Boardwalk Regency Corp. v. Roy Patterson and Trump Taj Mahal Assoc. v. Roy Patterson

This appeal involves the efforts of two Atlantic City casinos to collect the gambling debts of a Tennessee resident. After obtaining default judgments against the Tennessee resident in New Jersey, the casinos twice attempted to file their judgments in the Chancery Court for Putnam County in accordance with the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act. On both occasions, the trial court declined to file the judgments after finding that they were irregular and that they were not properly authenticated. On the second occasion, the trial court also concluded that its refusal to file the first set of judgments precluded the casinos from filing the second set of judgments. The casinos have appealed. We have determined that the second set of judgments meet the requirements for filing and enforcement under the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act and that the casinos' unsuccessful efforts to file the first set of judgments does not prevent them from filing the second set of judgments. Accordingly, we reverse the trial court's order denying the application to enforce the foreign judgments.