John A. Brown v. Collections, Inc.

MAXWELL, Justice,

for the Court:

¶ 1. A collection company, acting on behalf of a hospital, sued John Brown in Harrison County Court. The lawsuit stemmed from Brown’s nonpayment for medical services. Though Brown initially answered, claiming entitlement to a set-off, he later tried to amend his answer to add a recoupment defense aimed at whittling down his amount owed. The county court judge denied the amendment, but she certified the judgment as final and appealable under Mississippi Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b). This was done, as' the judge put it, “so the Mississippi Supreme Court may ...…