Opinion ID: 1834654
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: issue ii: relation back of amended complaint

Text: The trial court determined that the date of Lewises' cause of action was November 8, 1991, which was the date of the filing of the notice of entry of order permitting the amended complaint. Thus, Lewises missed the twenty year limitations period by a matter of days. Lewises contend that the trial court's order permitting an amendment to their complaint relates their claim for the recovery of the disputed property back to the date of the filing of their original small claims action. See SDCL 15-6-15(c). [8] Thus, they assert that their action falls within the statute of limitations, precluding any claim for adverse possession. The rationale of the relation back of amendments rule is to ameliorate the effect of statutes of limitations. Wright, Miller & Kane, Federal Practice and Procedure: Civil 2d § 1497 (1990). The test under our statute, which follows Fed.Rule Civ.Proc. 15(c), is whether the claim arose out of the conduct, transaction or occurrence set forth in the original claim, or whether the claim states a different cause of action. If an amended claim raises new and distinct theories of recovery, it will not relate back to the original. Rowen v. Le Mars Mut. Ins. Co. of Iowa, 282 N.W.2d 639, 646-47 (Ia.1979); Buysse v. Baumann-Furrie & Co., 428 N.W.2d 419 (Minn.App.1988). When facts in an amendment state a different cause of action from the original claim, the statute of limitations runs to the date of the amendment. League v. Vanice, 221 Neb. 34, 374 N.W.2d 849, 855 (1985). Here, the matters asserted in Lewises' amended complaint clearly arise out of the same transaction or occurrence as the original small claims complaint. Thus, the relation back doctrine would apply to the amended complaint but for the following exception. [9] Where the relation back doctrine will act to extend a court's jurisdiction, its application is impermissible. USM Corp. v. GKN Fasteners LTD., 578 F.2d 21, 23 (1st Cir.1978). Lewises' original claim was brought in small claims court which was without jurisdiction to determine the boundary dispute. The jurisdiction of a small claims court is provided in SDCL 15-39-45, and does not include the power to make the boundary determination and issue the injunction necessary for Lewises to recover their property. [10] Therefore, there was no relation back here. Although Moorheads included a request for a jury trial in their answer, which was filed on October 17, 1991, the court did not file its order permitting the amended complaint until November 7, 1991. The circuit court determined that its jurisdiction over Lewises claim arose on that date. Trial courts are vested with broad discretion in the matter of amending pleadings.... Jordan v. Duprel, 303 N.W.2d 796, 798-99 (S.D.1981) (quoting, Andree v. Andree, 291 N.W.2d 788, 790 (S.D.1980)). We will not disturb the ruling of the trial court unless there has been an abuse of discretion. Id. An abuse of discretion refers to a discretion exercised to an end or purpose not justified by, and clearly against, reason and evidence. Dacy v. Gors, 471 N.W.2d 576, 580 (S.D.1991). We do not determine whether the justices of this Court would have made a like ruling. Rather, the test is whether we believe a judicial mind, in view of the law and the circumstances, could reasonably have reached that conclusion. Matter of Estate of Donahue, 464 N.W.2d 393, 395 (S.D.1990) (citing Davis v. Kressly, 78 S.D. 637, 107 N.W.2d 5, 8 (1961)). We do not find that the trial court abused its discretion in not allowing the amendment to relate back to the small claims action and thereby cut off the statute of limitations. The decision of the trial court is affirmed. MILLER, C.J., and SABERS and AMUNDSON, JJ., concur.