Opinion ID: 1178884
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Granting of Appropriate Relief

Text: The trial court's conclusions indicated that the alternative writ of mandamus was quashed because Newsome sought more relief than that to which he was entitled. He sought disclosure of all personnel records whereas he was entitled only to those which were not confidential. The effect of this ruling was to say If you plead for too much relief, you get none at all. Under N.M.R.Civ.P. 54(c) [§ 21-1-1(54)(c), N.M.S.A. 1953] the court below should have granted Newsome the relief to which he was entitled, by issuing a writ in conformity with the exemptions provided herein. The rule states in relevant part: Except as to a party against whom a judgment is entered by default, every final judgment shall grant the relief to which the party in whose favor it is rendered is entitled, even if the party has not demanded such relief in his pleadings. State ex rel. Gary v. Fireman's Fund Indemnity Co., 67 N.M. 360, 355 P.2d 291 (1960), dealt with this rule and modified a line of inconsistent prior cases which had limited parties to recovering only what had been prayed for in their pleadings. New Mexico now clearly allows any appropriate relief to be granted in a case regardless of what is specifically requested in the pleadings. Thus, Fireman's Fund, supra, allowed quantum meruit recovery, where the claim was based solely on express contract and Honaker v. Ralph Pool's Albuquerque Auto Sales, Inc., 74 N.M. 458, 394 P.2d 978 (1964) allowed recovery of damages for breach of contract although the pleadings had prayed only for recission. Thus the filing of a complaint seeking relief of one sort is not an irrevocable election of remedies precluding the granting of relief of another kind. Id. at 464-465, 394 P.2d at 982. Newsome was entitled to a ruling that he be granted the right to inspect those portions of the personnel records that are not specifically exempted by statute and are not considered to be confidential as defined herein. Failure to grant this relief was error. This cause is remanded to the trial court for proceedings not inconsistent herewith. IT IS SO ORDERED. SOSA and PAYNE, JJ., concur.