Opinion ID: 1441566
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Moore v. Safeco

Text: In suits against third parties, the plaintiff is generally charged with the lapses of attorneys acting in his behalf. Pedersen v. Zielski, 822 P.2d 903, 907 n. 5 (Alaska 1991) ( quoting Gutierrez v. Mofid, 39 Cal.3d 892, 218 Cal. Rptr. 313, 323, 705 P.2d 886, 896 (1985)). If Breck should have discovered the Moores' cause of action against Safeco in 1981, then the Moores are charged with this constructive discovery. The trial court properly distinguished between what Breck reasonably should have known and what the Moores reasonably should have known. Breck was retained as an attorney with expertise in real estate law. One of his principal duties in the transaction was to confirm that the seller's title was free of significant restrictions. He received the preliminary commitment referencing restrictions in an unattached plat. As Breck testified at trial, one of the primary purposes of a preliminary commitment letter is to allow the purchaser's title agent to examine and evaluate significant title restrictions. The date of discovery is a question of fact which cannot ordinarily be determined by the superior court on a motion for summary judgment. Gudenau, 736 P.2d at 767. Nevertheless, we conclude that the notice to Breck was sufficient as a matter of law. This notice is charged to the Moores in their suit against Safeco. The Moores assert that there is a genuine issue of fact about Breck's role in the purchase. In his answer, Breck asserted that he worked for Safeco, not the Moores. [5] The Moores interpret this to mean that Breck switched his allegiance at some point in the transaction and that Breck was no longer the Moores' agent at closing for purposes of the discovery rule. If Breck was not the Moores' agent, then the Moores would not be charged with Breck's negligence. We conclude that the Moores' argument mischaracterizes Breck's statements. Breck was attempting to recast the legal relationships in order to shift responsibility to Safeco. He does not contend that he changed allegiance from one master to the other. Rather, he asks that the court view the entire transaction through a different legal prism. The trial court properly rejected Breck's argument. Breck was the Moores' attorney at all relevant times. The fact that he exchanged documents with the title insurer and that his fee was channelled through the title insurer does not change his relationship to the Moores. In their complaint against both Safeco and Breck, the Moores asserted that Breck was their attorney at the time of closing. In the trial against Breck, the Moores proved that Breck was their attorney at the time of closing. There was no genuine issue of material fact precluding the court from granting summary judgment for Safeco.