Opinion ID: 2602159
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Contractual Claims Outside of Title Insurance Policy

Text: ¶ 30 Holmes also contends that First American assumed and breached other first-party contractual duties to Holmes beyond those established in the title insurance policy. However, we decline to address this issue on appeal as it was never properly raised below. ¶ 31 This claim was originally raised in Holmes's memorandum in opposition to First American's motion to dismiss/for summary judgment, and was not raised in the complaint. A plaintiff cannot amend the complaint by raising novel claims or theories for recovery in a memorandum in opposition to a motion to dismiss or for summary judgment, Thomason v. Nachtrieb, 888 F.2d 1202, 1205 (7th Cir.1989); McDowell v. Sullivan, 132 F.R.D. 501, 502 (N.D.Ill.1990), because such amendment fails to satisfy Utah's pleading requirements. See Utah R. Civ. P. 7, 8, 9, 10. Holmes's claims must therefore be restricted to the grounds set forth in the complaint. Mitchell v. Palmer, 121 Utah 245, 251, 240 P.2d 970, 972 (1952). Thus, because Holmes failed to raise a breach of contract action in its complaint against First American that was not predicated either upon third-party beneficiary liability or upon the title insurance policy, any claim that First American assumed and breached additional contractual duties to Holmes was waived.