Opinion ID: 1145379
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: issue raised at appellate level

Text: Stebbins contends that the Court of Appeals erred by allowing Jones to raise an argument at the appellate level which he had abandoned before the hearing on the motion to dismiss. According to Stebbins, the Court of Appeals' action in hearing Jones' argument is contrary to RAP 2.5(a). We disagree. [6] Under the Rules of Appellate Procedure, an appellate court may refuse to review any claim of error which was not raised in the trial court. RAP 2.5(a). Issues not presented to the trial court will not be heard for the first time on appeal. Seattle-First Nat'l Bank v. Shoreline Concrete Co., 91 Wn.2d 230, 240, 588 P.2d 1308 (1978). However, this rule does not apply when the question raised affects the right to maintain the action. New Meadows Holding Co. v. Washington Water Power Co., 102 Wn.2d 495, 498, 687 P.2d 212 (1984). [7] At the outset, we note that RAP 2.5(a) is permissive in nature and does not automatically preclude the introduction of an issue at the appellate level. Likewise, under RAP 12.1(b), an appellate court may consider an issue not set forth in the briefs. Thus, the Court of Appeals had authority to consider Jones' contentions concerning the applicability of CR 4(d)(4) and whether Citizens controlled that issue. If Jones had not raised the issue regarding the applicability of CR 4(d)(4), the Court of Appeals would have affirmed the trial court's dismissal, since the court rejected Jones' other contentions. Therefore, since Jones' argument was essential to maintain the action, the exception from New Meadows applies. We hold that the Court of Appeals in this case properly allowed Jones to raise an issue for the first time on appeal.