Opinion ID: 1751169
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Fraud by Concealment.

Text: [W]here one has a duty to speak, but deliberately remains silent, his silence is equivalent to a false representation. State ex rel. NSBA v. Douglas, 227 Neb. 1, 25, 416 N.W.2d 515, 530 (1987). Accordingly, to prove fraudulent concealment, a plaintiff must show that (1) the defendant had a duty to disclose a material fact; (2) the defendant, with knowledge of the material fact, concealed the fact; (3) the material fact was not within the plaintiff's reasonably diligent attention, observation, and judgment; (4) the defendant concealed the fact with the intention that the plaintiff act in response to the concealment or suppression; (5) the plaintiff, reasonably relying on the fact or facts as the plaintiff believed them to be as the result of the concealment, acted or withheld action; and (6) the plaintiff was damaged by the plaintiff's action or inaction in response to the concealment. See, Kracl v. Loseke, 236 Neb. 290, 461 N.W.2d 67 (1990); Security Inv. Co. v. State, 231 Neb. 536, 437 N.W.2d 439 (1989); Nelson v. Cheney, 224 Neb. 756, 401 N.W.2d 472 (1987). Conceal means To hide, secrete, or withhold from the knowledge of others. To withdraw from observation; to withhold from utterance or declaration; to cover or keep from sight. To hide or withdraw from observation, cover or keep from sight, or prevent discovery of. Black's Law Dictionary 261 (5th ed. 1979). Christopher v. Evans, 219 Neb. 51, 55, 361 N.W.2d 193, 196 (1985). Accord, Balfany v. Balfany, 239 Neb. 391, 476 N.W.2d 681 (1991); Kracl v. Loseke, supra .