Opinion ID: 864275
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: conversion of the motion for judgment on the

Text: PLEADINGS TO A MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT. ¶3. Under M.R.C.P. 12(c), a trial court may convert a motion for judgment on the pleadings to a motion for summary judgment if the court considers matters outside the pleadings in ruling on the motion. 1 Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49 (2001). 2 The Boyleses appeal after the circuit court certified the order of dismissal of Schlumberger pursuant to M.R.C.P. 54(b). 3 The appeal sub judice is actually the second appeal we have considered in this case. The first appeal was an interlocutory appeal which presented procedural issues which are not relevant to the current appeal. See Boyles v. Schlumberger Tech. Corp., 792 So. 2d 262 (Miss. 2001). 2 Although the circuit court did not characterize the motion as a motion for summary judgment, it is evident that the circuit court treated the motion as one for summary judgment. As soon as the Boyleses filed their response, the motion became one for summary judgment because they attached to their response exhibits which were not in the pleadings. ¶4. Resolution of the issue of the discovery rule depended on exactly when the Boyleses were made aware of their claims against Schlumberger. This information was not contained in the pleadings. We will therefore treat the motion for judgment on the pleadings as one for summary judgment.