Opinion ID: 1812441
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: computation of 6-month period

Text: Nebraska has a statutory rule for computing time. Neb.Rev.Stat. § 25-2221 (Cum. Supp. 2006) provides in relevant part: Except as may be otherwise more specifically provided, the period of time within which an act is to be done in any action or proceeding shall be computed by excluding the day of the act, event, or default after which the designated period of time begins to run. The last day of the period so computed shall be included unless it is a Saturday, a Sunday, or a day during which the offices of courts of record may be legally closed as provided in this section, in which event the period shall run until the end of the next day on which the office will be open. This provision establishes a uniform rule applicable alike to the construction of statutes and to matters of practice. [13] We have regularly applied § 25-2221 and its predecessors in computing time periods specified in other statutes. [14] Based upon the initial clause of § 25-2221, Geddes argues that the statute does not apply to the calculation of the 6-month time period under § 13-906 because a different method of time computation is specified elsewhere in the PSTCA which governs all time periods set forth in the act. Section 13-919(1) provides that suits permitted by the PSTCA must be commenced within 2 years after the claim accrued, subject to the following exception: The time to begin a suit shall be extended for a period of six months from the date of mailing of notice to the claimant by the governing body as to the final disposition of the claim or from the date of withdrawal of the claim from the governing body under section 13-906 if the time to begin suit would otherwise expire before the end of such period. Geddes argues that §§ 13-906 and 13-919(1) should be read in pari materia so that the 6-month period in which the governing body may consider the claim before it can be withdrawn would start to run on the day the claim was received, rather than on the following day under § 25-2221. We are not persuaded by this argument. The language in § 13-919(1) quoted above describes a specific circumstance in which the limitations period for filing suit may be extended. The fact that the Legislature chose to use a date of mailing to denote the first date of that period does not suggest an intent to override § 25-2221 with respect to other time periods specified in the PSTCA. We decline to extend the language of § 13-919(1) beyond its limited context. Using the time computation method specified in § 25-2221, we exclude April 21, 2003, the date on which Schirber filed her claim, so that the 6-month period began on April 22, 2003. Unless the context shows otherwise, the word month used in a Nebraska statute means calendar month. [15] A calendar month is a period terminating with the day of the succeeding month, numerically corresponding to the day of its beginning, less one. [16] Applying §§ 25-2221 and 49-801(13), we conclude that the district court correctly determined October 21, 2003, to be the last day of the 6-month period which commenced when Schirmer filed her claim with the county clerk.