State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Grater

Plaintiff, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, sued defendant, Nicole Grater, to recover payments it made to its policyholders, Gussie and Andrew Lewis. When defendant failed to appear, plaintiff obtained a default judgment. Defendant moved to vacate the judgment, contending that she was not properly served with summons. The trial court denied the motion and defendant appeals, contending that plaintiff did not strictly comply with the statute providing for service of out-of-state motorists on the Secretary of State. We affirm.

In its complaint, plaintiff alleged that defendant…