Opinion ID: 876899
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: findings of fact in summary judgment case

Text: It has been helpful to us in considering this matter that the District Court set forth in findings, the uncontradicted, uncontested facts of the case. As we noted in Eisemann v. Hagel (1971), 157 Mont. 295, 299, 485 P.2d 703, 705, findings of fact in cases where the court grants summary judgment are unnecessary and redundant. The reason is that the facts are not decided when a summary judgment is granted, since Rule 56, Mont.R.Civ.P. requires that there be no material fact issue present in the case. Therefore, the failure of an appellant to assign error to findings of facts in a summary judgment case has no effect on his appeal, Eisemann, supra; Washington Optometric Association v. County of Pierce (1968), 73 Wash.2d 445, 438 P.2d 861. Accordingly, in this case, while we have regarded the facts noted by the District Court for its summary judgment, we have also reviewed the record in this case to make certain that no fact issue is present which would make it necessary to alter, vacate, or remand on the basis of a fact issue.