Opinion ID: 886084
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Whether the District Court abused its discretion by denying Fair Play's motion to vacate the summary judgment hearing?

Text: ¶ 34 We review discretionary trial court rulings to determine if the court abused its discretion. In re R.F., 2001 MT 199, ¶ 21, 306 Mont. 270, ¶ 21, 32 P.3d 1257, ¶ 21. To ensure that due process is not violated, the court must provide notice of a hearing and a reasonable opportunity to be heard. Matter of Adoption of J.M.H. (1994), 264 Mont. 381, 386-87, 871 P.2d 1326, 1329. Any motion for a continuance is within the sound discretion of the district court and we will not overrule the court's decision to deny a request for a continuance unless there is an affirmative showing of prejudice. In re Marriage of Pospisil, 2000 MT 132, ¶ 18, 299 Mont. 527, ¶ 18, 1 P.3d 364, ¶ 18. ¶ 35 Fair Play claims that the District Court abused its discretion by refusing to continue the oral argument on summary judgment. Counsel for Fair Play, Alan Blakley, informed the court that he had a conflicting court appearance in Butte on the day of the scheduled hearing. Substitute counsel represented Fair Play at the hearing and Fair Play asserts the court denied Fair Play adequate representation by refusing to reschedule. We are urged to remand the matter for a new hearing. ¶ 36 The events leading up to the summary judgment hearing on August 3, 2000, are instructive. On June 15, 2000, the District Court scheduled the summary judgment hearing for August 2, 2000. In response to a request for additional brief preparation time, the court extended Fair Play's briefing deadline to July 14. During a meeting between attorneys in chambers on July 24, counsel for the City and Play Ball agreed to move their briefing deadline from July 31 to July 26 in order to preserve the August 2, 2000, hearing date and provide Fair Play with additional time to read Respondents' briefs and affidavits. Respondents filed within the appropriate time with the exception of a single affidavit presented by the Missoula Redevelopment Authority, which was signed by all board members and submitted by the City on July 27. Fair Play moved to strike the affidavit or vacate the hearing. On August 1, the court removed the MRA affidavit from the record and advanced the hearing one day forward to allow Fair Play until August 2 to file all documents it planned to reference in oral argument. Before rescheduling the hearing, court personnel consulted with all the parties by telephone and learned of Blakley's court appearance in Butte. The court then consulted district court personnel in Butte and ascertained that Blakley's August 3 hearing was slated to finish before 11:00 a.m. The court then scheduled the Missoula hearing for 2:30 p.m. to accommodate Blakley's morning travel time. Fair Play again moved for a continuance because counsel Blakley had scheduled a client meeting in Butte to occur after the morning hearing. The court denied the continuance. Blakley did not attend the Missoula hearing in this action and substitute counsel John Rogan from Blakley's firm presented Fair Play's argument. ¶ 37 The following exchange occurred at the summary judgment hearing: THE COURT: Where is Mr. Blakley? MR. ROGAN: He's in Butte. He had a hearing today that was moved from yesterday that created a conflict. THE COURT: This hearing was moved at his request. MR. ROGAN: Was it moved at his request? THE COURT: Yes, it was moved pursuant to a motion which he made. Have you been in touch with him at all today? MR. ROGAN: Yes, just a phone call from Butte saying that he was still tied up and he'd probably not make it back for the hearing. THE COURT: And when did he call you? MR. ROGAN: I believe it was approximately 1 o'clock. THE COURT: Okay. MR. ROGAN: But our position is, as the party opposing summary judgment, our burden is fairly light, a lot less than the parties moving for it, so he gave be a short briefing and I'll just go to that.... ¶ 38 The City and Play Ball state a concern on appeal that Fair Play filed this action solely to obstruct, stall, and postpone any activity with respect to building the baseball stadium. Play Ball asserts that Blakley could have been present for oral argument on August 3 had he elected to attend. We agree. ¶ 39 In its brief to this Court, Fair Play misrepresented the conflict in Alan Blakley's schedule as precluding him from attending the Missoula hearing on August 3. The District Court accommodated Blakley's morning court appearance in Butte by setting the Missoula hearing for the afternoon. It appears that Blakley had ample time to return to Missoula to present Fair Play's summary judgment argument. Fair Play also had the opportunity to fully brief the issues prior to the hearing and a review of the transcript reveals that substitute counsel summarized Fair Play's argument as briefed. To claim that the court denied Fair Play due process is disingenuous and an abuse of the appellate process. ¶ 40 We affirm the denial of Fair Play's second motion to vacate the hearing by the District Court.