Opinion ID: 2350548
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The W.R.C.P. 56.1 requirement of a statement of material facts.

Text: [¶ 17] Mrs. Grynberg asserts L & R failed to comply with W.R.C.P. 56.1 and that failure precluded the entry of summary judgment in its favor. Rule 56.1 provides: Rule 56.1. Summary judgmentRequired statement of material facts. Upon any motion for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, in addition to the materials supporting the motion, there shall be annexed to the motion a separate, short and concise statement of the material facts as to which the moving party contends there is no genuine issue to be tried. In addition to the materials opposing a motion for summary judgment, there shall be annexed a separate, short and concise statement of material facts as to which it is contended that there exists a genuine issue to be tried. Such statements shall include pinpoint citations to the specific portions of the record and materials relied upon in support of the parties' position. [¶ 18] L & R does not dispute that Rule 56.1 requires a separate, short and concise statement of the material facts demonstrating the absence of any genuine issue for trial with pinpoint citations to the record. L & R asserts, however, that no such requirement exists under W.R.C.P. 12(b)(6), which is the rule pursuant to which it filed its motion. L & R further contends Mrs. Grynberg waived her objection to its alleged non-compliance with Rule 56.1 by failing to raise it in response to the motion or during the motion hearing, instead raising it for the first time after the district court had issued its decision letter. L & R asserts that in any event it provided the district court with sufficient information to support its motion. [¶ 19] Rule 56.1 is clear that upon filing any motion for summary judgment under Rule 56, a separate statement of material facts with pinpoint citations supporting the motion is required. In the same motion in which it sought a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal, L & R alternatively sought summary judgment. A separate statement of the material facts with pinpoint citations supporting its summary judgment motion was required. [¶ 20] Mrs. Grynberg did not object to L & R's noncompliance with Rule 56.1 in her response to the motion or at the motion hearing. After the district court issued its decision letter granting summary judgment, however, she filed a motion asking the court to reconsider its ruling together with an objection to the evidence L & R had submitted in support of its motion. Specifically, she objected to the affidavits L & R attached to its motion as inadmissible hearsay and to L & R's failure to attach a Rule 56.1 statement. The district court convened a hearing on Mrs. Grynberg's motion and objection at which time she again asserted L & R's affidavits contained inadmissible hearsay and it had not complied with Rule 56.1. In ruling on the evidentiary objection, the district court stated that no objection was made to the affidavits prior to or at the time it heard L & R's motion and it intended to sign the order granting summary judgment. Although the district court did not separately address the Rule 56.1 issue, it is clear it considered Mrs. Grynberg's objections waived by her failure to raise them before or during the summary judgment hearing. [¶ 21] We said in Kruckenberg v. Ding Masters, Inc., 2008 WY 40, ¶ 24, 180 P.3d 895, 903 (Wyo.2008) that a party's failure to comply with Rule 56.1 by pointing out to the district court the facts creating a genuine issue of material fact may be fatal to an appeal. Where, as here, however, the lack of compliance with Rule 56.1 was not raised in the district court until after it had heard and decided the summary judgment motion and the court ruled the objection was waived, we are not inclined on appeal to interfere with the ruling. While we do not condone L & R's failure to comply with Rule 56.1, we conclude the district court properly exercised its authority in determining that Ms. Grynberg waived the objection to its consideration of L & R's motion and supporting materials when she did not raise it until after the court had considered the materials and issued a ruling. [¶ 22] In Conway v. Guernsey Cable TV, 713 P.2d 786 (Wyo.1986), we held that a party waived an objection to the court's examination of factual support or opposition to a summary judgment motion when it was not made until after the motion hearing. Although in Conway the objection was first made on appeal, and Mrs. Grynberg made her objection in the district court, the same rationale applies. No objection was made until after the district court considered and ruled on the summary judgment motion; therefore, the objection was waived.