Title: BENDERS v STRATTON

State: montana

Issuer: Montana Supreme Court

Document:

No. 82-276 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA 1982 BERTA V. BENDERS, LINDA BENDERS, and JOHN BENDERS, Plaintiffs and Appellants, vs. WILLIAM G. STRATTON, JOYCE M. ST-RATTON, and DOES I through X I inclusive, Defendants and Respondents. Appeal from: ~istrict Court of the Thirteenth ~udicial ~istrict, In and for the County of Carbon Honorable Charles Luedke, Judqe presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellants: Barry David Ziskind, Billings, Montana For Respondents: Kinnard & Woodward, Billings, Montana Filed: Submitted on briefs: September 3 0 , 1982 Decided: I?ecem?ber S , 1982 M r . J u s t i c e Gene B. Daly d e l i v e r i n g t h e Opinion of t h e Court. P l a i n t i f f s , John and Linda Benders, appeal from a n o r d e r i s s u e d by t h e District Court of t h e T h i r t e e n t h J u d i c i a l District, Carbon County, d i s m i s s i n g t h e i r claims a g a i n s t t h e d e f e n d a n t s . On October 24, 1979, B e r t a Benders, t h e mother of John Benders and mother-in-law of Linda Benders, e n t e r e d i n t o a c o n t r a c t f o r deed w i t h t h e S t r a t t o n s , t h e d e f e n d a n t s , to buy cer- t a i n real p r o p e r t y l o c a t e d i n Carbon County, Montana. According t o t h e b r i e f s f i l e d i n t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t , John Benders helped h i s mother i n t h e c o n t r a c t n e g o t i a t i o n s . On A p r i l 6 , 1982, John Benders i n d i v i d u a l l y and as an a g e n t f o r h i s mother, and Linda Benders f i l e d a complaint a g a i n s t t h e S t r a t t o n s a l l e g i n g , among o t h e r t h i n g s , breach of c o n t r a c t , m i s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , and t r e s p a s s . The S t r a t t o n s moved t o d i s m i s s t h e a c t i o n f o r f a i l u r e to s t a t e a claim upon which r e l i e f can be g r a n t e d . Rule 1 2 ( b ) ( 6 ) M.R.Civ.P. The S t r a t t o n s based t h e i r motion on t h e grounds t h a t n e i t h e r John nor Linda Benders had any l e g a l i n t e r e s t i n e i t h e r t h e c o n t r a c t or t h e l a n d . The Benders f i l e d an amended complaint adding Berta Benders as a p a r t y p l a i n t i f f , and a l l e g i n g t h a t Berta Benders had g r a n t e d t o John and Linda Benders an undivided p a r t i a l i n t e r e s t i n t h e real p r o p e r t y . The S t r a t t o n s renewed t h e i r motion to d i s m i s s t h e claims of John and Linda Benders. The D i s t r i c t Court g r a n t e d t h e motion. B e r t a Benders remains t h e sole p a r t y p l a i n t i f f , pursuing t h e same claims o r i g i n a l l y a l l e g e d by h e r son and daughter- in-law. A p p e l l a n t s claim t h a t t h e i r d i s m i s s a l is p r e s e n t l y a p p e a l a b l e because it is based on a 1 2 ( b ) ( 6 ) motion. W e do n o t a g r e e . Because a p p e l l a n t s f a i l e d to o b t a i n an e n t r y of f i n a l judgment as p r o v i d e d i n r u l e 5 4 ( b ) , M.R.Civ.P., t h e i r a p p e a l must be d i s m i s s e d . A p p e l l a n t s c i t e Tobacco R i v e r Lumber C o . , I n c . v . Yoppe ( 1 9 7 8 ) , 176 Mont. 267, 577 P.2d 855, and P r e n t i c e Lumber Company, I n c . v . H u k i l l (1972) r 1 6 1 Mont. 8 , 504 P.2d 277, t o s u p p o r t t h e i r argument t h a t 1 2 ( b ) ( 6 ) motions are a p p e a l a b l e . I n P r e n t i c e - - - - -- -- - - Lumber - - . - - w e h e l d t h a t an o r d e r d i s m i s s i n g a c o m p l a i n t w a s a p p e a l a b l e because t h e o r d e r had t h e e f f e c t of denying a p a r t y r e l i e f " j u s t as c o m p l e t e l y as i f judgment had been e n t e r e d a g a i n s t i t . " 504 P.2d a t 279. P r e n t i c e Lumber involved t h e d i s m i s s a l of c l a i m s by t h e s o l e -- - - - - ---. . - - p l a i n t i f f . W e have, however, a p p l i e d t h e P r e n t i c e Lumber - - - - -- - r a t i o n a l e to c a s e s i n v o l v i n g m u l t i p l e claims or m u l t i p l e p a r t i e s . See Tobacco River Lumber, s u p r a ; and Hasbrouck v. K r s u l ( 1 9 7 5 ) , - - - - - - -- - 168 Mont. 270, 5 4 1 P.2d 1197. W e d i d n o t a d d r e s s t h e q u e s t i o n o f c e r t i f i c a t i o n under r u l e 5 4 ( b ) i n e i t h e r Tobacco R i v e r Lumber - - -- --- - - - - o r - Hasbrouck. - - . - W e m e r e l y s t a t e d t h a t a d i s m i s s a l of e i t h e r a c l a i m or a p a r t y under a r u l e 1 2 ( b ) ( 6 ) motion w a s a p p e a l a b l e because t h e p r a c t i c a l e f f e c t of t h e d i s m i s s a l was to l e a v e t h e a p p e l l a n t w i t h o u t f u r t h e r j u d i c i a l r e l i e f . See Hasbrouck where w e allowed t h e a p p e a l of t h e d i s m i s s a l of a t h i r d - p a r t y p l a i n - t i f f . Here, t h e r a t i o n a l e u n d e r l y i n g P r e n t i c e Lumber, Tobacco R i v e r - -. - -- -- - - -- - - - - -- -- Lumber, and - Hasbrouck - --- . - is n o t a p p l i c a b l e . Although a p p e l l a n t s , John and Linda Benders, are prevented from p r e s e n t l y s e e k i n g r e l i e f , t h e -- same r e l i e f is still being pursued by B e r t a Benders. R e l i e f from t h e a l l e g e d wrongs of breach of c o n t r a c t and t r e s p a s s h a s n o t been blocked by t h e d i s m i s s a l . The o r d e r d i s m i s s i n g t h e claims of John and Linda Benders must t h e r e f o r e be c o n s i d e r e d i n t e r l o c u t o r y , and n o t f i n a l . Under r u l e 5 4 ( b ) , M.R.Civ.P., i n t e r l o c u t o r y judgments i n v o l v i n g m u l t i p l e c l a i m s or p a r t i e s must be c e r t i f i e d as f i n a l judgments i n o r d e r to be a p p e a l a b l e . Roy v. Neibauer (198O), - Mont . -- .- , 610 P.2d 1185, 37 St.Rep. 897; Krusemark v. Hansen ( 1 9 7 9 ) , 182 Mont. 291, 597 P.2d 48. The o r d e r d i s m i s s i n g t h e claims of John and Linda Benders was n e v e r c e r t i f i e d a s a f i n a l judgment under r u l e 5 4 ( b ) . The a p p e a l is therefore dismissed. ChieP Justice \