Opinion ID: 2550107
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Sterling

Text: Appellants contend that the circuit court erred in finding that Sterling was not qualified because he did not live in his unit as his principal residence continuously after he applied, and because he was not a bona fide resident of the City and County of Honolulu at the time he applied and afterward. Specifically, Appellants argue that Sterling's application to participate in lease to fee conversion and his supporting affidavit, considered in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, demonstrates that there was a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether Sterling was qualified to participate in the proceedings. This court has noted that summary judgment is appropriate if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. A fact is material if proof of that fact would have the effect of establishing or refuting one of the essential elements of a cause of action or defense asserted by the parties. The evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. In other words, we must view all of the evidence and the inferences drawn therefrom in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion Simmons, 105 Hawai`i at 117-18, 94 P.3d at 672-73 (quoting Kahale v. City and County of Honolulu, 104 Hawai`i 341, 344, 90 P.3d 233, 236 (2004)). In his application dated April 21, 2003, Sterling indicated that he had occupied Unit 230 for three days and that he is a bona fide resident of the City and County of Honolulu. In his affidavit in support of his application, Sterling states, under penalty of perjury that he is a bona fide resident of the City and County of Honolulu. Thus, although the Trustees may have presented evidence indicating that Sterling did not satisfy the residency requirements, the City clearly presented admissible evidence to the contrary. Given the contradictory evidence adduced by the parties, the circuit court erred in ruling that there were no genuine issues of material fact as to whether Sterling was a bona fide resident of the City and County of Honolulu. However, it is undisputed that Sterling was not a resident of his condominium unit for a continuous and uninterrupted period of one year prior to his application and that the department deemed Sterling qualified based on DCS Rules § 2-14. Therefore, based on our holding that DCS Rules § 2-14 is invalid, we also hold that Sterling was not qualified to participate in condemnation proceedings under ROH chapter 38. Accordingly, we hold that the circuit court correctly ruled that Sterling was not qualified, albeit for different reasons. See Agsalud v. Lee, 66 Haw. 425, 430, 664 P.2d 734, 738 (1983) ([w]here the decision below is correct it must be affirmed by the appellate court though the lower tribunal gave the wrong reason for its action (brackets in original) (citations and internal quotation marks omitted)).