Opinion ID: 2323473
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: george b. bibeault v. dean auto body, inc.

Text: The three actions that arose from this accident were consolidated in the District Court. The two cases appealed to the Superior Court remained consolidated for trial in that court. The first action, George B. Bibeault v. Dean Auto Body, Inc., for property damage, was docketed as civil action No. 76-747 (No. 76-747). The second case, Karen Martin, Beatrice Bibeault and George B. Bibeault v. Maria Lilly and Dean Auto Body, Inc., sought damages for personal injury and was docketed as civil action No. 76-749 (No. 76-749). Our examination of the record has disclosed that Dean did not file a notice of appeal of the judgment entered in No. 76-747. Therefore, this purported appeal is not before us. Rule 42(a) of the Superior and District Court Rules of Civil Procedure allows the consolidation of actions that involve common question[s] of law and fact. It is important, however, to remember that consolidation is allowed to avoid unnecessary costs or delay and does not result in a merger of the cases. This rule was first enunciated in Giguere v. Yellow Cab Co., 59 R.I. 248, 250-51, 195 A. 214, 216 (1937), where the court held: The consolidation of cases for trial only does not operate as a merger of the different cases into one, but merely permits them to be tried together before the same justice or jury to avoid unnecessary delay and expense in the administration of justice. The causes of action remain distinct throughout such a trial   . We have continued to adhere to this view. See, e.g., Mendes v. Mendes, 111 R.I. 571, 577, 305 A.2d 97, 101 (1973); Marandola v. Hillcrest Builders, Inc., 102 R.I. 46, 49-50, 227 A.2d 785, 788 (1967); Rich v. Rich, 94 R.I. 220, 222, 179 A.2d 498, 500 (1962); see also 1 Kent, R.I. Civ. Prac. § 42.2 at 336-38 (1969). The consolidation for trial of Nos. 76-747 and 76-749 did not result in their merging into one case. Each case remained separate, and judgments were entered under their respective docket numbers. Because they continued to be separate and distinct actions, Dean was required to file a notice of appeal for each judgment. Dean did not file a notice of appeal for No. 76-747; therefore, we hold that the appeal of No. 76-747 is not properly before us. In order that an appeal be properly before this court, Rule 3(a) of the Supreme Court Rules of Appellate Procedure requires the timely filing of a notice of appeal. [3] Rule 3(a) makes clear that failure to file a timely notice of appeal renders any purported appeal invalid. Cases applying Rule 3(a) have suggested that this requirement may be a jurisdictional prerequisite. Hood v. Hawkins, 478 A.2d 181, 184 (R.I. 1984); Smith v. Smith, 119 R.I. 642, 645, 382 A.2d 182, 183 (1978). But see Martin v. Estrella, 107 R.I. 247, 250-51, 266 A.2d 41, 44-45 (1970). Whether or not this requirement is jurisdictional, it is certainly a necessary condition precedent to the filing of an appeal. Weisberger, Rhode Island Appellate Practice 14-15 (1985); see also Title Investment Co. of America v. Fowler, 504 A.2d 1010, 1011-12 (R.I. 1986). To file a proper notice of appeal, an appellant must follow the requirements of Rule 3(c), which states, [t]he notice of appeal shall specify the party or parties taking the appeal and shall designate the judgment, order or decree or part thereof appealed from. The court files in these cases contain one notice of appeal. This notice of appeal, filed on July 8, 1980, only specified an appeal from the judgment in No. 76-749. There is no notice of appeal in civil action No. 76-747, and the notice filed with civil action No. 76-749 did not include No. 76-747, as required by Rule 3(c), and therefore cannot be treated as a notice of appeal from the judgment in No. 76-747. Finally, Dean failed to comply with a second condition precedent to a valid appeal. Rule 3(a) requires the payment of a filing fee in order to perfect an appeal. Rule 5(a) requires that every person appealing from a judgment    shall pay a filing fee   . We have stated that payment of the proper fee is a second prerequisite to a valid appeal. Smith v. Smith , 119 R.I. at 645 n.1, 382 A.2d at 183 n.1. As Rule 5(a) makes clear, each judgment requires a separate fee. If this were a joint appeal, [] our rules would have required two separate filing fees. Sup. Ct. R. 5(a). Only one fee was paid in this case, and that fee accompanied the notice of appeal from the judgment in No. 74-749. Having concluded that the two conditions precedent for a valid appeal were not complied with in No. 76-747, we hold that only No. 76-749 is properly before us, and we dismiss the purported appeal from the judgment in No. 76-747.