WPC /# UN % 0(b)w.14_s 0J 0T 0^( 0h 0r 0|` 0 0b 1u 0dgU>B) AQ2  0DI 0@ 0D DC D/T B B D3 AM U*= +g v~ vHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLh(9 Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($- -()E*+,-Ӏ7_#x93|x72 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(&Times New Roman% Line 7 d!"#$&C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  ("$    ($$   1  7Border 1dd((' dxd dP Pd'''''dxd!#%C << G<  9p`(Arial ! !  #d#  ""  ++   YYY FILED+XNovember14,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! .          \RA'\\RA'\7^XXdd7    JOSEPHJONES,    ) DavidsonChancery      ) No.96717II Plaintiff/Appellee,   )      ) VS.      )      ) LINDARUDOLPH,COMMISSIONER, )TENNESSEEDEPARTMENTOF ) AppealNo.HUMANSERVICES,   ) 01A019611CH00513      )̜!R*,%A1-j|`  `@Rߛ Defendant/Appellant.  )@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ MIDDLESECTIONATNASHVILLE@ APPEALFROMCHANCERYCOURTOFDAVIDSONCOUNTY@ ATNASHVILLE,TENNESSEE@ HONORABLECAROLL.McCOY,CHANCELLOR JohnKnoxWalkupAttorneyGeneral&ReporterSueA.Sheldon#152295AssistantAttorneyGeneral1510ParkwayTowers404JamesRobertsonParkwayATTORNEYSFORDEFENDANT/APPELLANTNormanB.Feaster,IILegalServicesofSouthCentralTN,Inc.P.O.Box1293Tullahoma,TN37388ATTORNEYFORPLAINTIFF/APPELLEE   REVERSEDANDREMANDED X       HENRYF.TODD     PRESIDINGJUDGE,MIDDLESECTIONCONCUR:BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGEWILLIAMB.CAIN,SPECIALJUDGE JOSEPHJONES,    ) DavidsonChancery      ) No.96717II Plaintiff/Appellee,   )      ) VS.      )      ) LINDARUDOLPH,COMMISSIONER, )TENNESSEEDEPARTMENTOF ) AppealNo.HUMANSERVICES,   ) 01A019611CH00513      ) Defendant/Appellant.  ) @  OPINIONX    TheTrialCourtandthisCourthavegrantedinterlocutoryappealfromanorderoverrulingthemotionoftheCommissionerofHumanServicestodismissthepetitionofJosephJonesforjudicialreviewofanadministrativedecisionoftheCommissioner.   ADMINISTRATIVEPROCEEDINGS    OnDecember4,1992,thecaptionedplaintifffiledwiththeTennesseeDepartmentofHumanServicesanapplicationforMedicaidbenefits.Ultimately,a contestedcasereachedtheCommissionerofHumanServiceswho,onJanuary24,1994,enteredafinalorderdenyingtherequestedbenefits.   TRIALCOURTPROCEEDINGS    OnMarch23,1994,within90daysaftertheentryofthefinaladministrativeorder,plaintifffiledintheTrialCourthisfirstcomplaintforjudicialreviewunderTrialCourtnumber94864IwhichindicatesthattheensuingproceedingstookplaceinPartIoftheChanceryCourt.TherecordoftheadministrativeagencywasfiledwiththatTrialCourtonNovember2,1995. OnMarch3,1995,thatTrialCourtenteredanorderdismissingcasenumber94864Iforfailuretoprosecuteasrequiredbylocalrulesandaffirmingthedecisionoftheagency.Theorderwasservedupontheplaintiff.Therecordcontainsnopostjudgmentmotionororderregardingthefinaljudgmentincasenumber94864I. OnMarch4,1996,plaintifffiledinPartIIoftheChanceryCourtatNashvilleundercasenumber96717II,asecondpetitionforjudicialreviewofthesameadministrativeorder.ProceedingsunderthiscasenumberoccurredinPartIIoftheChanceryCourtatNashvilleundertheChancellorofthatCourt. OnApril16,1996,theCommissionermovedtodismissthesecondpetitionforreviewontwogrounds: 1. The SavingsStatute,(T.C.A.281105)isinapplicabletoanactionagainsttheStatebecauseofsovereignimmunity. 2. TheMarch3,1995,dismissalofcasenumber94864Iwasan adjudicationonthemeritsandthereforedidnotqualifyasa judgmentordecreeagainsttheplaintiffuponanygroundnotconcludinghisrightofaction,asdescribedintheSavingsStatute. OnJune3,1996,theTrialJudgesittinginPartIIatthattime,enteredthefollowingorderincaseno.96717II:   `   `  ThiscasewasheardonMay10,1996,beforetheHonorableEllenHobbsLyle,ChancellorforDavidsonCounty,Tennessee,ontheMotiontoDismissfiledbythedefendant,theplaintiffsresponse,argumentofcounsel,andtherecordasawhole.  ӄ   TheCourtfoundtheplaintiffwasnotguiltyoflachesduetohisfailuretocomplywithLocalRule30.Thedefendantwasnotprejudicedbytheplaintiffsnoncompliance,particularlysincethecaseisanappellatelikeproceedingbasedsolelyontheadministrativerecord,andthesavingsstatute,T.C.A.281105,isapplicabletotheplaintiffscaseallowinghimtorefilehisappealofthedefendantsdecisionthatdeniedhisMedicaidapplication.Itis,thereforeORDEREDthatthedefendantsMotiontoDismissisdenied.        OnAugust16,1996,thesameTrialJudgeenteredthefollowingorderinthesamecase:      `  ThiscasewasheardonAugust2,1996beforetheHonorableEllenHobbsLyle,ChancellorforDavidsonCounty,Tennessee,ontheRespondentsmotiontoreconsiderdenialofthemotiontodismissthisaction,PetitionersResponsetothemotion,argumentsofcounsel,andtherecordasawhole. TheRespondentadvancedargumentsinsupportofhermotiontoreconsiderthat(1)sovereignimmunitybarredapplicationofthesavingsstatutetoactionsagainsttheState,(2)thatthesavingsstatutehadnoapplicationwhereasinthiscasePetitionersoriginalactionwasdismissedongroundsconcludingthePetitionersrightofactionand(3)thatunderthelanguageofRule41.02(3)oftheT.R.A.P.(whichprovidesthat unlessthecourtinitsorderfordismissalotherwisespecifies,thedismissaloperatesasanadjudicationonthemerits)theorderofdismissalenteredbytheCourtonMarch3,1995,inthePetitionersoriginalaction,whichOrderdismissedtheoriginalaction,affirmedtheadministrativeagencydecisionandassessedcoststothePetitioneranddidnot otherwisespecify,underRule41.02(3)theMarch3,1995orderofdismissal. InoppositiontotheRespondentsmotiontoreconsider,thePetitioneradvancedargumentsthatsovereignimmunitydidnotbarapplicationofthesavingsstatutetothiscaseandcitedinrelianceonhisargumentsthecaseofBrooksbankv.RoaneCounty,341S.W.2d570(Tenn.1960). TheCourtindenyingtheRespondentsmotiontoreconsiderdismissalofthissecondactionruledthatbyanalogyBrooksbankprovidedtheCourtabasisuponwhichtheCourtcoulddenytheRespondentsmotiontoreconsider. ITISSOORDERED.   `     OnNovember1,1996,asuccessorTrialJudgeofPartIIenteredthefollowingorder:   `   `  TheRespondenthasfiledanApplicationforPermissiontoAppealtheOrderofAugust16,1996whichdeniedRespondentsMotiontoDismissforfailuretostateacauseofaction. TheOrderofAugust16,1996waswrittenbythisChancellorspredecessorwhofoundthatsovereignimmunitydoesnotbarapplicationofthesavingsstatutetoUAPAactionsfiledagainstthestate.ThisCourtrespectfullydisagrees.ThePlaintifffiledanadministrativeappealonMarch25,1994whichwasdismissedforfailuretoprosecuteonMarch3,1995.ThePlaintiffrefiledthesameappealonMarch4,1996.TheCourtconsiderstheOrderofAugust16,1996tohavebeeninerrorsincetheDefendantStateofTennesseeisnotsubjecttothesavingsstatute,T.C.A.281105,andfurtherthattheOrderofDismissaldatedMarch3,1995wasonthemeritssincenomotiontovacatewastimelyfiled.TheCourthasconsideredtheprobabilityofreversal,whethertheinterlocutoryappealwillresultinanetreductioninthedurationandexpenseofthelitigationifthechallengedOrderisreversed,andtheneedtodevelopauniformbodyoflaw.ItisthereforeorderedthattheDefendantisgrantedpermissiontoappealunderRule9oftheTennesseeRulesofAppellateProcedure.(Emphasissupplied)   `      ThisCourtconsidersthedispositiveissuetobetheeffectofsovereignimmunityupontheapplicabilityofthe SavingsStatutetothiscase. InAutomobileSalesCo.v.Johnson,174Tenn.38,122S.W.2d453(1938),suitwasbroughttorecovergasolinetaxpaidunderprotesttotheCommissionerofFinanceandTaxationwithin30daysafterpaymentasrequiredbystatute.However,thissuitwasdismissedwithoutprejudiceandrenewedmorethan30daysafterpayment.Theplaintiffinsistedthatthefirstdismissalcreatedasecond30daywindowtofilesuitunderCodeSection8572(now281105).Afterdiscussingnumerousdecisions,theSupremeCourtheldthattheConstitutionofTennessee,ArticleI,Sec.17,prohibitssuitsagainsttheStateexceptasauthorizedbystatute.Thesuitwasdismissed. AutomobileSalesCompanyv.Johnson,supra,alsoestablishedtherulethatasuitagainstaStateofficialinreferencetoStateBusinessisasuitagainsttheState,andsaid:   `   `  ItisageneralrulethattheStateisnotboundbythegeneralwordsofastatute,which,ifapplied,wouldoperatetotrenchonitssovereignrights,injuriouslyaffectitscapacitytoperformitsfunctions,orestablisharightofactionagainstit,unlessthecontraryisexpresslydeclaredornecessarilyimplied.   `  NosubsequentTennesseeAuthorityisfoundtothecontrary.     4   4      Ӝ̛IDENTITYOFACTIONS(ResJudicata)̛   Itisclearthatonlyoneadministrativeactionisinvolvedinthisdispute,i.e.,thedenialofdisabilitybenefitstotheplaintiffonJanuary24,1994.Sincethesameclaim,thesameclaimant,andthesameagencyareinvolved,thereissufficientidentityofsubjectmatterandpartiestosupportthedoctrineofresjudicatawhichbarsasecondactiononthesameclaiminvolvingthesameparties.Richardsonv.TennesseeBoardofDentistry,Tenn.1995,913S.W.2d446. ItisalsoclearthatonlyoneorderisbeforethisCourtforreviewatthistime.TheorderofMarch3,1995,dismissingthefirstpetitionforjudicialreview,hasbecomefinalwithoutappeal,andisnotbeforethisCourtforreview.Itismentionedonlyassupportforthepleaofresjudicatatothesecondpetition.ThesecondorderofϜAugust16,1996,overrulingdefendantsmotiontodismiss,istheorderwhichisbeforethisCourtforreviewanditisreversedbecausethesavingsstatuteisinapplicablebecauseofsovereignimmunity.Thethirdorder,enteredonNovember1,1996,isonlythevehiclewherebythisinterlocutoryappealreachedthisCourt,andisnotbeforethisCourtforreview. ThejudgmentoftheTrialCourtoverrulingtheCommissionersmotiontodismissisreversed,andvacated.Costsofthisappealaretaxedtotheplaintiffappellee.ThecauseisremandedtotheaffectedTrialCourtsforfurtherproceedingsinconformitywiththisopinion.   REVERSEDANDREMANDED X                      ___________________________________     HENRYF.TODD     PRESIDINGJUDGE,MIDDLESECTION̜CONCUR:̜________________________________BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGE̜________________________________WILLIAMB.CAIN,SPECIALJUDGE̛