Opinion ID: 697377
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: District Court Ruling on the Common Law Fraud Complaint.

Text: 13 The instant appeal concerns the district court's ruling on the 1987 complaint against Volkswagen AG and H & R. As to the claims for common law fraud, the district court first held as a matter of law that plaintiffs' only recourse for such claims was under the provisions of Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b) governing relief from judgments. The court then concluded that plaintiffs' fraud claims were time-barred under Rule 60(b), noting that motions for relief predicated on fraud, misrepresentation or other misconduct of an adverse party must be brought not more than one year after the judgment, order, or proceeding was entered or taken. Id. Plaintiffs' claims, the court observed, were raised more than one year after the judgment was taken. As to the claims for products liability, negligence and breach of warranty, the court found that these claims were barred by the doctrine of claim preclusion. 2 14