Opinion ID: 2052464
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether the trial court erred in entering summary judgment in favor of jensens.

Text: Marsdens first complain that the trial court erred when it granted summary judgment in favor of Jensens when Jensens had not made a motion therefor. Summary judgment was entered for Jensens based upon Marsdens' motion to dismiss Jensens' cause of action for failure to state a claim. Questions concerning the propriety of a summary judgment are governed according to SDCL 15-6-56. However, the court may treat a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim under SDCL 15-6-12(b) as a motion for summary judgment. [2] Summary judgment was inappropriate in this case under our holdings in Norwest Bank Black Hills, N.A. v. Rapid City Teachers Federal Credit Union, 433 N.W.2d 560 (S.D.1988) and Olson v. Molko, 86 S.D. 365, 195 N.W.2d 812 (1972). We stated in Norwest Bank that a court which treats a motion to dismiss as one for summary judgment must advise the parties of its intent and give all parties an opportunity to present matters pertinent to such a motion by SDCL 15-6-56. Here, the court did not provide the parties with a reasonable opportunity to present any pertinent material, as provided by SDCL 15-6-12(b)(5). The parties thus were not afforded an occasion to file affidavits or other evidence which may have controverted the court's conclusion that no genuine issue of material fact existed. Such is reversible error under Norwest Bank and Olson. See also Schuldt v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 272 N.W.2d 94 (S.D.1978) (summary judgment authorized only where there has been a motion therefor or an equivalent motion); and 5 C. Wright and A. Miller, Federal Practice & Procedure § 1366 (1969) (footnotes omitted).