Opinion ID: 2464796
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Summary Judgment Rulings

Text: [¶ 35] Summary judgments are governed by W.R.C.P. 56(c), which states in pertinent part: The judgment sought shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. We review a summary judgment de novo, using the same materials and following the same standards as the district court. We examine the record from the vantage point most favorable to the party opposing the motion, and we give that party the benefit of all favorable inferences which may fairly be drawn from the record. Hasvold v. Park County School Dist. No. 6, 2002 WY 65, ¶ 11, 45 P.3d 635, 637-38 (Wyo.2002), quoting Four Nines Gold, Inc. v. 71 Constr., Inc., 809 P.2d 236, 238 (Wyo.1991). See also, Alpine Lumber Co. v. Capital West Nat'l Bank, 2010 WY 62, ¶ 5, 231 P.3d 869, 870-71 (Wyo.2010). [¶ 36] The respective obligations of summary judgment opponents were described in Hatton v. Energy Electric Co., 2006 WY 151, ¶ 9, 148 P.3d 8, 12-13 (Wyo.2006), quoting Cook v. Shoshone First Bank, 2006 WY 13, ¶ 12, 126 P.3d 886, 890 (Wyo.2006): The party requesting a summary judgment bears the initial burden of establishing a prima facie case for summary judgment. If he carries his burden, the party who is opposing the motion for summary judgment must present specific facts to demonstrate that a genuine issue of material fact exists. Id. We have explained the duties of the party opposing a motion for summary judgment as follows: After a movant has adequately supported the motion for summary judgment, the opposing party must come forward with competent evidence admissible at trial showing there are genuine issues of material fact. The opposing party must affirmatively set forth material, specific facts in opposition to a motion for summary judgment, and cannot rely only upon allegations and pleadings. . ., and conclusory statements or mere opinions are insufficient to satisfy the opposing party's burden. See also, Fayard v. Design Committee of the Homestead Subdivision, 2010 WY 51, ¶ 21, 230 P.3d 299, 305 (Wyo.2010). [¶ 37] The district court granted Solitude summary judgment on the issue of the validity of the covenants. [4] Solitude's summary judgment documents included copies of the Solitude subdivision covenants stamped with the county clerk's recording information and Ms. Magin's deed showing her lot as being part of the subdivision. Those documents established a prima facie case that the covenants encumbered Ms. Magin's property. She did not present any evidence or affidavits in response to Solitude's summary judgment motion to raise a genuine issue of material fact as to the validity of the covenants. Moreover, in an earlier motion for partial summary judgment, Ms. Magin cited to the original covenants without any suggestion that they were not valid. She stated that the determination of whether the conditions on her property violated the covenants was simply a legal interpretation of the contract between the parties. We conclude, therefore, that Solitude established the validity of the covenants as a matter of law and summary judgment was appropriate on that issue. [¶ 38] The district court also ruled that Solitude was entitled to summary judgment on its claims that the conditions on Ms. Magin's property violated the covenants. The covenants require that all fences must meet certain conditions and be approved by the Site Committee and state that nuisances are prohibited and no trash or rubbish shall be collected, placed or permitted to remain on any lot[.] Solitude presented the affidavit of the chairman of the Solitude Site Committee and board member, Dan Clancy, in which he averred that he had reviewed evidence of the conditions on Ms. Magin's property and the Site Committee records and concluded that she had erected fences or screens on her property that were not approved by the Site Committee. Solitude also presented an affidavit from William Collins, a consultant in land development regulations and use restrictions. He stated that he inspected Ms. Magin's property on June 10, 2009, took photographs of the conditions upon the property and reviewed the covenant documents. He concluded there were numerous items of fencing and screening on Ms. Magin's property that did not comply with the covenants. He also stated: I . . . observed numerous instances of brush having been collected and stacked in rows on several locations on the property. The Covenants prohibited trash, rubbish or other unsightly items to be collected, placed or permitted to remain on the property. Such stacks of brush are, in my opinion, a violation of the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions. Mr. Collins' photographs of the conditions on Ms. Magin's property were attached to his affidavit and report. [¶ 39] Solitude's submissions established a prima facie case that the conditions on Ms. Magin's property violated the covenants. Ms. Magin filed no substantive response to Solitude's motion for summary judgment, and, thus, failed to raise any genuine issue of material fact regarding the violations of the covenants. The district court properly granted Solitude's motion for summary judgment under Rule 56 and ruled that Ms. Magin must bring her property into compliance with the covenants.