Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District / Mar 5, 2024
CHAD HOOD, Plaintiff-Appellant v. HALE FIREWORKS, LLC, Defendant-Respondent
Chad Hood appealed the circuit court's decision to set aside a default judgment he obtained against Hale Fireworks, LLC. The circuit court granted Hale Fireworks' motion under Rule 74.06, finding it lacked personal jurisdiction due to improper service of process. The appellate court affirmed, concluding that service on the office manager of the registered agent's law office, rather than the registered agent personally, did not constitute proper service on the LLC. Therefore, the default judgment was void for lack of personal jurisdiction.