Opinion ID: 1127540
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The meaning of Laura's release

Text: The Russes presented the Potter declaration as an attachment to their opposition to General Motors and Fairway's motion for summary judgment. The district court correctly refused to consider certain portions of the declaration based on the ordinary rules of evidence that apply when reviewing a declaration during summary judgment proceedings. Adamson, 85 Nev. at 119, 450 P.2d at 799; Dredge Corp. v. Husite Co., 78 Nev. 69, 87-88, 369 P.2d 676, 686-87, cert. denied, 371 U.S. 821 83 S.Ct. 39, 9 L.Ed.2d 61 (1962). Despite the declaration's inadmissible portions, however, it clearly stated that the intent and purpose of Potter, acting as Laura's agent, was to release only the parties insured by Hawkeye or affiliated with the Haighs. While negotiating the release with Hawkeye, Potter never indicated that a claim was being made, or even contemplated, against General Motors or Fairway. General Motors and Fairway assert that the Potter declaration as a whole should not be considered because the release was unambiguous, and therefore, parol evidence cannot be considered to determine the meaning of the release. However, parol evidence is allowed to prove mutual mistake, unilateral mistake, or inadequate consideration. Chwialkowski, 108 Nev. at 406, 834 P.2d at 406. Further, a court should provisionally receive all credible evidence concerning a party's intentions to determine whether the language of a release is reasonably susceptible to the interpretation urged by the party. General Motors Corp. v. Superior Court, 15 Cal. Rptr.2d 622, 626 (Ct. App. 1993). If the court decides that the extrinsic evidence makes the language in the release reasonably susceptible to the interpretation urged, the extrinsic evidence should be admitted to aid the court's interpretation of the contract. Id. The district court was required to accept the Potter declaration, and any inferences drawn from it, as true during the summary judgment proceeding. Johnson, 100 Nev. at 182-83, 678 P.2d at 677. The Potter declaration, and the inferences drawn from it, sufficiently raised a genuine issue of fact regarding whether Laura actually released General Motors or Fairway. Accordingly, it was improper for the district court to conclude as a matter of law that Laura intended to discharge substantively different claims against unnamed defendants without considering the evidence of Laura's intentions. Therefore, we reverse the district court's summary judgment motion and remand this case for trial. [1]