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X     `   0  X<X- -  ""        Ad FILEDXx X   July14,1999CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerkdAh \  `(Times NewRomanTT(#$  0   =  $  X   @ @ `   1  X<X  _ThisappealisbeforethecourtonthetechnicalrecordalonebecauseneitherMr.Aldridge  northelawyerwhorepresentedhiminthetrialcourttookthestepsrequiredbyTenn.R.App.P.24(b)or24(c)toprepareandfileeitheratranscriptorastatementoftheevidence.ThetechnicalrecorddoesnotcontainacopyoftheprocessservedonMr.AldridgebecausethetrialcourtclerkomitteditpursuanttoTenn.R.App.P.24(a)whenneitherpartyrequestedthatitbeincludedintherecord.Mr.AldridgehasappendedatranscriptoftheJuly20,1998hearinginthetrialcourtandacopyofthesummonstohisbrief.Wecannotconsiderthisfactualinformationbecauseitisnotpartoftheappellaterecord.SeeTenn.R.App.P.13(c).ThiscourtwouldhavebeenbetterservedhadcounselforMs.Jackson,uponlearningthatMr.Aldridgewasundertakingtorepresenthimself,takentimelystepstoassurethattheappellaterecord,inthewordsofTenn.R.App.P.24(a),containeda fair,accurateandcompleteaccountofwhattranspiredwithrespecttothoseissuesthatarethebasesoftheappeal.   $  X   @ @ `   4  X jX  _X jXXX jMr.Aldridgewasrepresentedbycounselinthetrialcourt.Thereisnothinginthetechnical  recordtosuggestthatthetrialcourthaspermittedcounseltowithdraw.#X jXXX j# [  $  X   @ @ `   2  X jX  _Thetranscriptofthishearing,althoughappendedtoMr.Aldridgesbrief,hasnotbeen  properlyincludedintheappellaterecord. g  $  X   @ @ `   3  X jX  _EvenifweweretoconsiderthesubstanceofMs.Riverasaffidavit,itwouldavailMr.  Aldridgeverylittle.Ms.RiverastatesthatsheworkedwithMr.Aldridgeandthat onoraboutJuly9,1997,an AfricanAmericanuniformedofficercametotheirofficetospeakwithMr.Aldridgeandthathelefther severalfoldedpiecesofpaper.ShestatesthatsheleftthepaperinMr.AldridgesmailanddidnotmentionanythingelsetoMr.AldridgeuntilJuly20,1998.Thesegeneralized,nonspecificstatementsthatdonotidentifythepapersinvolvedoreventheprecisedateareinsufficienttorebuttheofficersreturn.,@AZ"Arial Regular d!"#$&C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  ((' dxdP Pd'dxd U!   _XTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T7TadXXd7     J@r )<,(j 8` `@E ` 8ttxPX  r@JJJJt )>.*jxF` `@E/^` 8ttxPg tJ@ D INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE h @)DATNASHVILLE   b JINNYMYRAJACKSON,    ) @   `     h     ) ` Plaintiff/Appellee,    ) p MontgomeryChancery l   `     h     ) p No.97020022   VS. `     h     )    `     h     ) p AppealNo.   GARISHELDONALDRIDGE,  ) p 01A019809CH00488    `     h     ) ` Defendant/Appellant.    ) @ @ppDAPPEALFROMTHECHANCERYCOURTFORMONTGOMERYCOUNTY@#DATCLARKSVILLE,TENNESSEE@ D@@ww)DTHEHONORABLECAROLCATALANO,JUDGEForPlaintiff/Appellee: h      p   ForDefendant/Appellant: "H MarkleyRunyonGill h      p   GariSheldonAldridge $%t  Runyon&Runyon h      p   ProSe :&! Erin,Tennessee@%D  bAFFIRMEDANDREMANDED#b o #  1f,(  `     h      p WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE  :h50) @)D b OPINION   b  ` Thisappealinvolvestheannulmentofafouryearmarriage.AfterthewifeobtainedtheannulmentjudgmentintheChanceryCourtforMontgomeryCounty,thehusbandmovedtosetasidethejudgmentonthegroundthathehadnotbeenproperlyserved.Thetrialcourtdeniedthemotion,andthehusbandhasappealed.Weaffirmthejudgmentbecausethehusbandhasfailedtoproducesufficientprooftoovercomethepresumptionthathewasproperlyserved.@.D I.  $  ` JinnyMyraJacksonandGariSheldonAldridgeweremarriedonMay28,1993.InJulyof1997,Ms.JacksonfiledforanannulmentonthegroundthatMr.AldridgewasalreadymarriedwhensheandMr.Aldridgewed.Mr.AldridgewasapparentlyservedwithprocessthroughtheDavidsonCountySheriffsDepartment. #  1      ׀Mr. I AldridgedidnotrespondtoMs.Jackson'scomplaint,andso,onSeptember19,1997,thetrialcourtgrantedadefaultjudgment,annullingthemarriage. ` OnOctober14,1997,Mr.Aldridgemovedtosetasidethedefaultjudgmentonthegroundthathehadnotbeenservedwithprocess.Hesupportedthemotionwithhisownaffidavitdenyingthathehadeverbeenserved.OnOctober20,1997,thetrialcourtenteredafinaldecreeofannulmentfindingthatMr.AldridgewasalreadymarriedtoanotherwomanwhenhemarriedMs.JacksonandthathehadinducedMs.Jacksontomarryhimthroughfraudandmisrepresentation. C,'0  ` Thereafter,inMarch1998,Ms.JacksonmovedforTenn.R.Civ.P.11sanctionsforMr.Aldridgesmotiontosetasidetheorderofannulment.ThetrialcourtapparentlyconductedahearingonthesemattersonJuly20,1998. #  2      ׀ H Approximatelyonemonthlater,onAugust14,1998,thetrialcourtdismissedMr.Aldridge'smotiontosetasidethefinaldecreeofannulment.Mr.Aldridgenowappeals,claimingthatthetrialcourterredbyfailingtosetasidethedecreeofannulmentbecausehehadnotbeenproperlyservedwithprocess.@.D II.     ` Mr.Aldridgessoleargumentonappealisthatthetrialcourterredbydismissinghismotiontosetasidethedecreeofannulmentbecausehewasnotproperlyservedwithprocess.Heassertsthatthepresumptivevalidityoftheofficersreturnonthesummonsisunderminedbecausetheofficerwhoservedtheprocessdidnotrecognizehimattrialandbecausehenowhasindependentevidencethattheofficerdidnotproperlyservetheprocess. ` Anofficer'sreturnisprimafacieevidenceofproperserviceofprocess,andtheoathofaninterestedpartyislegallyinsufficienttoovercomethereturn.SeeRoyal 8"$ ClothingCo.v.Holloway,208Tenn.572,574-75,347S.W.2d491,492(1961); #,& Brakev.Kelly,189Tenn.612,620,226S.W.2d1008,1011(1950);_Cullum_Ԁ&Maxey % ( CampingCtr.,Inc.v.Adams,640S.W.2d22,24(Tenn.Ct.App.1982).Thisruleis $'t"* baseduponapresumptionthatpublicofficialsperformtheirdutiesinthemannerprescribedbylaw.SeeWartracev.Wartrace&BeechGroveTurnpikeCo.,42Tenn. l*%. (2Cold.)515,519(1865);ThirdNat.BankofNashvillev.Estes,1986WL3155at ,`'0 *5(Tenn.Ct.App.1986). ` SincewedonothaveatranscriptoftheJuly20,1998hearing,theappellaterecorddoesnotsupportMr.Aldridgesassertionthattheofficerwhoservedtheprocessdidnotrecognizehimatthehearing.Evenifthisassertionweresupportedbytherecord,itdoesnotunderminethevalidityoftheofficersreturnprepared 581< contemporaneouslywiththeserviceofthesummonsandcomplaint.Inlightofthenumberofpersonsanofficerservesinamonthstime,itisnotsurprisingthattheofficerwouldfailtorecognizeapersonheorsheservedwithprocesstwelvemonthsearlier. ` Mr.AldridgealsoreliesonanaffidavitpreparedbyIlonaRiveraasindependentproofthattheofficerdidnotproperlyservehim.LikethetranscriptoftheJuly20,1998hearing,thisaffidavitwasneverproperlymadepartoftherecord,eitherattrialoronappeal.Infact,thecopyappendedtoMr.AldridgesbriefshowsthatitwasexecutedapproximatelytwoweeksaftertheJuly20,1998hearingandthatitwasneverfiledwiththetrialcourt.Accordingly,thisaffidavitisnotpartoftheappellaterecordandcanprovidenoassistancetoMr.Aldridgeonthisappeal. #  3         @-D III. T  `  ` Ms.Jacksoncontendsthatthiscourtshouldawardherdamagesbecausetheappealisfrivolous.Successfulpartiesshouldnothavetobearthecostandvexationofbaselessappeals.SeeDavisv.GulfIns.Group,546S.W.2d583,586(Tenn.  " 1977);McDonaldv.Onoh,772S.W.2d913,914(Tenn.Ct.App.1989). 8"$ Accordingly,Tenn.CodeAnn.271122(1980)empowersappellatecourtstoawarddamagesagainstpartieswhoseappealsarefrivolous,orbroughtsolelyfordelay.Thesedamagesmayinclude,butarenotlimitedto,costsandexpensesincurredbytheappelleeasaresultoftheappeal.SeeWellsv.SentryIns.Co.,834 ($, S.W.2d935,938(Tenn.1992). ` Anappealwithnoreasonablechanceofsuccessisfrivolous.SeeDavisv.Gulf -)2 Ins.Group,546S.W.2dat586;IndustrialDev.Bd.ofTullahomav.Hancock,901 X/*4 S.W.2d382,385(Tenn.Ct.App.1995).Failuretociteanyevidenceorruleoflaw 0L,6 entitlingtheappealingpartytoreliefisoneindicatorthattheappealmaybefrivolous.SeeWellsv.SentryIns.Co.,834S.W.2dat93839.66 T  ` Mr.Aldridgeappealsprose, #  4      ׀andsowehaveallowedhimconsiderablelatitude   oncitationtoauthorityandontheformofhispapers.Nevertheless,evenifweconsidertheclearlyincompetentmattersreliedonbyMr._Aldridge_,7x>x>x>x>7theappealhasnosubstanceandha9d9:s:noreasonablechanceofsuccess.7#x>x>-##x>x>-#78x>x>x>x>8Therefore,weconcludethatthisappealisfrivolousandawardMs.Jacksondamagestobedeterminedbythetrialcourtonremand.@.D IV.8#x>x>.##x>x>.#8  h  ` TheorderdenyingMr.Aldridgesmotiontosetasidethedecreeofannulmentisaffirmed,andthecaseisremandedtothetrialcourtforfurtherproceedings,includingthecalculationofMs.JacksonsdamagesforMr.Aldridgesfrivolousappeal.WetaxthecostsofthisappealtoMr.Aldridgeandhissuretyforwhichexecution,ifnecessary,mayissue. `     h      p ______________________________ `     h      p WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGECONCUR:________________________________BENH.CANTRELL,PRESIDINGJUDGE,M.S.________________________________WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE?  1,2 88tdd8B8t@  D  !8tINTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @ZZ)DATNASHVILLE#B! z*#  B 8tBJINNYMYRAJACKSON,    ) |   `     h     ) ` Plaintiff/Appellee,    ) p MontgomeryChancery    `     h     ) p No.97020022    VS. `     h     ) ,   `     h     ) p AppealNo. D  GARISHELDONALDRIDGE,  ) p 01A019809CH00488  \   `     h     ) ` Defendant/Appellant.    ) <  @cc(D !8t JUDGMENT   8t!  ` ThiscausecameontobeheardupontherecordonappealfromtheMontgomeryCountyChanceryCourt,thebriefsoftheparties,andthe;oral;arguments?<ofcounsel<?.Uponconsiderationoftheentirerecord,thiscourtfindsandconcludesthatthetrialcourt'sjudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. ` Inaccordancewiththeopinionfiledcontemporaneouslywiththisjudgment,itis,therefore,ordered,adjudged,anddecreedthatthetrialcourt'sjudgmentbeandisherebyaffirmed,andthatthecauseberemandedtothetrialcourtforfurtherproceedingsconsistentwiththiscourt'sopinion. ` ItisfurtherorderedthatthecostsofthisappealbetaxedtoGariSheldonAldridge,principal,and=_RLI_ԀInsuranceCompany=?>___>?,surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. `     h      p _____________________________ `     h      p BENH.CANTRELL, `     h      p PRESIDINGJUDGE,M.S. `     h      p _____________________________ `     h      p WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE `     h      p _____________________________ `     h      p WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE?