§ RULE 12. DEFENSES AND OBJECTIONS--WHEN AND HOW PRESENTED--BY PLEADING OR MOTION--MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON PLEADINGS

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RULE 12. DEFENSES AND OBJECTIONS--WHEN AND HOW PRESENTED--BY PLEADING OR MOTION--MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON PLEADINGS

(a) When Presented. A defendant shall file his answer or other response within twenty days after the service of the summons and complaint on him. If, pursuant to special order, a copy of the complaint is not served with the summons, or if the summons is served without the state, or by publication, a defendant shall file his answer or other response within thirty days after the service thereof on him. A party served with a pleading stating a cross claim against him shall file an answer or other response thereto within twenty days after the service upon him. The plaintiff shall file his reply to a counterclaim in the answer within twenty days after the service of the answer. If reply is made to any affirmative defense such reply shall be filed within twenty days after service of the pleading containing such affirmative defense. If a pleading is ordered by the court, it shall be filed within twenty days after the entry of the order, unless the order otherwise directs. The filing of a motion permitted under this Rule alters these periods of time, as follows: (1) If the court denies the motion or postpones its disposition until the trial on the merits, the responsive pleadings shall be filed within ten days after notice of the court's action; (2) if the court grants a motion for a more definite statement, or for a statement in separate counts or defenses, the responsive pleadings shall be filed within ten days after the service of the more definite statement or amended pleading.

(b) How Presented. Every defense, in law or in fact, to a claim for relief in any pleading, whether a claim, counterclaim, cross claim, or third-party claim, shall be asserted in the responsive pleading thereto if one is required, except that the following defenses may at the option of the pleader be made by motion: (1) Lack of jurisdiction over the subject matter; (2) lack of jurisdiction over the person; (3) insufficiency of process; (4) insufficiency of service of process; (5) failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted; (6) failure to join a party under Rule 19. A motion making any of these defenses shall be made before pleading if a further pleading is permitted. No defense or objection is waived by being joined with one or more other defenses or objections in a responsive pleading or with any other motion permitted under Rule 12 or Rule 98. If a pleading sets forth a claim for relief to which the adverse party is not required to file a responsive pleading, he may assert at the trial any defense in law or fact to that claim for relief. If, on a motion asserting the defense numbered (5) to dismiss for failure of the pleading to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, matters outside the pleading are presented to and not excluded by the court, the motion shall be treated as one for summary judgment and disposed of as provided in Rule 56, and all parties shall be given reasonable opportunity to present all material made pertinent to such a motion by Rule 56.

(c) Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings. After the pleadings are closed but within such time as not to delay the trial, any party may move for judgment on the pleadings. If, on a motion for judgment on the pleadings, matters outside the pleadings are presented to and not excluded by the court, the motion shall be treated as one for summary judgment and disposed of as provided in Rule 56, and all parties shall be given reasonable opportunity to present all material made pertinent to such a motion by Rule 56.

(d) Preliminary Hearings. The defenses specifically enumerated in subsections (1)-(6) of section (b) of this Rule, whether made in a pleading or by motion, and the motion for judgment mentioned in section (c) of this Rule, shall be heard and determined before trial on application of any party, unless the court orders that the hearing and determination thereof be deferred until the trial.

(e) Motion for Separate Statement, or for More Definite Statement. Before responding to a pleading or, if no responsive pleading is permitted by these rules, within twenty days after the service of the pleading upon him, a party may file a motion for a statement in separate counts or defenses, or for a more definite statement of any matter which is not averred with sufficient definiteness or particularity to enable him properly to prepare his responsive pleading. If the motion is granted and the order of the court is not obeyed within ten days after notice of the order or within such other time as the court may fix, the court may strike the pleading to which the motion was directed or make such order as it deems just.

(f) Motion to Strike. Upon motion filed by a party before responding to a pleading or, if no responsive pleading is permitted by these rules, upon motion filed by a party within twenty days after the service of any pleading, motion, or other paper, or upon the court's own initiative at any time, the court may order any redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter stricken from any pleading, motion, or other paper. The objection that a responsive pleading or separate defense therein fails to state a legal defense may be raised by motion filed under this section (f).

(g) Consolidation of Defenses in Motion. A party who makes a motion under this Rule may join with it any other motions herein provided for and then available to him. If a party makes a motion under this Rule but omits therefrom any defense or objection then available to him which this Rule permits to be raised by motion, he shall not thereafter make a motion based on the defense or objection so omitted, except a motion as provided in section (h)(2) of this Rule on any of the grounds there stated.

(h) Waiver or Preservation of Certain Defenses.

(1) A defense of lack of jurisdiction over the person, insufficiency of process, or insufficiency of service of process is waived: (A) If omitted from a motion in the circumstances described in section (g); or (B) if it is neither made by motion under this Rule nor included in a responsive pleading or an amendment thereof permitted by Rule 15(a) to be made as a matter of course.

(2) A defense of failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, a defense of failure to join a party under Rule 19, and an objection of failure to state a legal defense to a claim may be made in any pleading permitted or ordered under Rule 7(a), or by motion for judgment on the pleadings, or at the trial on the merits.

(3) Whenever it appears by suggestion of the parties or otherwise that the court lacks jurisdiction of the subject matter, the court shall dismiss the action.