Walters v. Nadell

Michigan Supreme Court
Lansing, Michigan
Chief Justice: Justices:

Opinion Clifford W. Taylor Michael F. Cavanagh
Elizabeth A. Weaver
Marilyn Kelly
Maura D. Corrigan
Robert P. Young, Jr.
Stephen J. Markman

FILED JUNE 25, 2008
ROBERT WALTERS,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v No. 131479

NATHAN NADELL,

Defendant-Appellee.

BEFORE THE ENTIRE BENCH

PER CURIAM.

The issue in this case is whether plaintiff may avail himself of the tolling

provision of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)1 when he failed to raise

that provision in response to a motion for summary disposition by defendant. We

hold that he may not. In lieu of granting leave to appeal, MCR 7.302(G)(1), we

affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals, but for a different reason. We vacate

that portion of the Court of Appeals judgment holding that the SCRA tolling

provision is discretionary; the tolling provision is mandatory. We hold, however,

1
50 USC Appendix 526(a).
that the Court of Appeals did not err by refusing to consider the issue because the

tolling provision may be waived if it is not raised in the trial court.

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Plaintiff, Robert Walters, was involved in an automobile accident with

defendant, Nathan Nadell, on May 11, 2001. Plaintiff filed a complaint on

February 26, 2004, that alleged that defendant was negligent.2 Plaintiff was

unable to serve defendant before his original and second summonses expired

because defendant was serving in the military. The period of limitations for

plaintiff’s action expired while he was attempting to perfect service of process.3

On October 21, 2004, plaintiff filed a second, separate complaint against

defendant, raising the same claims against defendant as those in the first

complaint. Plaintiff was issued a summons for the second action that expired on

January 20, 2005.4 Defendant was served with the summons and complaint on

December 10, 2004, at Fort Benning, Georgia. Defendant filed a motion seeking

2
As part of that action, plaintiff also filed a declaratory judgment action
against the insurer of the automobile that he was operating at the time of the
accident. The insurer is no longer a party to these proceedings.
3
Pursuant to former MCL 600.5805(9), now MCL 600.5805(10), the
period of limitations expired on May 12, 2004.
4
Plaintiff also sought and obtained an amendment to the second summons
he was issued in the first action. The second summons was amended to expire on
January 20, 2005. Defendant was served with the amended summons, but he
prevailed on a summary disposition motion, arguing that, under MCR 2.102(D),
the court did not have authority to amend the second summons. Plaintiff has not
appealed that decision.

2

dismissal with prejudice on the ground that the period of limitations had expired

before plaintiff filed his complaint for the second action. Plaintiff responded to

defendant’s motion, arguing that the period of limitations was tolled pursuant to

MCL 600.5853. The trial court granted summary disposition in favor of defendant

and entered an order dismissing plaintiff’s complaint with prejudice.

Plaintiff appealed, arguing that the period of limitations was tolled under

MCL 600.5853. Plaintiff also argued, for the first time, that the tolling provisions

of the SCRA required reversal. The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court,

albeit on different grounds, and declined to address plaintiff’s SCRA argument,

holding that it was unpreserved for appellate review and that the tolling provision

of the SCRA was discretionary.5

Plaintiff sought leave to appeal in this Court, arguing only that his claims

were timely because the SCRA tolled the period of limitations.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

We review de novo the grant or denial of summary disposition.6 This case

requires us to interpret provisions of the SCRA. Statutory interpretation is a

question of law, which we review de novo.7 When interpreting a federal statute,

5
Walters v Nadell, unpublished opinion per curiam of the Court of
Appeals, issued March 23, 2006 (Docket Nos. 263503 and 263504), pp 6-7.
6
Maiden v Rozwood, 461 Mich 109, 118; 597 NW2d 817 (1999).
7
Office Planning Group, Inc v Baraga-Houghton-Keweenaw Child Dev Bd,
472 Mich 479, 488; 697 NW2d 871 (2005).

3

“‘[o]ur task is to give effect to the will of Congress . . . .’”8 To do so, “[w]e start,

of course, with the statutory text,” and “[u]nless otherwise defined, statutory terms

are generally interpreted in accordance with their ordinary meaning.”9 “When the

words of a statute are unambiguous, . . . ‘judicial inquiry is complete.’”10

III. THE SCRA’S TOLLING PROVISION IS MANDATORY

Plaintiff argues that the Court of Appeals erred by not addressing his SCRA

argument because the tolling provision of the SCRA is mandatory and cannot be

waived. We first address plaintiff’s contention that the tolling provision of the

SCRA is mandatory.

The former Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act of 1940 underwent

significant amendment in 2003 when Congress enacted the SCRA.11 Before the

amendment, former 50 USC Appendix 525 provided in part:

The period of military service shall not be included in
computing any period now or hereafter to be limited by any law,
regulation, or order for the bringing of any action or proceeding in

8
Negonsott v Samuels, 507 US 99, 104; 113 S Ct 1119; 122 L Ed 2d
457 (1993), quoting Griffin v Oceanic Contractors, Inc, 458 US 564, 570; 102 S
Ct 3245; 73 L Ed 2d 973 (1982).
9
BP America Production Co v Burton, 549 US 84, ___; 127 S Ct 638, 643;
166 L Ed 2d 494 (2006).
10
Connecticut Nat’l Bank v Germain, 503 US 249, 254; 112 S Ct 1146; 117
L Ed 2d 391 (1992), quoting Rubin v United States, 449 US 424, 430; 101 S Ct
698; 66 L Ed 2d 633 (1981).
11
See PL 76-861, 54 Stat 1178, as amended by PL 108-189, 117 Stat 2835.
The SCRA is codified at 50 USC Appendix 501 et seq.

4

 any court . . . by or against any person in military service . . . .
[Emphasis added.]

The substantive equivalent of this provision is now in 50 USC Appendix 526(a),

which provides in relevant part:

The period of a servicemember’s military service may not be
included in computing any period limited by law, regulation, or
order for the bringing of any action or proceeding in a court . . . by
or against the servicemember . . . . [Emphasis added.]

The United States Supreme Court interpreted former 50 USC Appendix 525

of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act and held that it was “unambiguous,

unequivocal, and unlimited.”12 We do not believe that the 2003 amendments

inserted any ambiguity into the meaning of the tolling provision, and we similarly

hold that current 50 USC Appendix 526 is “unambiguous, unequivocal, and

unlimited.”

The Court of Appeals opined that the change from “shall not” to “may not”

rendered the tolling discretionary. Although the term “shall” is clearly mandatory,

and the term “may” is typically permissive, “may not,” in the context of 50 USC

Appendix 526(a), is not permissive. “May not,” as it is used in 50 USC Appendix

526(a), has the same meaning and import as “cannot” or its predecessor, “shall

12
Conroy v Aniskoff, 507 US 511, 514; 113 S Ct 1562; 123 L Ed 2d 229
(1993).

5

not.”13 The provision clearly provides that the time that a servicemember is in

military service is excluded from any period of limitations.

The Court of Appeals erred in its conclusion that the amendment rendered

the tolling provision discretionary. We hold that the tolling provision, 50 USC

Appendix 526(a), is mandatory. We must next consider whether the act

nonetheless permits waiver of the mandatory tolling provision.

IV. A PLAINTIFF WITH CLAIMS AGAINST A SERVICEMEMBER MAY
WAIVE THE SCRA’S MANDATORY TOLLING PROVISION

The SCRA makes clear that the servicemember may waive the protections

of the act. 50 USC Appendix 517(a) provides that “[a] servicemember may waive

any of the rights and protections provided by this Act.”14 50 USC Appendix

13
See Ryan v Wayne Co Bd of Canvassers, 396 Mich 213, 216; 240 NW2d
236 (1976) (“[T]he phrase ‘may not be recounted’ means shall not be recounted.”).
14
We have recognized a distinction in Michigan law between the terms
“waiver” and “forfeiture.” See Roberts v Mecosta Co Gen Hosp, 466 Mich 57,
69-70; 642 NW2d 663 (2002). “Waiver” is an intentional and voluntary
relinquishment of a known right, while “forfeiture” is “the failure to assert a right
in a timely fashion.” Id. at 69. That distinction has relevance in some contexts in
which certain, usually constitutional, rights may be waived but not forfeited. See
Freytag v Internal Revenue Comm’r, 501 US 868, 895 n 2; 111 S Ct 2631; 115 L
Ed 2d 764 (1991) (Scalia, J., concurring in part) (comparing the rights to counsel
and trial by jury, which cannot be forfeited by any means short of waiver, to other
rights that can be forfeited). In the civil procedure context, however, the term
“waiver” is typically used in the colloquial sense, encompassing inaction that
would technically constitute forfeiture. For example, FR Civ P 12(h)(1) provides
that “[a] party waives any defense listed in [FR Civ P 12(b)(2) through (5)] by”
failing to raise it in a motion or responsive pleading. (Emphasis added.) This,
incidentally, is consistent with our own rules of civil procedure. See, e.g., MCR
2.111(F) and 2.116(D)(1). The SCRA generally serves to suspend rights and
(. . . continued)

6

517(b) requires written waivers for certain actions that arise from disputes

involving certain legal instruments,15 but in all other actions the rights and

protections of the act may be waived by any other means.16

(continued . . .)

liabilities that would be enforced through civil litigation. See 50 USC Appendix

502(2) and 512(b). Indeed, the tolling of a period of limitations, which determines

when a civil action may be brought, is distinctly a matter of civil procedure. Thus,

we believe that Congress used the term “waive” in the SCRA in the manner that it

is commonly used in civil procedure, permitting forfeiture as well as waiver.

Accordingly, we use the term “waiver” in a manner consistent with the federal

statute and court rules throughout this opinion.

15
50 USC Appendix 517(b).
16
50 USC Appendix 517 provides in its entirety:

(a) In general.—A servicemember may waive any of the
rights and protections provided by this Act [50 USC Appendix 501
through 596]. Any such waiver that applies to an action listed in
subsection (b) of this section is effective only if it is in writing and is
executed as an instrument separate from the obligation or liability to
which it applies. In the case of a waiver that permits an action
described in subsection (b), the waiver is effective only if made
pursuant to a written agreement of the parties that is executed during
or after the servicemember’s period of military service. The written
agreement shall specify the legal instrument to which the waiver
applies and, if the servicemember is not a party to that instrument,
the servicemember concerned.

(b) Actions requiring waivers in writing.—The requirement in
subsection (a) for a written waiver applies to the following:

(1) The modification, termination, or cancellation of—

(A) a contract, lease, or bailment; or

(B) an obligation secured by a mortgage, trust, deed, lien, or
other security in the nature of a mortgage.
(. . . continued)

7

 Waiver under the SCRA is not limited to servicemembers. Congress set

out the purpose of the SCRA in 50 USC Appendix 502:

(1) to provide for, strengthen, and expedite the national
defense through protection extended by this Act to servicemembers
of the United States to enable such persons to devote their entire
energy to the defense needs of the Nation; and

(2) to provide for the temporary suspension of judicial and
administrative proceedings and transactions that may adversely
affect the civil rights of servicemembers during their military
service.

(continued . . .)

(2) The repossession, retention, foreclosure, sale, forfeiture,
or taking possession of property that—

(A) is security for any obligation; or

(B) was purchased or received under a contract, lease, or
bailment.

(c) Prominent display of certain contract rights waivers.—
Any waiver in writing of a right or protection provided by this Act
that applies to a contract, lease, or similar legal instrument must be
in at least 12 point type.

(d) Coverage of periods after orders received.—For the
purposes of this section—

(1) a person to whom section 106 [50 USC Appendix 516]
applies shall be considered to be a servicemember; and

(2) the period with respect to such a person specified in
subsection (a) or (b), as the case may be, of section 106 shall be
considered to be a period of military service.

8

Thus, in order to strengthen the national defense, Congress enacted the SCRA to

temporarily free servicemembers from the burden of participating in litigation.

The tolling of periods of limitations in actions against servicemembers serves to

“provide for, strengthen, and expedite the national defense” by protecting “the

civil rights of servicemembers during their military service.” The benefits of the

tolling provision to a plaintiff suing a servicemember are merely incidental to the

protections that provision provides servicemembers.

Congress enacted the SCRA as a shield to protect servicemembers from

having to respond to litigation while in active service, but manifestly indicated that

the SCRA’s protections may be waived.17 Here, plaintiff is seeking to transform

the SCRA into a sword to preserve his lawsuit without having timely invoked its

provisions. It would be incongruent with the purpose of the SCRA to permit a

servicemember to waive the rights and protections of the act, but bar a

nonservicemember from waiving incidental benefits, and thereby provide, without

exception, incidental benefits to a nonservicemember. The express purpose of the

act is inconsistent with providing more protections to a nonservicemember than a

servicemember. Because the purpose of the act is to protect servicemembers, we

conclude that Congress did not intend to prohibit waiver by a nonservicemember.

Therefore, we hold that the mandatory tolling provision of 50 USC Appendix

17
See 50 USC Appendix 517(a) (“A servicemember may waive any of the
rights and protections provided by the Act.”).

9

526(a) may be waived by a plaintiff asserting a claim against a servicemember

during the servicemember’s military service.18

The final question we must resolve is whether plaintiff waived the tolling of

the period of limitations in this case by failing to raise the tolling provision in the

trial court.

V. PLAINTIFF WAIVED THE SCRA’S MANDATORY TOLLING
PROVISION

Michigan generally follows the “raise or waive” rule of appellate review.19

Under our jurisprudence, a litigant must preserve an issue for appellate review by

raising it in the trial court.20 Although this Court has inherent power to review an

18
In his dissent, the Chief Justice asserts that we have read a waiver
provision for nonservicemembers into the SCRA. Post at 5. Our discussion
merely establishes that Congress did not intend that the rights and protections of
the SCRA would be unwaivable mandates. The Chief Justice implicitly
recognizes this to be true by acknowledging that, absent a miscarriage of justice,
plaintiff waived tolling pursuant to the SCRA. Post at 7, citing Napier v Jacobs,
429 Mich 222, 232-233; 414 NW2d 862 (1987). Indeed, the only distinction
between the majority opinion and the dissent is that we hold that there is no
miscarriage of justice in permitting plaintiff to waive a mandatory tolling
provision, just as we permit waiver of a mandatory statute of limitations defense,
see n 30 of this opinion and accompanying text, but the dissent would remand this
case to the Court of Appeals for further consideration of that issue. Post at 7-8.
19
See Napier, supra at 228.
20
Id.; Therrian v Gen Laboratories, Inc, 372 Mich 487, 490; 127 NW2d
319 (1964) (“Since defendant failed to raise such issues below, they are not
available to it on appeal.”).

10

issue not raised in the trial court to prevent a miscarriage of justice,21 generally a

“failure to timely raise an issue waives review of that issue on appeal.”22

The principal rationale for the rule is based in the nature of the adversarial

process and judicial efficiency. By limiting appellate review to those issues raised

and argued in the trial court, and holding all other issues waived, appellate courts

require litigants to raise and frame their arguments at a time when their opponents

may respond to them factually.23 This practice also avoids the untenable result of

permitting an unsuccessful litigant to prevail by avoiding its tactical decisions that

proved unsuccessful.24 Generally, a party may not remain silent in the trial court,

only to prevail on an issue that was not called to the trial court’s attention.25 Trial

courts are not the research assistants of the litigants; the parties have a duty to

fully present their legal arguments to the court for its resolution of their dispute.

21
Napier, supra at 233 (“‘[S]uch inherent power is to be exercised only
under what appear to be compelling circumstances to avoid a miscarriage of
justice or to accord a [criminal] defendant a fair trial.’”), quoting People v Farmer,
380 Mich 198, 208; 156 NW2d 504 (1968).
22
Napier, supra at 227.
23
See id. at 228-229.
24
Id. at 228.
25
See Kinney v Folkerts, 84 Mich 616, 625; 48 NW 283 (1891) (“Parties
cannot remain silent, and thereby lie in wait to ground error, after the trial is over,
upon a neglect of the court to instruct the jury as to something which was not
called to its attention on the trial, especially in civil cases.”).

11

 Plaintiff’s cause of action accrued on May 11, 2001, and plaintiff filed the

instant complaint on October 21, 2004. Without tolling, the period of limitations

for plaintiff’s claim expired on May 12, 2004. Defendant moved to dismiss

plaintiff’s complaint with prejudice, arguing that plaintiff had filed his complaint

after the period of limitations expired. It is undisputed that plaintiff did not raise

the tolling provision of the SCRA in response to defendant’s motion. Thus, under

our “raise or waive” rule, it is undisputed that plaintiff waived the tolling

provision.

It could be argued that the tolling provision cannot be waived because it is

mandatory. However, as discussed, Congress did not intend to prohibit waiver by

a nonservicemember. Moreover, our “raise or waive” rule permits waiver of

otherwise mandatory statutory provisions. For example, our statute of limitations

provision is mandatory, just like the tolling provision of the SCRA:

A person shall not bring or maintain an action to recover
damages for injuries to persons or property unless, after the claim
first accrued to the plaintiff or to someone through whom the
plaintiff claims, the action is commenced within the period of time
prescribed by this section.[26]

It has long been the rule in Michigan that a defendant may waive a statute of

limitations defense by failing to raise it in the trial court.27 Under the Michigan

26
MCL 600.5805(1) (emphasis added).
27
See Moden v Superintendents of the Poor of Van Buren Co, 183 Mich
120, 125-126; 149 NW 1064 (1914); see also Roberts, supra at 67 (noting that “a
(. . . continued)

12

Court Rules, a defendant waives a statute of limitations defense by failing to raise

it in his first responsive pleading.28 The defendant may cure his failure to raise the

defense in his first responsive pleading by amending the pleading,29 but the

defendant must, in any event, raise the defense in the trial court.

We hold that a tolling provision may be waived just as a statute of

limitations defense may be waived. Consistent with the rule against appellate

review of issues not raised in the trial court, a plaintiff may waive the tolling of the

period of limitations by failing to raise it in the trial court.30

We are aware of decisions in other courts that reach the opposite

conclusion,31 but those decisions are not binding, and we do not find them

(continued . . .)
defendant could effectively ‘waive’ any objections to plaintiff’s fulfillment of the
requirements of [MCL 600.5856(d) by] fail[ing] to invoke the pertinent statute of
limitations after a plaintiff files suit . . . .”); Lothian v Detroit, 414 Mich 160, 167;
324 NW2d 9 (1982) (“Similarly, [a statute of limitations] defense may be waived
by failure to plead it, by express agreement not to assert it, or by conduct which
estops the defendant from interposing it.”).
28
MCR 2.111(F)(3)(a).
29
Under MCR 2.118(A)(1), the defendant may amend its first responsive
pleading “as a matter of course . . . within 14 days after serving the pleading if it
does not require a responsive pleading.” Otherwise the defendant may only
amend its first responsive pleading “by leave of the court or by written consent of
the adverse party.” MCR 2.118(A)(2).
30
We note that because we permit waiver of statute of limitations defenses,
waiver of tolling those same periods of limitations does not present a “miscarriage
of justice” that would permit appellate intervention. See Napier, supra at 233.
31
See, e.g., Ricard v Birch, 529 F2d 214 (CA 4, 1975); Kenney v Churchill
Truck Lines, Inc, 6 Ill App 3d 983; 286 NE2d 619 (1972).

13

persuasive.32 Plaintiff failed to raise his SCRA argument in the trial court, but

now seeks belatedly to use it as a sword to defeat dismissal. This would have the

perverse effect of rendering the servicemember amenable to suit when the tolling

provision was never invoked in the trial court. Therefore, we hold that plaintiff

has waived the tolling provision of the SCRA, and the Court of Appeals did not err

by not addressing the merits of plaintiff’s SCRA argument.

VI. CONCLUSION

The tolling provision of the SCRA, 50 USC Appendix 526(a), is mandatory

but not self-executing. A litigant pursuing a claim against a servicemember has a

responsibility to bring the tolling provision to the attention of the trial court if he

desires to avail himself of its benefits. Plaintiff failed to raise the tolling provision

32
See Abela v Gen Motors Corp, 469 Mich 603, 607; 677 NW2d 325
(2004) (holding that, “[a]lthough lower federal court decisions may be persuasive,
they are not binding on state courts”). In Ricard, supra at 216, the United States
Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that the SCRA tolling provision could
not be waived because “orderly rules of procedure do not require sacrifice of the
rules of fundamental justice.” The Ricard holding (1) is inconsistent with the
principal rationale for our waiver rule, (2) suggests an exception that would
consume the rule, and (3) is inconsistent with our precedent permitting waiver of a
statute of limitations defense. Thus, we do not follow its holding.

14

of the SCRA in the trial court; therefore he has waived his right to raise the

provision as grounds for relief on appeal.

Affirmed in part and vacated in part.

Michael F. Cavanagh
Maura D. Corrigan
Robert P. Young, Jr
Stephen J. Markman

15

 STATE OF MICHIGAN

SUPREME COURT

ROBERT WALTERS,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v No. 131479

NATHAN NADELL,

Defendant-Appellee.

WEAVER, J. (concurring).

I concur in the result of the majority opinion affirming the refusal of the

Court of Appeals to address plaintiff’s argument concerning the tolling provision

of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act,1 because the plaintiff waived that

argument at the trial court level.

Elizabeth A. Weaver

1
50 USC Appendix 526(a).
 STATE OF MICHIGAN

SUPREME COURT

ROBERT WALTERS,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v No. 131479

NATHAN NADELL,

Defendant-Appellee.

TAYLOR, C.J. (concurring in part and dissenting in part).

At issue in this case is whether the tolling provision of the Servicemembers

Civil Relief Act (SCRA), 50 USC Appendix 526(a), tolls the period of limitations

for a plaintiff’s cause of action when the plaintiff, a nonservicemember, failed to

raise the tolling provision at the trial-court level. The Court of Appeals declined

to address this issue because it determined that the issue was unpreserved and that,

in any event, the tolling provision was discretionary. A majority of this Court

holds that the tolling provision is mandatory, not discretionary, but affirms on the

different ground that plaintiff waived the tolling provision when he failed to raise

it at the trial-court level.

Although I agree with the majority that certain portions of the SCRA were

intended to benefit both servicemembers and nonservicemembers, and I agree that

the SCRA’s tolling provision is mandatory, I disagree that a nonservicemember

can waive the provision. Rather than affirm the Court of Appeals on a different
ground, as the majority does, I would reverse in part the judgment of the Court of

Appeals and remand this case to the Court of Appeals to consider whether, to

avoid a miscarriage of justice, it should remand this case to the circuit court so that

plaintiff can develop a complete record concerning defendant’s periods of military

service and any other matters relevant to whether the SCRA tolled the period of

limitations applicable to plaintiff’s claim.

The purposes of the SCRA, as set forth in 50 USC Appendix 502, are:

(1) to provide for, strengthen, and expedite the national
defense through protection extended by this Act to servicemembers
of the United States to enable such persons to devote their entire
energy to the defense needs of the Nation; and

(2) to provide for the temporary suspension of judicial and
administrative proceedings and transactions that may adversely
affect the civil rights of servicemembers during their military service.
[Emphasis added.]

Despite the clear indication in 50 USC Appendix 502 that the SCRA is

intended to benefit servicemembers, and its lack of reference to

nonservicemembers, several courts have held that the SCRA was intended to

benefit servicemembers and nonservicemembers alike.1 And, indeed, the tolling

1
Ray v Porter, 464 F2d 452, 455 (CA 6, 1972) (“The [SCRA] was adopted
by the Congress to protect the rights of individuals in the military service of the
United States, and also to protect the rights of individuals having causes of actions
against members of the Armed Forces of the United States.”), citing, among other
cases, Stewart v Kahn, 78 US (11 Wall) 493; 20 L Ed 176 (1871), and Wolf v
Internal Revenue Comm’r, 264 F2d 82 (CA 3, 1959); Ricard v Birch, 529 F2d
214, 216 (CA 4, 1975) (“[T]he parallel purpose of the Act [is] to protect the rights
of individuals having causes of action against members of the armed forces.”); In
re AH Robins Co, Inc, 996 F2d 716, 720 (CA 4, 1993) (stating that the benefits of
(. . . continued)

2

provision of 50 USC Appendix 526(a) appears to suggest that this may be the

case:

The period of a servicemember’s military service may not be
included in computing any period limited by law, regulation, or
order for the bringing of any action or proceeding in a court . . . by
or against the servicemember . . . . [Emphasis added.]

By its use of the phrase “by or against,” the provision implies at least an

incidental benefit of tolling to nonservicemembers. Several courts have held that

this tolling provision is automatic, which means that all that must be shown in

order for tolling to apply while the period of limitations is running or has expired

is that one party is in the armed service.2 In this case, the trial court was apprised

at the time plaintiff sought an extension for the summons that the reason plaintiff

was unable to serve defendant was because defendant was in the service. For

courts that adhere to the automatic tolling, this would mean that, at that moment,

the automatic tolling provision was activated. The issue here is whether Michigan

adheres to the automatic-tolling doctrine.

(continued . . .)
the tolling mechanism “inure both to military personnel and to those with rights of
action against military personnel”); Kenney v Churchill Truck Lines, Inc, 6 Ill App
3d 983, 993; 286 NE2d 619 (1972) (“The act is not restrictive to merely the
serviceman, since it addresses itself to ‘any action or proceeding in any court . . .
by or against any person in military service.’”); Ludwig v Anspaugh, 785 SW2d
269, 271 (Mo, 1990) (“[I]ts purpose is not only to protect the rights of citizens
serving in the armed forces but also those of persons having causes of action
against persons in military service.”).
2
Ray, supra at 456; Ricard, supra at 217; In re AH Robins Co, Inc, supra at
718; Kenney, supra at 993, quoting Illinois Nat’l Bank of Springfield v Gwinn, 390
Ill 345, 354; 61 NE2d 249 (1945); Ludwig, supra at 271.

3

 Various courts have also held that the tolling provision is mandatory and

not subject to judicial discretion.3 Even our own court rules recognize the

mandatory, automatic nature of the SCRA’s tolling provision by requiring as a

prerequisite for granting a default judgment that an affidavit of nonmilitary service

must be filed in actions in which a defendant has failed to appear. MCR 2.603(C).

Because the tolling provision is automatic, mandatory, and preclusive of state

statutory periods of limitations, other courts have recognized that it can be raised

for the first time on appeal, which is akin in some sense to the treatment of

jurisdictional claims, although not discussed in those explicit terms.4

Notwithstanding the mandatory nature of 50 USC Appendix 526(a), 50

USC Appendix 517(a) expressly provides that a “servicemember may waive any

of the rights and protections provided by this Act,” which necessarily includes the

tolling provision. There is no similar provision with respect to

nonservicemembers. Although 50 USC Appendix 517, by its plain terms, applies

only to servicemembers and the SCRA contains no similar waiver provision for

3
Ray, supra at 455-456; Ricard, supra at 216; In re AH Robins Co, Inc,
supra at 718, 720; Kenney, supra at 993, quoting Illinois Nat’l Bank, supra at 354;
Ludwig, supra at 271. Cf. Conroy v Aniskoff, 507 US 511, 514-515; 113 S Ct
1562; 123 L Ed 2d 229 (1993) (“The statutory command in [former 50 USC
Appendix 525] is unambiguous, unequivocal, and unlimited,” and a review of
other provisions in the act “supports the conclusion that Congress meant what §
525 says.”).
4
Ricard, supra at 216; Kenney, supra at 992-993.

4

nonservicemembers, the majority here extends the right to waive the tolling

provision to nonservicemembers.

In effecting this “addition” to the statute, the majority, citing congruency,

relies unconvincingly on the statutory purpose of the SCRA (which does not even

mention nonservicemembers) and the tolling statute (which itself contains no

waiver provision) to conclude that a nonservicemember may waive the entitlement

to tolling by failing to raise it. This addition by the majority is puzzling

conceptually because this Court has strongly forbidden courts from adding

language, or rights, to statutes. Moreover, the language in the statute that the

majority uses as the basis for this addition neither mentions nonservicemembers in

giving rights nor discusses the notion of waiver with respect to tolling. Moreover,

our sense of what is congruent should not trump the Legislature’s. Yet the

majority reads waiver by the nonservicemember into the tolling provision.

Furthermore, to do so here is even more unsettling, given that the United

States Supreme Court has instructed that the statute means what it says and that no

additions are allowed. In Conroy v Aniskoff, 507 US 511; 113 S Ct 1562; 123 L

Ed 2d 229 (1993), the Court was invited to add words or concepts to the

predecessor statute. It refused to do so. In Conroy, the United States Supreme

Court considered whether a servicemember was required to demonstrate prejudice

before being entitled to tolling under former 50 USC Appendix 525. The Court

first noted that the statutory command in the tolling provision “that the period of

military service ‘shall not be included’ in the computation of ‘any period now or

5

hereafter provided by any law’”—was unambiguous, unequivocal, and unlimited.

Id. at 514. In rejecting the respondents’ argument—that the statute implicitly

conditioned tolling on a showing of hardship or prejudice because other provisions

of the SCRA were expressly conditioned on a showing of prejudice—the Court

reasoned:

Respondents also correctly remind us to “follow the cardinal
rule that a statute is to be read as a whole, see Massachusetts v.
Morash, 490 U.S. 107, 115 [109 S Ct 1668; 104 L Ed 2d 98] (1989),
since the meaning of statutory language, plain or not, depends on
context.” King v. St. Vincent’s Hospital, 502 U.S. 215, 221 [112 S
Ct 570; 116 L Ed 2d 578] (1991). But as in King, the context of this
statute actually supports the conclusion that Congress meant what
[former 50 USC Appendix 525] says. Several provisions of the
statute condition the protection they offer on a showing that military
service adversely affected the ability to assert or protect a legal right.
To choose one of many examples, [former 50 USC Appendix
532(2)] authorizes a stay of enforcement of secured obligations
unless “the ability of the defendant to comply with the terms of the
obligation is not materially affected by reason of his military
service.” The comprehensive character of the entire statute indicates
that Congress included a prejudice requirement whenever it
considered it appropriate to do so, and that its omission of any such
requirement in § 525 was deliberate. [Conroy, supra at 515-516.]
The United States Supreme Court’s sound reasoning is no different from

this Court’s own standards of statutory interpretation. We assume that the

Legislature intended what it plainly expressed. See Liss v Lewiston-Richards, Inc,

478 Mich 203, 207; 732 NW2d 514 (2007). We do not read language into an

unambiguous statute. People v McIntire, 461 Mich 147, 153; 599 NW2d 102

(1999). And when the Legislature includes certain language in one statutory

provision but not in another, we do not read the missing language into the statute

6

under the assumption that the Legislature meant to include it; rather, we proceed

under the assumption that the Legislature made a deliberate choice to not include

the language. Farrington v Total Petroleum, Inc, 442 Mich 201, 210; 501 NW2d

76 (1993).

As applied here to the SCRA, then, the fact that Congress specifically

provided for a waiver of SCRA provisions by a servicemember but did not

likewise provide for a waiver by a nonservicemember must be interpreted as

intentional, and it is not for this Court to give to a nonservicemember the ability to

waive mandatory provisions in contravention of congressional intent. Likewise,

the language contained in the tolling provision, 50 USC Appendix 526(a), that

arguably applies to both servicemembers and nonservicemembers is not similarly

contained in the waiver provision, 50 USC Appendix 517.

Finally, although this Court generally does not review unpreserved issues,

we may make an exception when review is necessary to avoid a miscarriage of

justice. Napier v Jacobs, 429 Mich 222, 232-233; 414 NW2d 862 (1987). Given

that plaintiff was not even required to file a complaint as long as defendant was in

the service, it seems inconceivable that plaintiff could somehow lose the benefit of

tolling simply by filing the complaint but being unable to timely serve defendant.

Thus, it appears that a miscarriage of justice could very likely occur without

review. Accordingly, I would hold that plaintiff was unable to waive the

mandatory, automatic tolling provision of 50 USC Appendix 526(a), that the Court

7

of Appeals erred in failing to consider plaintiff’s argument on appeal, and that

remand is necessary to address this argument.

Clifford W. Taylor

8

 STATE OF MICHIGAN

SUPREME COURT

ROBERT WALTERS,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v No. 131479

NATHAN NADELL,

Defendant-Appellee.

KELLY, J. (concurring in part and dissenting in part).

I agree with the majority that tolling is mandatory under the

Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)1 and that the tolling provision2 can be

waived by both a servicemember and a nonservicemember. I also agree that the

nonservicemember plaintiff waived the provision in this case by failing to raise it

in the trial court. However, I conclude that remanding this matter to the Court of

Appeals is necessary to avoid a possible miscarriage of justice. There is some

evidence that defendant was evading service of process. If so, it would be unjust

to permit him to avoid liability on the basis of plaintiff’s failure to raise the tolling

provision in the trial court. This is a compelling circumstance that permits

1
50 USC Appendix 501 et seq.
2
50 USC Appendix 526(a).
appellate review of the unpreserved claim that the SCRA tolled the period of

limitations.3

This Court has the power to enter any order and grant relief as the case

requires. MCR 7.316(A)(7). I would direct the Court of Appeals to determine

whether, to avoid a miscarriage of justice, this case should be remanded to the

Jackson Circuit Court. In that court, plaintiff could develop a complete record

concerning matters relevant to whether the SCRA tolled the period of limitations

applicable to plaintiff’s claim against defendant Nathan Nadell. Such a record

would include facts concerning defendant’s periods of military service and his

alleged evasion of service of process.

Marilyn Kelly

3
See Napier v Jacobs, 429 Mich 222, 232-233; 414 NW2d 862 (1987).

2