Altman v. Parker

**What Happened** This case involved a workplace dispute between Altman and his employer, Parker, that originated in 1999. Altman won the case by default judgment, meaning the court ruled in his favor because Parker failed to respond to the lawsuit. However, Parker later claimed he never received proper notice of the lawsuit in the first place. Parker asked the court to throw out the 1999 judgment, arguing it was invalid because he was never properly served with the legal papers. **What the Court Decided** The Ohio Court of Appeals sided with Parker and sent the case back to the lower court. The appeals court ruled that Parker had the right to challenge the judgment even though nearly 20 years had passed. The court said that if Parker truly never received proper notice of the lawsuit, the original judgment was invalid. The lower court must now hold a hearing to determine whether Parker was actually served with the lawsuit papers back in 1999. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling protects everyone's right to defend themselves in court. While it may seem to favor the employer here, it actually establishes an important principle: courts cannot issue valid judgments against anyone—whether worker or employer—without ensuring they received proper legal notice first.