Deutsche Bank Trust Company, N.A. v. Jason Anders and Leslie Anders
Deutsche Bank Trust Company, N.A. appealed the trial court's denial of its motion for a new trial after a default judgment was granted in favor of Jason and Lesli Anders. The Bank argued its failure to file a timely answer was due to a calendaring mistake by its agent, AHMSI's vice president Nathan Boucher, who confused the case entry date with the service date, thus negating conscious indifference under the Craddock test. The appellate court agreed, finding that Boucher's detailed testimony and the established system for managing lawsuits demonstrated a mistake rather than intentional or consciously indifferent conduct. Consequently, the court concluded that the trial court abused its discretion by not setting aside the default judgment. The judgment was reversed, and the case, including the issue of attorney's fees, was remanded for a new trial, with appellees to be reimbursed only for expenses incurred due to the default.