Opinion ID: 901080
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sufficiency of evidence supporting fraudulent concealment

Text: [¶ 12.] At the end of Roth's case-in-chief, and again at the end of trial, Farner moved the court for a directed verdict on Roth's invasion of privacy claim. The court denied Farner's motions and Roth's invasion of privacy claim was submitted to the jury who rendered a verdict in favor of Roth. Farner then filed a motion for judgment n.o.v., or alternatively, motion for new trial or remittitur. These alternative motions were denied and judgment was entered on the jury's verdict. [¶ 13.] The statute of limitations on a claim of invasion of privacy is three years. See SDCL 15-2-14. However, the jury found, and the trial court agreed, that Farner fraudulently concealed its invasion of Roth's privacy and the statute was tolled. [¶ 14.] Fraudulent concealment tolls the statute of limitations until the claim is discovered or might have been discovered with reasonable diligence. Strassburg v. Citizens State Bank, 1998 SD 72, ¶ 14, 581 N.W.2d 510, 515 (citations omitted). Fraudulent concealment applies when actionable conduct or injury has been concealed by deceptive act or artifice. Id. Absent a confidential or fiduciary relationship, fraudulent concealment consists of some affirmative act or conduct on the part of the defendant designed to prevent, and which does prevent, the discovery of the cause of action. Id. (quoting Koenig v. Lambert, 527 N.W.2d 903, 905-06 (S.D.1995) (overruled on other grounds)). [¶ 15.] Nothing in the record indicates a confidential or fiduciary relationship. Therefore, Roth must show 1) that Farner took affirmative steps to prevent discovery of Roth's claim or its underlying facts; and 2) that Roth exercised diligence to discover the cause of action. See Strassburg, 1998 SD 72 at ¶ 15, 581 N.W.2d at 515. [¶ 16.] In this case, there was testimony that the No. 10 business-size envelope bearing the law firm's address was removed from the original mailing envelope and attached to a new plain mailing envelope. Additionally, a label bearing Roth's home address was typed and pasted over Farner's address on the original No. 10 envelope. There was also evidence that the law firm sent a second letter to Roth at Farner's address, a photocopy of which was later discovered in Roth's personnel file. This constitutes competent and substantial evidence that Farner engaged in an affirmative act or conduct designed to prevent discovery of Roth's invasion of privacy cause of action. [¶ 17.] Farner contends that Roth had constructive notice of the fraudulent concealment and thus failed to exercise diligence in discovering his invasion of privacy claim. Farner argues that Roth testified that he noticed the Sioux Falls post mark on the new mailing envelope when he received it, and Pochop's letter inside the envelope still bore the address of Farner in Sioux Falls. Farner also argues that there was a gap between the time which Roth was advised by Pochop that she was returning his documents and the time Roth received the envelope posted by Farner. Therefore, Farner contends that Roth had notice of his invasion of privacy claim at the time it occurred and, as a result, cannot rely on Farner's fraudulent concealment to toll the statute of limitations. [¶ 18.] Roth, however, testified that he did not notice the Farner address on Pochop's letter and that he was not aware that Farner had opened, read, photocopied, and disseminated his mail until Farner produced a copy of Roth's personnel file during discovery in his age discrimination claim. Furthermore, Roth testified that he had never seen the second letter the law firm sent to Roth at the Farner address until he received the copy of his personnel file. Based on this, there was sufficient evidence by which the jury could conclude that Roth acted with diligence in discovering his invasion of privacy claim.