Opinion ID: 2596761
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The district court properly granted summary judgment on the respondents' cross-claim for breach of contract.

Text: The appellants collectively argue the district court erred in granting summary judgment on the respondents' cross-claim for breach of contract. The appellants admittedly failed to contest the respondents' motion for summary judgment regarding this claim but argue the record before the district court contained genuine issues of material fact surrounding the alleged breach of the MOU. Specifically, the appellants assert that the respondents' evidence contained inconsistencies, unexplained expenses, and unrelated charges. The appellants argue the district court should have searched the record to discover these genuine issues of material fact. The respondents argue that because the appellants did not object to their motion for summary judgment, the appellants are several years too late with their objection. Therefore, we must first determine whether the appellants may appeal the district court's award of summary judgment in the absence of an objection below. For purposes of summary judgment, the moving party bears the initial burden of proving the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Sherer v. Pocatello Sch. Dist. No. 25, 143 Idaho 486, 489, 148 P.3d 1232, 1235 (2006). Only then does the burden shift to the non-moving party to come forward with sufficient evidence to create a genuine issue of material fact. Id. When reviewing an order for summary judgment, we apply this same standard of review. P.O. Ventures, Inc. v. Loucks Family Irrevocable Trust, 144 Idaho 233, 237, 159 P.3d 870, 874 (2007). Accordingly, the appellants are not precluded from appealing the district court's award of summary judgment just because they failed to object to the respondents' claim for breach of contract below. However, contrary to the appellants' assertion, the district court was not required to search the record looking for evidence to create a genuine issue of material fact. In Esser Electric v. Lost River Ballistics Technologies, Inc., 145 Idaho 912, 919, 188 P.3d 854, 861 (2008), this Court recently held that the trial court is not required to search the record looking for evidence that may create a genuine issue of material fact; the party opposing the summary judgment is required to bring that evidence to the court's attention. Based on the evidence before the district court, we find the respondents met their burden of proving the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Therefore, we affirm the district court's award of summary judgment on the respondents' breach of contract claim.