Opinion ID: 1174822
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: new arguments on appeal.

Text: Preliminarily, Lufthansa argues that Zeman attempts to raise several arguments for the first time on appeal. Specifically, Lufthansa contends that Zeman's effort to classify a key letter of January 19, 1979, as evidence of a condition subsequent to an agreement is a new argument. Second, Lufthansa contends that Zeman's statement of law that contemplation of a future written lease does not prevent an oral contract is based on a new allegation that the parties did in fact contemplate a future written lease. As a general rule, a party may not present new issues or advance new theories to secure a reversal of a lower court decision. O'Neill Investigations v. Illinois Employers Insurance, 636 P.2d 1170, 1175 n. 7 (Alaska 1981). O'Neill adopted a liberal approach towards determining whether an issue or theory of a case was raised in a lower court proceeding. As the court explained: Although O'Neill's present theory of coverage was never expressly presented to the trial court, we consider it here because it is not dependent on any new or controverted facts, and because it is closely related to O'Neill's trial court theory and could have been gleaned from its pleadings. Id. (emphasis added). With the guiding light of O'Neill, this problem resolves into asking first whether the two challenged arguments were raised explicitly in the court below and, if not, whether they are closely related to Zeman's trial court arguments and could have been gleaned from Zeman's pleadings. As to the first inquiry, Zeman's complaint expressly alleges the existence of an oral contract, but nowhere does it specify its terms and conditions. As to the second inquiry, the pleading is silent regarding contemplation of a future written lease by the parties. Even though the key words and phrases condition subsequent and contemplation of a future written lease do not appear in the pleadings, these arguments (1) are not dependent on new facts, (2) are closely related to Zeman's trial pleadings and (3) could have been gleaned from the pleadings. Common sense indicates that if a party alleges the existence of an oral contract, the party will attempt to prove its terms and conditions. Similarly, it is plausible to include the question of a future written lease within the broad scope of the alleged oral contract, and its terms and conditions. The appellant need not have expressly presented every theory supporting an argument before the trial court, but can expand or refine details of an argument otherwise preserved on appeal. See Deal v. State, 626 P.2d 1073, 1077 (Alaska 1980).