 13, 2015, Appellee filed a proper praecipe for entry of default
    judgment, which was entered that day against Appellant. Appellant filed a
    petition to open the default judgment on August 14, 2015. The court denied
    _____________________________
    *Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.
    J-S41037-17
    Appellant’s petition to open the default judgment on November 16, 2016.
    Appellant filed a timely notice of appeal on December 13, 2016.             On
    December 21, 2016, the court entered an order on the docket, with proper
    notice per Pa.R.C.P. 236, directing Appellant to file a concise statement of
    errors complained of on appeal within twenty-one days, per Pa.R.A.P.
    1925(b).    Appellant did not file its Rule 1925(b) statement until Tuesday,
    January 24, 2017.
    Preliminarily, we observe an appellant must timely comply whenever
    the trial court orders an appellant to file a concise statement of errors
    complained of on appeal pursuant to Rule 1925(b).         Commonwealth v.
    Lord, 
    553 Pa. 415
    , 
    719 A.2d 306
    (1998). Regarding civil cases:
    Our Supreme Court intended the holding in Lord to
    operate as a bright-line rule, such that failure to comply
    with the minimal requirement of [Rule] 1925(b) will result
    in automatic waiver of the issues raised. Given the
    automatic nature of this type of waiver, we are required to
    address the issue once it comes to our attention. …
    Greater Erie Indus. Development Corp. v. Presque Isle Downs, Inc.,
    
    88 A.3d 222
    , 224 (Pa.Super. 2014) (en banc) (internal citations and
    quotation marks omitted) (emphasis in original). In civil cases, under Rule
    1925(b): (1) the trial court must issue an order directing an appellant to file
    a concise statement of errors within twenty-one days of that order; (2) the
    trial court must file the order with the prothonotary; (3) the prothonotary
    must enter the order on the docket; (4) the prothonotary must give written
    notice of the entry of the order to each party, pursuant to Rule 236; and (5)
    -2-
    J-S41037-17
    the prothonotary must record Rule 236 notice on the docket. See Pa.R.A.P.
    1925(b); Forest Highlands Community Ass’n v. Hammer, 
    879 A.2d 223
    (Pa.Super. 2005).   See also Pa.R.A.P. 108(b) (explaining date of entry of
    order in cases subject to Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure shall be day
    on which clerk notes on docket that notice of entry of order was given to
    parties as required by Rule 236).
    Instantly, Appellant timely filed a notice of appeal on December 13,
    2016. On December 21, 2016, the court entered an order on the docket,
    with Rule 236 notice, directing Appellant to file a Rule 1925(b) concise
    statement within twenty-one days.         Thus, Appellant’s Rule 1925(b)
    statement was due by Wednesday, January 11, 2017.              See Pa.R.A.P.
    108(b); Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b); Forest 
    Highlands, supra
    . Appellant did not file
    its statement until January 24, 2017, which was patently untimely. Nothing
    in the record indicates Appellant sought or was granted an extension of time
    to file the statement.     Likewise, nothing in the record indicates any
    breakdown in the operations of the court to justify the delayed filing.
    Therefore, Appellant waived its issues for appellate review.    See Greater
    
    Erie, supra
    . Accordingly, we affirm the order denying Appellant’s petition
    to open the default judgment. See generally In re K.L.S., 
    594 Pa. 194
    ,
    197 n.3, 
    934 A.2d 1244
    , 1246 n.3 (2007) (stating where issues are waived
    on appeal, we should affirm rather than quash appeal).
    -3-
    J-S41037-17
    Order affirmed.
    Judgment Entered.
    Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
    Prothonotary
    Date: 6/19/2017
    -4-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: Wolf Organization, Inc. v. TNG Contractors, LLC No. 2029 MDA 2016

Filed Date: 6/19/2017

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 6/19/2017