Opinion ID: 1622008
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The County's Summary-Judgment Burden

Text: A summary judgment is proper if there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Rule 56(c)(3), Ala. R. Civ. P. If the movant meets this initial burden, the burden then shifts to the nonmovant to present substantial evidence of a genuine issue of material fact. Ex parte Alfa Mut. Gen. Ins. Co., 742 So.2d 182, 184 (Ala.1999). The Greene parties argue that the burden never shifted to them to present substantial evidence creating a genuine issue of material fact because, the Greene parties say, the County did not include a narrative summary of undisputed facts with its summary-judgment motion as required by Rule 56(c)(1), Ala. R. Civ. P. [10] However, the County argues that it did support its summary-judgment motion with a narrative summary of the undisputed facts. [11] The County's brief in support of its summary-judgment motion contains a statement of facts with references to materials that are attached to the brief as exhibits. Those exhibits include the stipulations regarding class certification of the plaintiffs in the Black litigation, the Black plaintiffs' motion for supplemental relief, Judge Fielding's order denying the Black plaintiffs' motion for supplemental relief, Judge Fielding's final judgment, and a memorandum sent by the County to all Jefferson County employees regarding conversion of unpaid service to paid service under the terms of the resolution. The County contends that the statement of facts contained in its brief and the references to the attached exhibits satisfy the requirement of Rule 56(c) that a motion for a summary judgment include a narrative summary of undisputed facts. We agree. In Cashion v. Torbert, 881 So.2d 408 (Ala.2003), this Court addressed a similar situation. In Cashion, Torbert moved for a summary judgment based upon the affirmative defense of res judicata. The summary-judgment motion provided a detailed history relevant to the defense of res judicata, attaching numerous supporting affidavits. Cashion, 881 So.2d at 420. The supporting documents attached by Torbert included copies of Cashion's report of insolvency filed in the probate court; her brief filed in support of that report; and a copy of the trial judge's order on final settlement. Cashion, 881 So.2d at 420. This Court held that Torbert's motion was adequately supported and adequately presented the undisputed issues of fact material to the defense of res judicata. Cashion, 881 So.2d at 420. In this case, as in Cashion, the County included with its motion a statement of facts relevant to the defense of res judicata and attached to its brief in support of the motion copies of relevant documents that provide the basis for the County's assertion that this claim is barred by the doctrine of res judicata. In the narrative statement, the County refers to, and attaches a copy of, the motion for supplemental relief in the Black litigation, Judge Fielding's order denying that motion, and stipulations regarding class certifications in the Black litigation. These documents form the basis for the County's argument that the Greene parties' claims are barred by the doctrine of res judicata and are cited by the County in its statement of facts in its summary-judgment motion. The County, like Torbert in Cashion, did provide a detailed history relevant to the defense of res judicata, attaching numerous supporting affidavits. Cashion, 881 So.2d at 420. Therefore, we conclude that the County sufficiently complied with Rule 56(c)(1), Ala. R. Civ. P., insofar as that rule requires that a narrative summary of the undisputed facts be included with a summary-judgment motion.