Opinion ID: 2570762
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: tantillo complaint

Text: On October 18, 1995, Larry D. Barnes and Richard L. Barnes filed suit in Shawnee County District Court, No. 95-CV-1124, against Charles R. Tantillo for breach of contract and anticipatory breach of contract. The plaintiffs sought in excess of $2,000,000. Tantillo retained Farrell to represent him in the action filed by the Barneses. On January 27, 1997, the plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment. Farrell failed to inform Tantillo that the plaintiffs had filed the motion. On February 13, 1997, Farrell filed a motion for extension of time in which to respond to the motion for summary judgment. Farrell's motion was granted. Farrell failed to file a response. On April 20, 1997, the court granted the plaintiffs' motion and awarded the plaintiffs $2,271,724.51, plus costs and interest. Farrell made no attempt to have the order of summary judgment set aside. On May 30, 1997, Farrell filed a notice of appeal with the Kansas Court of Appeals. Farrell sought to overturn the order of summary judgment. Tantillo subsequently hired new counsel. On August 1, 1997, Gregory Musil and William E. Quirk, Tantillo's new attorneys, filed a motion for relief from judgment pursuant to K.S.A. 60-260(b). In that motion, counsel stated that Farrell had failed to inform Tantillo that a motion for summary judgment had been filed or that he failed to respond to the motion. The motion for relief from judgment included an affidavit signed by Farrell agreeing to the statements of counsel. Tantillo did not learn of the judgment entered against him until the plaintiffs sought to enforce the judgment. Counsel for Tantillo were unsuccessful in their attempt to have the judgment set aside. Tantillo died unexpectedly and payment of the judgment was resolved in the probate proceeding.