Opinion ID: 1292576
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: is robin houlton responsible for the corbins' lack of fire insurance?

Text: The Corbins submit a factual issue existed concerning Houlton's statement that he would take care of everything. Sanchez v. Martinez, 99 N.M. 66, 70, 653 P.2d 897, 901 (Ct.App. 1982), requires [a]n agent who agrees to procure or renew an expired policy of insurance    to either obtain the insurance, renew or replace the policy, or seasonably notify the principal that he is unable to do so in order that the principal may obtain insurance elsewhere. By procuring another insurance carrier, which was willing to insure the Corbins' drapery manufacturing business, Houlton satisfied his legal duty. The Corbins signed another business insurance contract with Aetna. It is difficult to believe that experienced business people would feel that they were insured against fire by State Farm after receiving notice of cancellation and contracting for a replacement of the cancelled insurance with another company. Finally, a procedural question that arose in the course of this appeal must be resolved. The Corbins filed a motion to amend their complaint on June 2, 1989. Summary judgment was entered on June 6, 1989. NMSA 1978, Section 39-1-1, provides that after the entry of a judgment, the trial court retains jurisdiction for thirty days. The court granted the motion to amend on July 14, 1989, more than thirty days after the order of summary judgment was entered (on June 6). The trial court no longer had jurisdiction. The exception to the thirty day rule in Section 39-1-1 is that further time is available beyond thirty days if the court must dispose of any motion directed against such judgment. (Emphasis added.) The motion in this instance was to amend the complaint. It had nothing to do with the summary judgment granted and, therefore, thirty days is the limit to the trial court's jurisdiction after the judgment was entered. The trial court acted outside of its jurisdiction in granting the motion to amend. See Bralley v. City of Albuquerque, 102 N.M. 715, 719, 699 P.2d 646, 650 (Ct.App. 1985) (failure of trial court to rule within thirty days of the filing of motion to set aside or reconsider order of dismissal, amounted to denial of motion by operation of law). Notice of appeal was filed on June 26, 1989. The taking of appeal divests the district court of jurisdiction of the cause of action and transfers it to the appellate court. See State ex rel. Bell v. Hansen Lumber Co., 86 N.M. 312, 523 P.2d 810 (1974); see also Thompson v. Harry C. Erb, Inc., 240 F.2d 452 (3rd Cir.1957); Grand Opera Co. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., 235 F.2d 303 (7th Cir.1956); cf. Luna v. Homestake Mining Co., 100 N.M. 265, 669 P.2d 741 (Ct.App. 1983). This cause is therefore appropriately before this court. Summary judgment was appropriate. We therefore AFFIRM. IT IS SO ORDERED. SOSA, C.J., and WILSON, J., concur.