Opinion ID: 2159886
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Adequacy of the Complaint

Text: [¶ 10] Hawthorne contends that the court's finding of abuse was not based on the conduct alleged in the complaint, which focused primarily upon several notes Mr. Hawthorne left for Kate ... after she moved out. He argues that the statute, which authorizes a summary proceeding, must be strictly construed to require notice to a defendant of the allegations against him. He contends that he lacked adequate notice of the claim against him because the complaint did not allege that he placed Kate in fear of bodily injury and did not describe the car incident. Smith asserts that the complaint was adequate pursuant to current notice pleading practice. [¶ 11] The protection from abuse statute provides that a complaint must allege the abuse that is the basis for the complaint. 19-A M.R.S.A. § 4005(1) (1998) (An adult who has been abused by a family or household member may seek relief by filing a complaint alleging that abuse.). Pleading practice in Maine requires that a claim for relief include a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief. M.R. Civ. P. 8(a). Courts construe pleadings to do substantial justice. M.R. Civ. P. 8(f). [T]he purpose of the complaint is to provide the defendant with fair notice of the claim against him. Richards v. Soucy, 610 A.2d 268, 270 (Me. 1992) (internal quotation marks omitted). [¶ 12] The court's finding of abuse was based upon a course of conduct involving verbal abuse and the September 1, 2001, incident, both of which were cited in the complaint. The complaint did, therefore, apprise Hawthorne of the gravamen of Smith's claim. Construing the complaint to do substantial justice, we conclude that Hawthorne had fair notice of Smith's allegation against him.