Opinion ID: 2380071
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether the Court Made Impermissible Determinations of Fact

Text: [¶ 8] Reliance argues that the court's entry of summary judgment was improper because the court made impermissible determinations of fact. Reliance contends that genuine issues of material fact exist with respect to whether Knowles misrepresented its qualifications and intentions in order to obtain the contract from the Church. As subrogee of the Church, Reliance is bound by the Church's statement of material facts and record references. [¶ 9] Whether Knowles misrepresented its qualifications and intentions is material because Reliance argues that Knowles's misrepresentation is cause to void the contract between Knowles and the Church. Misrepresentation is an affirmative defense for which the Church had the burden of proof. See Kuperman v. Eiras, 586 A.2d 1260, 1261 (Me.1991). When a plaintiff has the burden of proof on an issue, a court may properly grant summary judgment in favor of the defendant if it is clear that the defendant would be entitled to a judgment as a matter of law if the plaintiff presented nothing more than was before the court at the summary judgment hearing. Champagne v. Mid-Me. Med. Ctr., 1998 ME 87, ¶ 9, 711 A.2d 842, 845. Because it had the burden of proof with respect to misrepresentation, the Church had to establish a prima facie case for each element of the defense in order to avoid a summary judgment. See id. [¶ 10] Reliance predicates its misrepresentation argument on two assertions. First, Reliance asserts that Knowles misrepresented its intent to comply with all pertinent federal and state regulations because Knowles was unaware that a distinct body of standards applied to the restoration of historic properties. Second, Reliance asserts that Knowles misrepresented its qualifications because, although Knowles warranted that it would employ only qualified personnel, none of the workers assigned to the Church project had any experience in historic preservation. [¶ 11] Assuming for the sake of argument that the project constituted historic preservation, as Reliance claims, the Church's statement of material facts and supporting record references neither alleged nor pointed to any evidence that Knowles was unaware of any pertinent regulations, [2] that Knowles's employees were not qualified, or that Knowles misled the Church regarding its qualifications. In other words, the Church alleged that it relied on Knowles's representations, but it never expressly asserted that Knowles misrepresented itself. The fact that Knowles was subsequently negligent does not establish that it had previously misrepresented its qualifications and intentions. [¶ 12] Because the Church failed to adduce evidence that Knowles misrepresented its qualifications or its intentions in its statement of material facts, it failed to establish a prima facie case for misrepresentation. Furthermore, the contract between Knowles and the Church contains an integration clause that precludes the implication of any extrinsic promises. Thus, the court did not make impermissible determinations of fact in its entry of a summary judgment.