Educational Credit Management Corporation v. Southern Sanitation, Inc.

Filing 9

ORDER granting 8 Plaintiff's Amended Motion for Clerk's Entry of Default Against Defendant Southern Sanitation, Inc. The Clerk is directed to enter a Clerk's Default against Defendant Southern Sanitation, Inc. Signed by Magistrate Judge Carol Mirando on 4/18/2018. (DRS)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
FORT MYERS DIVISION
EDUCATIONAL CREDIT
MANAGEMENT CORPORATION,
Plaintiff,
v.

Case No: 2:18-cv-133-FtM-29CM

SOUTHERN SANITATION, INC.,
Defendant.
ORDER
This matter comes before the Court upon review of Plaintiff’s Amended Motion
for Clerk’s Entry of Default Against Defendant Southern Sanitation, Inc. filed on
April 17, 2018. Doc. 8. Plaintiff Educational Credit Management Corporation filed
a motion on April 12, 2018, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(a), for the
entry of Clerk’s default against Defendant Southern Sanitation, Inc. for failure to
defend.

Doc. 6.

The Court denied the motion without prejudice because it was

unclear whether service on Defendant was proper.

Doc. 7.

Plaintiff filed the

instant, amended motion with an updated Return of Service. Doc. 8; Doc. 8-1. The
Court will now grant the amended motion.
Pursuant to Rule 55(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, “[w]hen a party
against whom a judgment for affirmative relief is sought has failed to plead or
otherwise defend, and that failure is shown by affidavit or otherwise, the clerk must
enter the party’s default.” Similarly, Middle District of Florida Local Rule 1.07(b)
provides:

When service of process has been effected but no appearance or response
is made within the time and manner provided by Rule 12, Fed. R. Civ.
P., the party effecting service shall promptly apply to the Clerk for entry
of default pursuant to Rule 55(a), Fed. R. Civ. P.
M.D. Fla. R. 1.07(b). Prior to directing the Clerk to enter a default, the Court must
first determine whether Plaintiff properly effected service of process. United States

v. Donald, No. 3:09-cv-147-J-32HTS, 2009 WL 1810357, at *1 (M.D. Fla. June 24,
2009).
Service on a corporation can be made by any manner accepted in the state or
“by delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to an officer, a managing
or general agent, or any other agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive
service of process[.]”

Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(h)(1)(A), (e)(1).

Florida law provides a

hierarchy for service of process upon a corporation. Fla. Stat. § 48.081. A private
corporation may be served by serving process on the president, vice president, or
other head of the corporation, and in the absence of any such persons, on other
corporate employees, including any officer or director.

Id. § 48.081(1)(a)-(d).

Alternatively, process may be served on a registered agent of the corporation or on an
employee of the registered agent.

Id. § 48.081(3)(a).

If the address for the

registered agent is a private residence, service on the corporation may be made by
serving the registered agent in accordance with Section 48.031.

Fla. Stat. §

48.081(3)(b). Section 48.031(1)(a) permits service by leaving a copy of the complaint
at a person’s “usual place of abode with any person residing therein who is 15 years
of age or older and informing the person of [its] contents.”

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Here, the Amended Return of Service states a process server from OJF Services
Inc. served a true copy of the Summons, Civil Cover Sheet, Notice of Pendency of
Other Actions, Related Case Order and Track One Notice, Standing Order, and
Complaint with Exhibits upon Barbara Hunter, “co-resident” of Southern Sanitation,
Inc.’s registered agent, Matthew Beebe,1 at 310 5th Street NW, Naples, FL 34120.2

See Doc. 8-1. The amended form also describes Ms. Hunter as over 15 years of age.
See id. Service of process was therefore properly effected under Sections 48.081(3)(b)
and 48.031(1)(a) of the Florida Statutes.
Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(a)(1)(A), a defendant must
serve an answer within 21 days after being served with the summons and complaint.
Here, Defendant has failed to do so within the time period. Therefore, the entry of
Clerk’s Default pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(a) and Middle District
of Florida Local Rule 1.07(b) is appropriate.
ACCORDINGLY, it is
ORDERED:
1.

Plaintiff’s Amended Motion for Clerk’s Entry of Default Against

Defendant Southern Sanitation, Inc. (Doc. 8) is GRANTED.
2.

The Clerk is directed to enter a Clerk’s Default against Defendant

Southern Sanitation, Inc.

Matthew Beebe is the registered agent for Southern Sanitation, Inc. See Florida
Department of State Division of Corporations, http://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz (last visited
Apr. 13, 2018). His address is listed as 310 5th St NW, Naples, FL 34120. See id.
1

This address is a private property owned by Matthew Beebe. See Collier County
Property Appraiser, http://www.collierappraiser.com/ (last visited Apr. 13, 2018).
2

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DONE and ORDERED in Fort Myers, Florida on this 18th day of April, 2018.

Copies:
Counsel of record

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