Opinion ID: 1265558
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Neal's Motion for Reconsideration

Text: Neal additionally appeals from its unsuccessful motion for reconsideration in response to the trial court's entry of partial summary judgment. Neal urged the court to postpone its final decision until the court had an opportunity to hear all of the evidence at trial, especially expert testimony concerning standard public construction industry practices. During brief oral argument at the pre-trial conference, Neal made two alternative requests of the court: (1) grant a short continuance to allow the court to process the arguments in Neal's newly submitted 60-page brief; or (2) designate the decision as a final judgment under Alaska Civil Rule 54(b). Under Alaska Civil Rule 77(k), a litigant may move the court to reconsider a ruling under certain limited circumstances: (i) The court has overlooked, misapplied, or failed to consider a statute, decision or principle directly controlling; or (ii) The court has overlooked or misconceived some material fact or proposition of law; or (iii) The court has overlooked or misconceived a material question in the case; or (iv) The law applied in the ruling has been subsequently changed by court decision or statute. A trial court's decision on a motion to reconsider will not be reversed on appeal absent an abuse of discretion. State v. Alaska Continental Dev. Corp., 630 P.2d 977, 990 (Alaska 1980); Brown v. State, 563 P.2d 275, 279 (Alaska 1977); Miller v. McManus, 558 P.2d 891, 892 (Alaska 1977). Given the evidence presented by the record, we cannot say that in denying Neal's motion to reconsider Judge Curda clearly erred. First, upon review of Neal's motion, we fail to detect any legal proposition that differs from those originally raised in opposition to the Housing Authority's motion for summary judgment. In light of this and the superior court's original twenty-page memorandum decision which thoroughly addressed the facts and Neal's various arguments, we are not convinced that in entering summary judgment, the court overlooked a material question, fact, or principle bearing on the case. Second, in referring to the two experts that Neal planned to present at trial and requesting that the court review the contractor's trial brief, Neal effectively moved the trial court to reconsider its ruling based upon evidence that was not before it at the time it rendered its decision. [10] Neal provided no explanation for the delay in presenting the evidence. [11] Moreover, Neal had ample opportunity to secure the affidavits and depositions that it deemed necessary to oppose the summary judgment motion. The Housing Authority moved for partial summary judgment approximately a year and a half after the initiation of the case. Neal was given two forty-five-day continuances to conduct additional discovery. Following oral argument, Neal supplemented the record. We refuse to allow a motion for reconsideration to be used as a means to seek an extension of time for the presentation of additional evidence on the merits of the claim. To do so would defeat the limited purpose of Rule 77(k): to remedy mistakes in judicial decision-making where grounds exist, while recognizing the need for a fair and efficient administration of justice. There being no compelling justification for re-opening the merits of Neal's claim, we affirm the superior court's denial of Neal's motion for reconsideration.