Opinion ID: 1913529
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Was Robert Randall liable for his mother's nursing home bill under SDCL 25-7-27?

Text: First, Robert argues that the trial court abused its discretion when it allowed Americana to amend its complaint to include the SDCL 25-7-27 claim. Before a court allows a complaint to be amended, it must determine whether the opposing party will be prejudiced by the amendment; i.e., did he or she have a fair opportunity to litigate the issue, and could he or she have offered any additional evidence if the case had been tried on a different issue. Beyer v. Cordell 420 N.W.2d 767 (S.D.1988); Bucher v. Staley 297 N.W.2d 802 (S.D.1980); SDCL 15-6-15. The trial court's decision to permit amendment of pleadings will not be disturbed on appeal absent a clear abuse of discretion which results in prejudice to the nonmoving party. Tesch v. Tesch, 399 N.W.2d 880 (S.D.1987). Robert was aware of the statutory claim two months before trial and had sufficient time to defend the claim despite being denied a continuance. He has not demonstrated that he has been unfairly prejudiced by this amendment. Prior to trial, Robert notified the South Dakota Attorney General that the constitutionality of SDCL 25-7-27 would be contested in this action. Therefore, it was proper for the trial court to amend the complaint to include the SDCL 25-7-27 claim. At common law, an adult child was not required to support a parent. Such an obligation could only be created by statute. McCook County v. Kammoss, 7 S.D. 558, 64 N.W. 1123 (1895); 67A C.J.S. Parent & Child § 97 (1985). Such statutes trace their beginnings from the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 in England. Swoap v. Superior Court, 10 Cal.3d 490, 111 Cal.Rptr. 136, 516 P.2d 840, 848 (1973). South Dakota adopted the current version of SDCL 25-7-27 in 1963. The North Dakota Supreme Court considered a claim premised on a similar statutory provision in Bismarck Hospital & Deaconesses Home v. Harris, 68 N.D. 374, 280 N.W. 423 (1938). That court stated: If the person against whom liability is sought to be established refuses to pay for services rendered, an action may be brought against him by such third party. In such action, the plaintiff must establish the kinship of the parties, the financial ability of the person sought to be charged, the indigence of the person to whom relief was furnished, the reasonable value of the services, and that such relief was an immediate necessity. Id. 280 N.W. at 426. SDCL 25-7-27 requires an adult child to provide support only when they have the financial ability to do so. Robert claims that this is constitutionally defective because it is unclear when financial ability is to be determined. However, under the facts of this case, a fair reading of the statute shows that the financial ability of the adult child may be determined at any time there is an outstanding debt which has not been barred by the statute of limitations. This certainly seems appropriate where the parent continues to receive care while the child is in control of, and is expending, the parent's assets which are available to pay the debt. Although Robert could not pay his mother's bills from his own funds, he certainly had the ability to pay after the trust assets had been distributed to him. [4] At trial, it was proven that Robert had received approximately $100,000 in mutual funds from the maintenance trust at his mother's death. Therefore, under the facts of this case, the trial court was correct in holding Robert liable under SDCL 25-7-27.