Default Judgment Nullified by Ineffective Service of Corporation
Ex parte LERETA, LLC: Under Alabama Rule of Civil Procedure 4, service on a corporation or business entity cannot be perfected by certified mail addressed merely to the entity itself, and ineffective service will result in a void default judgment for lack of personal jurisdiction. The Facts of the Matter In September 2012, Fronia Warhurst’s house flooded during a rainstorm. In July 2014, Warhurst sued the City of Tuscumbia, JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“Chase”), and LERETA, LLC. She alleged (1) that Tuscumbia negligently or wantonly maintained a storm drain, which resulted in the flooding; (2) that Chase wrongfully terminated her...
