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Rule 41 – Dismissal of Actions

May 13, 2021 | Civil Procedure, Mississippi

(a) Voluntary Dismissal Effect Thereof.

(1)By Plaintiff By Stipulation. Subject to the provisions of Rule 66, or of any statute of the State of Mississippi, and upon the payment of all costs, an action may be dismissed by the plaintiff without order of court:

(i) by filing a notice of dismissal at any time before service by the adverse party of an answer or of a motion for summary judgment, whichever first occurs; or
(ii) by filing a stipulation of dismissal signed by all parties who have appeared in the action.

Unless otherwise stated in the notice of dismissal or stipulation, the dismissal is without prejudice.

(2)By Order of Court. Except as provided in paragraph (a)(1) of this rule, an action shall not be dismissed at the plaintiff’s instance save upon order of the court and upon such terms and conditions as the court deems proper. If a counter-claim has been pleaded by a defendant prior to the service upon him of the plaintiff’s motion to dismiss, the action may be dismissed but the counter-claim shall remain pending for adjudication by the court. Unless otherwise specified in the order, a dismissal under this paragraph is without prejudice.
(b) Involuntary Dismissal: Effect Thereof. For failure of the plaintiff to prosecute or to comply with these rules or any order of court, a defendant may move for dismissal of an action or of any claim against him. After the plaintiff, in an action tried by the court without a jury, has completed the presentation of his evidence, the defendant, without waiving his right to offer evidence in the event the motion is not granted, may move for a dismissal on the ground that upon the facts and the law the plaintiff has shown no right to relief. The court may then render judgment against the plaintiff or may decline to render any judgment until the close of all the evidence. If the court renders judgment on the merits against the plaintiff, the court may make findings as provided in Rule 52(a). Unless the court in its order for dismissal otherwise specifies, a dismissal under this subdivision and any other dismissal not provided for in this rule, other than a dismissal for lack of jurisdiction, for improper venue, or for failure to join a party under Rule 19, operates as an adjudication upon the merits.
(c) Dismissal of Counter-claim, Cross-Claim or Third-Party Claim. The provisions of this rule apply to the dismissal of any counter-claim, cross-claim, or third-party claim. A voluntary dismissal by the claimant alone pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this rule shall be made before a responsive pleading is served or, if there is none, before the introduction of evidence at the trial or hearing.
(d) Dismissal on Clerk’s Motion.

(1)Notice. In all civil actions wherein there has been no action of record during the preceding twelve months, the clerk of the court shall mail notice to the attorneys of record that such case will be dismissed by the court for want of prosecution unless within thirty days following said mailing, action of record is taken or an application in writing is made to the court and good cause shown why it should be continued as a pending case. If action of record is not taken or good cause is not shown, the court shall dismiss each such case without prejudice. The cost of filing such order of dismissal with the clerk shall not be assessed against either party.
(2)Mailing Notice. The notice shall be mailed in every eligible case not later than thirty days before June 15 and December 15 of each year, and all such cases shall be presented to the court by the clerk for action therein on or before June 30 and December 31 of each year. These deadlines shall not be interpreted as a prohibition against mailing of notice and dismissal thereon as cases may become eligible for dismissal under this rule. This rule is not a limitation upon any other power that the court may have to dismiss any action upon motion or otherwise.
(e) Cost of Previously Dismissed Action. If a plaintiff whose action has once been dismissed in any court commences an action based upon or including the same claim against the same defendant, the court may make such order for the payment of costs of the action previously dismissed as it may deem proper and may stay the proceedings in the action until the plaintiff has complied with the order.

Miss. R. Civ. P. 41

Advisory Committee Notes

After the court clerk has given notice pursuant to Rule 41(d), a party seeking to avoid dismissal for lack of prosecution must either take some “action of record” or apply in writing to the court and demonstrate good cause for continuing the case. Rule 41(d) does not define what constitutes “an action of record.” See Ill. Central R.R. Co. v. Moore, 99 So. 2d 723, 726 (Miss. 2008). Pleadings, discovery requests, and deposition notices are “actions of record.” Id. at 728. An ex parte letter to the court clerk simply requesting that the case remain on the court’s active docket is not an application in writing that demonstrates good cause. Id. at 729- 730. Rather than writing a letter to the clerk, a party should file a written motion with the court that complies with Rule 7(b)(1) and that demonstrates good cause, and should serve such motion in accordance with M.R.C.P. 5. Id. at 727-730. But see Cucos, Inc. v. McDaniel, 938 So. 2d 238, 247 (Miss. 2006) (finding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in considering the plaintiff’s attorney’s letter to the clerk requesting that the case remain on the court’s active docket as sufficient to prevent dismissal where:.(i) the court held a hearing and the plaintiff’s lawyer also represented he was trying to schedule conferences so that defense counsel could talk to plaintiff’s expert witnesses in an effort to facilitate settlement; (ii) local practice was to treat such letters as sufficient; and (iii) the plaintiff was not served with a proper copy of the order of dismissal). Generally, compliance with local practice that is inconsistent with the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure will not, standing alone, be sufficient to prevent dismissal. See Ill. Central R.R. Co. v. Moore, 994 So. 2d 723, 728 (Miss. 2008).

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