Cite as 2016 Ark. App. 619
ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS
DIVISIONS I & IV
No. CV-16-70
Opinion Delivered: December 14, 2016
STEPHANIE SIKORA
APPELLANT APPEAL FROM THE PULASKI
COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT,
V. SIXTH DIVISION
[NO. 60CV-15-4141]
SHALON BOGARD AND PAULETTE
EVERETT HONORABLE TIMOTHY DAVIS
FOX, JUDGE
APPELLEES
SUBSTITUTED OPINION ON
GRANT OF PETITION FOR
REHEARING; AFFIRMED;
MOTIONS MOOT
BART F. VIRDEN, Judge
Appellees Shalon Bogard and Paulette (or Paula) Everett filed an action against
appellant Stephanie Sikora in the civil division of the Pulaski County District Court to
regain possession of their dog “Iggy.” The district court entered judgment for appellees, and
Sikora appealed to the Pulaski County Circuit Court. The circuit court dismissed the appeal
after expressing doubt that the appeal had been perfected pursuant to Arkansas District Court
Rule 9. On appeal to this court, Sikora argues that the circuit court erred by dismissing her
appeal and denying her motions for a continuance. We affirm the circuit court’s dismissal
because Sikora failed to strictly comply with Rule 9. 1
Appellees filed a “Motion to Advance and Affirm as a Delay Case,” and Sikora
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moved to strike that motion or, alternatively, to order rebriefing. Both motions are moot.
Cite as 2016 Ark. App. 619
I. Facts
The record shows that on August 21, 2015, the district court entered judgment for
appellees. Sikora sought to appeal that decision to the circuit court. On September 3, 2015,
Sikora filed an affidavit attesting that the district court clerk had failed to prepare and provide
a certified copy of the docket sheet. Sikora subsequently filed a copy of the district court’s
“Court Docket for August 21, 2015.” The docket indicates that an action entitled “Shalon
Bogard & Paula Everette v. Stephanie Sikora” was filed on February 19, 2015. Handwriting
appears below the word “Judgment” and provides the following:
Judgment for plaintiff[.] Order of delivery [of] dog (“Iggy” or “Elliott”) granted[.]
Transfer of dog from defendant to plaintiff shall be stayed pending appeal subject to
defendant maintaining care, custody and control of dog during pendency of appeal
and refraining from moving dog outside [the] jurisdiction of this Court[.]
II. Arkansas District Court Rule 9
District Court Rule 9, which governs appeals to the circuit court, previously required
a plaintiff to refile his or her complaint and plead all of his or her claims in the circuit court,
but the rule was silent on the consequences of failing to replead. Ark. Dist. Ct. R. 9(c)(1).
In Circle D Contractors, Inc. v. Bartlett, 2013 Ark. 131, our supreme court held that the
requirement that a plaintiff refile the complaint in the circuit court was procedural, not
jurisdictional; thus, only substantial compliance was required. Rule 9(b)(1) was amended in
2014 to address the lack of guidance on the repleading issue. The current version of Rule
9(b)(1) provides that
[a] party may take an appeal from a district court by filing with the clerk of the circuit
court having jurisdiction of the appeal (i) a certified copy of the district court’s docket
sheet, which shows the entry awarding judgment and all prior entries, or a certified
copy of the record of the district court proceedings consisting of all documents and
motions filed in the district court, and (ii) a certified copy of the complaint filed in
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Cite as 2016 Ark. App. 619
the district court, or, if filed in accordance with Rule 10 of these rules, a certified
copy of the claim form filed in the small claims division of the district court.
Ark. Dist. Ct. R. 9(b)(1) (emphasis added).
Rule 9(b)(2) provides that
[i]f the clerk of the district court does not prepare or certify a record for filing in the
circuit court in a timely manner, a party may take an appeal by filing an affidavit in
the office of the circuit clerk, within forty (40) days from the date of the entry of the
judgment in the district court, showing (i) that the appealing party has requested the
clerk of the district court to prepare and certify the record for purposes of appeal and
(ii) that the clerk has not done so within thirty (30) days from the date of the entry
of the judgment in district court.
Ark. Dist. Ct. R. 9(b)(2).
III. Discussion
Sikora contends that she perfected her appeal pursuant to Rule 9(b)(2) by filing an
affidavit with the circuit clerk and pursuant to Rule 9(b)(1) when she subsequently filed a
certified copy of the district court’s docket sheet. She asserts that the trial court must have
dismissed her case due to lack of service. 2 We do not reach the service issue because Sikora
failed to perfect her appeal under either subsection of Rule 9.
Sikora argues that she perfected her appeal under Rule 9(b)(2) by filing an affidavit.
Judgment was entered on August 21, 2015, and Sikora’s counsel filed his affidavit on
September 3, 2015. The affidavit provides
[t]hat I have asked the Clerk of the District Court to prepare a certified copy of the
docket sheet and the Clerk has failed to provide me with the same. As such, the
Clerk has refused or is unable to provide the district court docket sheet.
2
Rule 9(b)(1)(D) provides that a failure to serve the documents required by Rule
9(b)(1) does not affect the validity of the appeal.
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Rule 9(b)(2) specifically refers to the filing of a certified copy of the record, not a certified
copy of the docket sheet. Sikora claims that she simply used the incorrect term and cites
Velek v. City of Little Rock, 364 Ark. 531, 222 S.W.3d 182 (2006), for the proposition that
requiring use of the exact words “the clerk refused to prepare and certify the record” would
be to “exalt form over substance.” Id. at 537, 222 S.W.3d at 187. Even if we accepted this
argument, Sikora did not allow the clerk thirty days in which to prepare and certify the
record. Sikora filed the affidavit only thirteen days after judgment had been entered.
Sikora further argues that she perfected her appeal by filing a certified copy of the
district court’s docket sheet pursuant to Rule 9(b)(1). Sikora relies on Taylor v. Biba, 2014
Ark. 22, for the proposition that Rule 9(b) requires that she do only two things: obtain a
certified copy of the docket sheet and file it in the circuit court. Sikora’s reliance on Taylor
is misplaced considering the subsequent amendment to Rule 9(b)(1), as discussed above. 3 In
any event, what Sikora filed was not a certified copy of the district court’s docket sheet, as
she contends—it was the court’s docket for one particular day reflecting only the judgment
but no prior entries. Moreover, there is no dispute that Sikora failed to file a certified copy
of the complaint or claim form from the district court pursuant to Rule 9(b)(1)(ii), which is
a separate requirement from the filing of a certified copy of the district court’s docket sheet
or the record.
This court has held that strict compliance with Rule 9(b) is required before a circuit
court can acquire jurisdiction over an appeal from the district court. Motor Cars of Nashville,
3
Taylor was decided on January 23, 2014, and the amendment to Rule 9 took effect
on July 1, 2014.
4
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Inc. v. Chronister, 2014 Ark. App. 430, 439 S.W.3d 101. It is the duty of counsel to perfect
an appeal and to be aware of the rules of procedure. Id. Because Sikora complied with
neither Rule 9(b)(1) nor (b)(2), she failed to perfect her appeal, and the circuit court never
acquired jurisdiction. The circuit court, therefore, properly dismissed the appeal. We need
not address Sikora’s assertion that a continuance should have been granted.
Substituted opinion on grant of petition for rehearing; affirmed; motions moot.
HARRISON, GLOVER, HIXSON, HOOFMAN, and BROWN, JJ., agree.
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