Gunn v. Director of Revenue, 65059

Decision Date24 May 1994
Docket NumberNo. 65059,65059
Citation876 S.W.2d 42
PartiesKatherine GUNN, Defendant/Respondent, v. DIRECTOR OF REVENUE, State of Missouri, Plaintiff/Appellant.
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals

Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon, Atty. Gen., James A. Chenault, III, Sp. Asst. Atty. Gen., Mo. Dept. of Revenue, Jefferson City, for plaintiff/appellant.

Bradley W. Cundiff, St. Peters, for defendant/respondent.

REINHARD, Judge.

The Director of Revenue (Director) appeals the circuit court's order restoring petitioner's driving privileges after they had been revoked by the Director for failing to submit to a chemical test. We reverse and remand.

The Director, pursuant to § 577.041, RSMo Supp.1993, revoked petitioner's driving privileges for one year (effective April 6, 1993) for refusing to submit to a chemical test. The Notice of Revocation was mailed on March 5, 1993. On June 15, 1993, petitioner filed a petition for review alleging "the arresting officer did not have reasonable grounds to believe that [petitioner] was driving a motor vehicle while in an intoxicated condition and [petitioner] did not refuse to submit to a chemical test...."

On June 24, 1993, the Director filed a Confession of Petition for Review. On July 6, 1993, the Director filed a Motion to Dissolve Stay and to Dismiss for Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction, contending the court lacked subject matter jurisdiction because petitioner had not filed her petition within thirty (30) days after the mailing of the revocation notice.

There is no indication the court ruled on the Director's motion to dismiss. On September 14, 1993, the circuit court, noting the Director's confession of the petition for review, ordered petitioner's driving privileges be restored.

On appeal, the Director repeats her assertion that the circuit court was without subject matter jurisdiction to review the revocation. We agree. A petition for review must be filed within thirty (30) days of the mailing of the notice of revocation. Ramey v. Director of Revenue, 865 S.W.2d 442, 443 (Mo.App.E.D.1993); § 536.110, RSMo 1986. Failure to timely file such a petition deprives the circuit court of subject matter jurisdiction. Ramey, 865 S.W.2d at 443. When a court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, it can take no action other than exercising its inherent power to dismiss. Rule 55.27(g)(3); Pool v. Director of Revenue, 824 S.W.2d 515, 517 (Mo.App.S.D.1992).

The petition for review here was filed 102 days after the notice was mailed. The Director's confession of judgment in this case is, therefore, irrelevant. 1 Evans v. Director of Revenue, 871 S.W.2d 90, 92 (Mo.App.E.D.1994); Feldmann v. McNeill, 772 S.W.2d 409, 410 (Mo.App.1989). Subject matter...

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8 cases
  • Wooldridge v. Greene County, 27217.
    • United States
    • Missouri Court of Appeals
    • 23 d3 Agosto d3 2006
    ...jurisdiction is null and void. State ex rel. Director of Revenue v. Rauch, 971 S.W.2d 350, 353 (Mo.App.1998); Gunn v. Director of Revenue, 876 S.W.2d 42, 43 (Mo.App.1994). "When the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the court can do nothing more than exercise its inherent power to di......
  • McCracken v. Wal-Mart Stores East, Lp
    • United States
    • Missouri Supreme Court
    • 27 d2 Outubro d2 2009
    ...resolving his claim. This distinction is far more than a semantic one. Subject matter jurisdiction cannot be waived. Gunn v. Dir. of Revenue, 876 S.W.2d 42, 43 (Mo.App.1994). That is why the circuit court permitted Wal-Mart to raise the issue on the eve of trial even though it had not been ......
  • Yanuzzi v. Director of Revenue
    • United States
    • Missouri Court of Appeals
    • 8 d2 Junho d2 1999
    ...879 S.W. 2d 753 (Mo. App. E.D. 1994), Johnson v. Director of Revenue, 879 S.W. 2d 754 (Mo. App. E.D. 1994), Gunn v. Director of Revenue, 876 S.W. 2d 42 (Mo. App. E.D. 1994), Evans v. Director of Revenue, 871 S.W. 2d 90 (Mo. App. E.D. 1994), Klinedinst v. Director of Revenue, 883 S.W. 2d 556......
  • Evans v. Empire Dist. Electric Co.
    • United States
    • Missouri Court of Appeals
    • 31 d2 Maio d2 2011
    ...jurisdiction cannot be waived and can be addressed for the first time during trial or on appeal. Id. (citing Gunn v. Dir. of Revenue, 876 S.W.2d 42, 43 (Mo.App. E.D.1994)). Other non-jurisdictional defenses are matters of trial error and are waived if not raised in a responsive pleading or ......
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