Opinion ID: 2197215
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: analysis

Text: In the order overruling the motion to dismiss, the first judge found: Reading and interpreting the allegations in each count of the Petition in a light most favorable to Plaintiff, the Court finds that fair and sufficient notice is provided to enable Defendant to admit or deny the numbered paragraphs of the Petition. The discovery process will afford Defendant the opportunity to obtain further appropriate information regarding the claims. The court did mention in a footnote that if Barbour still had difficulty answering the petition, she could move to have the bank recast or ask for a more specific statement. In the order overruling the motion to dismiss, the first judge also addressed the inadequacies of the amended bill of particulars. As to this issue, the court stated: Any deficiency Defendant claims exists with the amended bill of particulars would more appropriately be raised by a motion for summary judgment or a pretrial motion to limit evidence, consistent with pleadings and discovery. The deficiencies appear more related to the issue of damages recoverable by Plaintiff rather than whether the Petition itself should be permitted to stand. After the ruling on the motion to dismiss, Barbour filed a motion to recast the petition, claiming deficiencies existed in the bank's amended bill of particulars. The deficiencies raised in the motion to recast are exactly the same deficiencies she raised prior to the hearing on the motion to dismissthe items in the bill of particulars were improperly numbered and the bill of particulars did not start with a zero balance. In response to the motion to recast, the second judge ordered the bank to recast its petition and include a bill of particulars so the paragraphs were consecutively numbered and started with a zero balance. The effect of the second order was to overrule the ruling concerning the bill of particulars made by the first judge. If the initial order regarding the motion to dismiss was correct in not requiring the bill of particulars to be renumbered and start with a zero balance, the second order requiring another bill of particulars should not have been granted. See Kendall/Hunt Publ'g Co., 424 N.W.2d at 240 (stating the consequences of the second order can only be decided if the first order was correctly entered). If the court erroneously granted the second order, the court had no grounds for its sanction. A court should grant a motion to dismiss if the petition fails to state a claim upon which any relief may be granted. Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.421(1)( f ). In considering a motion to dismiss, the court considers all well-pleaded facts to be true. O'Hara v. State, 642 N.W.2d 303, 305 (Iowa 2002). A court should grant a motion to dismiss only if the petition `on its face shows no right of recovery under any state of facts.' Trobaugh v. Sondag, 668 N.W.2d 577, 580 (Iowa 2003) (quoting Ritz v. Wapello County Bd. of Supervisors, 595 N.W.2d 786, 789 (Iowa 1999)). Nearly every case will survive a motion to dismiss under notice pleading. Rees v. City of Shenandoah, 682 N.W.2d 77, 79 (Iowa 2004). Our rules of civil procedure do not require technical forms of pleadings. Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.402(2)( a ). However if a pleading is founded on an account, the pleading shall contain a bill of particulars, consecutively numbered defining and limiting the proof. Id. r. 1.420. A petition need not allege ultimate facts that support each element of the cause of action[;] however, a petition must contain factual allegations that give the defendant `fair notice' of the claim asserted so the defendant can adequately respond to the petition. Rees, 682 N.W.2d at 79. The fair notice requirement is met if a petition informs the defendant of the incident giving rise to the claim and of the claim's general nature. Soike v. Evan Matthews & Co., 302 N.W.2d 841, 842 (Iowa 1981). We agree with the first judge's order that the petition as pled gave Barbour fair notice that the bank was seeking a judgment against her for her failure to pay her credit card bill, regardless of the theory pled. Therefore, the first order was correct in not dismissing the case for a failure to state a claim upon which any relief may be granted. We also agree with the first judge's ruling that the amended bill of particulars is sufficient for Barbour to answer the petition. Rule 1.420 requires consecutively numbered items to be included in the bill of particulars. The purpose of this requirement is to allow the defendant to specifically admit or deny each item. Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.420. If the defendant fails to deny an item, that item is deemed admitted. Shirk Oil Co. v. Peterman, 329 N.W.2d 13, 16 (Iowa 1983). The amended bill of particulars substantially complies with rule 1.420. The statements for each month contain a posting date, transaction date, and reference number for each transaction. In her answer, Barbour could admit or deny the transactions by referring to the posting date, transaction date, and reference number. It would be absurd to require the bank to retype each statement in a form containing consecutively numbered items, when the statements contain unique dates and identifying numbers for each transaction. There is no prejudice to Barbour by requiring her to refer to a date and reference number to deny an item. Thus, the amended bill of particulars substantially complies with the numbering requirements of rule 1.420. See Iowa Dep't of Human Servs. ex rel. Greenhaw v. Stewart, 579 N.W.2d 321, 323-24 (Iowa 1998) (holding substantial compliance with a rule is sufficient so long as the purpose of the rule has been accomplished and the opposing party is not misled to his irreparable harm). Furthermore, the failure to start the bill of particulars with a zero balance does not mean the bank failed to state a claim upon which any relief may be granted. The failure to start at a zero balance may merely define and limit the bank's proof. Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.420. The court should allow the parties to complete their discovery to narrow the issues and better define the theories of recovery and any defenses Barbour may have to each theory. [1] Therefore, the second judge erred when he overruled the decision of the first judge. The first judge was correct not to require the bank to file a further bill of particulars prior to Barbour filing her answer. Consequently, the sanction imposed for the bank's failure to comply with the second judge's order was also wrong.