Opinion ID: 1134174
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Cagle's Claims of Fraud and Misrepresentation (the Cross-Appeal)

Text: Cagle argues that the trial court incorrectly granted a directed verdict against his claims of fraud and misrepresentation. We disagree. As was noted previously, Cagle claims to have raised this issue by way of a cross-appeal. [4] An examination of the record, however, reveals that, although notice of this appeal was filed by Cagle in the trial court, this notice of appeal was not transmitted to this Court as prescribed in Rule 12, Ala.R.App.P., nor was the docket fee paid for the appeal. Therefore, although the appeal was taken at the time the notice of appeal was filed in the trial court (invoking this Court's jurisdiction pursuant to Rules 3(a)(1) and 4(a)(1), Ala.R. App.P.; see Finch v. Finch, 468 So.2d 151 (Ala.1985)), the appeal was never actually docketed in this Court. Accordingly, this cross-appeal is subject to dismissal under Rule 2(a)(2)(D), Ala.R.App.P., because the failure to pay the docket fee and to otherwise assure the docketing of the appeal constitutes a failure to comply substantially with these rules. Id. We choose, however, to overlook this non-jurisdictional defect and to treat the cross-appeal as though it were properly before us, even though it clearly is not. See Rule 2(b), Ala.R.App.P. Our decision to do so is based on the facts that the argument advanced on the cross-appeal is meritless and that no legitimate purpose could be served by further delaying our decision. Delay would be unavoidable, because dismissal pursuant to Rule 2(a)(2)(D) for failure to comply with the rules is not absolute, as is a dismissal for lack of jurisdiction. Instead, the Court must generally allow the defaulting party an opportunity to correct the defect. We cannot, however, justify in this case the waste of time and energy that would be necessitated by a strict application of this rule, when it is clear that the cross-appeal would have no merit were it properly before us. Accordingly, we will ignore the docketing requirements in this case and will consider the issue raised in the cross-appealwhether the trial court properly directed a verdict foreclosing Cagle's claims of fraud and misrepresentation. The essence of these claims is that Schmieding misrepresented an intention to perform certain future actsto purchase the resulting potato crop and to execute a written and binding memorandum of this agreement to purchase Cagle's potatoes. Although we have recognized that such fraud claims relating to future acts can be stated, the plaintiff bears the burden of proving both the defendant's present intention to deceive and his intention not to perform the promised future act. Although the question of this intent may be presented to the jury by a scintilla of supporting circumstantial evidence, the evidence must fairly and reasonably allow the inference of the required fraudulent intent, and the mere fact that the promised future act was not performed will not, of itself, provide the scintilla of evidence required to defeat a motion for directed verdict. Russellville Production Credit Association v. Frost, 484 So.2d 1084 (Ala. 1986). To hold otherwise would convert all traditional contract claims to fraud actions, an intolerable result. See id. In the instant case, our review of the record convinces us that there is no evidence supporting Cagle's claims of fraud or misrepresentation.