Title: FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF LEWISTOWN v

State: montana

Issuer: Montana Supreme Court

Document:

No. 13866 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF LEWISTOWN, a National Banking Corporation, Plaintiff and Respondent, -vs- PHILIP K. FRY and PATRICIA A. FRY, et al., Defendants and Appellants, CULLIGAN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY, a corporation, Third Party Plaintiff and Respondent, -vs- PHILIP K. FRY and PATRICIA A. FRY, et al., Third Party Defendants. Appeal from: District Court of the Tenth Judicial District, Honorable LeRoy L. McKinn, Judge presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellants: D. Frank Kampfe, Red Lodge, Montana Gilbert Burdette argued, Red Lodge, Montana For Respondents: Peter L. Rapkoch argued, Lewistown, Montana Bradley B. Parrish, Lewistown, Montana Submitted: January 23, 1978 Decided: W R - 6 1978 Filed: MAR - 6 1273 M r . Justice Gene B. Daly delivered the Opinion of the Court. This is an action of foreclosure of mortgage. Notice of entry of judgment for p l a i n t i f f was f i l e d February 9, 1977, i n the D i s t r i c t Court, Fergus County. O n April 11, 1977, defendants moved the t r i a l court t o vacate and s e t aside a portion of the judgment. This i s a motion under Rule 52, M.R.Civ.P.,and must be made within 10 days a f t e r service of notice of entry of judgment, a s stated ,in the ~ u l e : "(b) Amendment. Upon motion of a party made not l a t e r than 10 days a f t e r entry of judgment the court may amend i t s findings or make additional findings and may amend the judgment accordingly. * * *" The motion here was made 46 days beyond the authority of Rule 52. Since it was not timely made, it did not suspend the running of time within which the defendants a r e permitted t o f i l e t h e i r appeal under Rule 5, M.R.App.Civ.P., which s t a t e s : "The time within which an appeal from a judgment or an order must be taken s h a l l be 30 days from the entry thereof, except that i n cases where service of notice of entry of judgment i s required by Rule 77(d) of the Montana Rules of Civil Procedure the time s h a l l be 30 days from the service of notice of entry of judgment * * * . ' I The rule i s subject t o other exceptions that do not apply here, such a s when the s t a t e of Montana i s a party. This case does come under Rule 77(d), M.R.Civ.P., and hence a notice of appeal was mandatory within 30 days from f i l i n g of notice of entry of judgment. A notice of appeal f i l e d a f t e r the 30 day period f a i l s t o vest jurisdiction i n t h i s Court and t h i s appeal must be dismissed. Defendant, for the f i r s t time on t h i s appeal, argues that h i s April 11, 1977 motion t o vacate was f i l e d and heard pursuant t o Rule 60, M.R.Civ.P. There i s no evidence i n the record that defendant ever intended t o proceed under Rule 60. However, had t h i s been the case and the motion properly pleaded under the provisions of Rule 60(a) o r (b), the time limitation mandatory under these sections is found in Rule 60(c), as amended July 1, 1969. This section of the rule provides that the time limitations i n Rule 59, M.R.Civ.P., for motions t o a l t e r or amend judgments w i l l be followed. Rule 59(g), M.R.Civ.P., provides: "A motion t o a l t e r or amend the judgment s h a l l be served not l a t e r than 10 days a f t e r the service of the notice of the entry of the judgment * * *." This Court lacking jurisdiction t o hear t h i s appeal, hereby orders the appeal dismissed. Justice W e Concur: