Sundance Mechanical & Utility Corp. v. Atlas

OPINION

MONTGOMERY, Justice.

This little case raises large issues concerning the jurisdiction of our courts, the relationship between jurisdiction and a complaint’s failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, and the power of a district court to enter a default judgment when the complaint fails to state a cause of action. The principal specific question for decision is whether the trial court could properly reinstate a default judgment against a homeowner in a subcontractor’s suit to foreclose on his mechanic’s lien when his complaint (actually, his crossclaim) failed to allege…