Opinion ID: 2173465
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Defects in prosecution of appeal

Text: Initially, Allstate contends that its motion for dismissal of the appeal for procedural errors in its prosecution should be granted by this Court. We disagree. The appeal was seasonably taken within 30 days of the entry of the summary judgment, since the notice of appeal was filed with the Superior Court on April 20, 1976. Rule 73(a), M.R.Civ.P. True, on June 16, 1976, the appellant mistakenly filed in the Law Court a motion for enlargement of time in which to file the designation of the contents of the record on appeal. This error was not rectified until June 21, 1976, when the motion for enlargement of time was filed in the Superior Court and granted by the Justice below on June 22, 1976. Contending that the Superior Court Justice had no jurisdiction to enlarge the time, as he did on June 22, 1976, Allstate sought to have the order vacated by letter to the Justice on June 25, 1976. The Justice denied the request on June 28, 1976. On motion and order under date of August 16, 1976 a second extension to August 30, 1976 was obtained and the designation was filed on the final day of this extension. Rule 74(a), M.R.Civ.P., then, provided in pertinent part: Not later than 60 days after an appeal to the Law Court is taken, the appellant shall serve upon the appellee and file with the clerk a designation of the portions of the record, proceedings, and evidence to be contained in the record on appeal, unless the appellee has already served and filed a designation. In all cases the court in its discretion and with or without motion or notice may extend the time for serving and filing the designation, if its order for extension is made before the expiration of the period for serving and filing as originally prescribed or as extended by a previous order or by stipulation under Rule 76A(a). (Emphasis supplied) In this case, the sixtieth day following the filing of the notice of appeal fell on Saturday, June 19, 1976. Under Rule 6(a), M.R. Civ.P., the appellant could move for an extension of time through Monday, June 21, 1976. Although the appellant complied with the prescribed time period, the Superior Court failed to issue its order granting the motion until Tuesday, June 22, 1976. It is apparent that the Superior Court acted improperly in granting the extension on a day beyond the permitted period of time under the rules. But the time transgression did not affect the validity of the appeal as it was not jurisdictional. And, we cannot agree with Allstate that this impropriety warrants dismissal of the appeal. Rule 73(a), M.R.Civ.P., then, outlined the governing procedure for an appellee to follow in the event the appellant failed to abide by the applicable time limits for filing motions and other papers on appeal. It provided in pertinent part as follows: Failure of the appellant to take any of the further steps to secure the review of the judgment appealed from does not affect the validity of the appeal; but the appeal will be dismissed for appellant's failure to take any such further step within the time prescribed therefor unless the Law Court shall determine that exceptional circumstances excuse the failure and justice demands that the appeal be heard. The court on motion shall enter an order that the appeal be dismissed for such failure if the appellant does not within 10 days file with the court a motion seeking to be relieved from the consequences of such failure. Allstate never addressed a motion for dismissal of the appeal at the Superior Court level pursuant to Rule 73(a), M.R.Civ.P. The Superior Court, and not the Law Court, had jurisdiction over the appeal at the time of this error, since it occurred prior to the transmission of the record to the Law Court. Indeed, Rule 74(p), M.R.Civ.P., then, provided in pertinent part: The clerk [of the Superior Court] shall thereupon transmit 12 copies of the record to the Clerk of the Law Court and furnish a copy of the record to counsel for each of the parties. The case shall be marked `law' on the docket and no further action shall be taken thereon until certification of disposition thereof in the Law Court. The case shall be docketed in the Law Court upon receipt of the record on appeal. See Isely v. Wilkins, Me., 253 A.2d 51, at 52 (1969), where we said that the vesting of jurisdiction in the Law Court under Rule 74(p) occurred only upon the filing of the record and designation of the case as Law. Should we sanction a competing procedure, contrary to the procedural requirements of Rule 73(a), M.R.Civ.P., permitting an appellee to address directly to the Law Court a motion for dismissal of an appeal for failure of the appellant to take any of the further steps procedurally required for review of the judgment appealed from, such as presented in the instant case by Allstate's motion to dismiss the appeal without previous action thereon at the trial level, we would be undermining the orderly procedures in the proper administration of justice promulgated by the Supreme Judicial Court. Thus, we hold that, in line with the mandatory directive to seek the just, speedy and inexpensive determination of every action as provided in Rule 1 of the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, we must construe Rule 73(a), relating to the reference motion to dismiss an appeal for any breakdown in appellate procedures and requiring initial action thereon in the trial court, as the exclusive procedural device for remedial relief, save for exceptional circumstances meeting the manifest error-serious injustice standard. See Mandarelli v. McGovern, Me., 393 A.2d 533 (1978). The same would be true respecting Allstate's objection to this appeal based on the appellant's failure to file a statement of points on appeal, as then required by Rule 74(d), M.R.Civ.P., when an appellant does not designate for inclusion the complete record and all the proceedings and evidence in the action. Absent exceptional circumstances, we need not consider on the merits Allstate's motion to dismiss the appellant's appeal. Allstate, however, also asserts that, independently of any other procedural noncompliance with the rules of civil procedure, the appellant's tardy filing of her brief would warrant a dismissal of the appeal by the Law Court for failure of prosecution. Rule 75, M.R.Civ.P., then read: (a) The appellant shall file his brief within 20 days after the date on which the record on appeal is docketed in the Law Court, the appellee shall file his brief within 20 days after service of the brief of the appellant, and the appellant may file a reply brief within 14 days after service of the brief of the appellee.       (c) If an appellant fails to comply with this rule, the Law Court may dismiss the appeal for want of prosecution. If an appellee fails to comply with this rule, he will not be heard at oral argument except by permission of the Law Court. (Emphasis provided) Initially, let us say that the failure to comply with the time requirements set by the rules respecting the filing of briefs on appeal does not deprive the appellate court of jurisdiction to hear the appeal. Application of United States Crude Oil Purchasing Co., 167 N.W.2d 537 (N.D.1969); United Truck Lines v. Department of Public Works, 181 Wash. 318, 42 P.2d 1104 (1935). Rule 75 of the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, the structured schedule within which the briefs of the parties shall be filed, was promulgated for the purpose of promoting an orderly administration of the appeal process, keeping within the control of the court the prosecution of the pending case toward its final disposition and advancing the interests of the parties in securing to them the just, speedy and inexpensive determination of their action, free from undue delays or inconveniences. MacArthur v. Cannon, 4 Conn.Cir. 208, 229 A.2d 372 (1967), certification denied 154 Conn. 748, 227 A.2d 562 (1967). Construed liberally as mandated by Rule 1, M.R.Civ.P. to achieve its stated purposes, Rule 75(c), in its use of the word may in the context of the appeal dismissal sanction to the effect that [i]f an appellant fails to comply with this rule, the Law Court may dismiss the appeal for want of prosecution, was not intended to be mandatory in the sense of the word must, but rather permissive, subject to the exercise by the Law Court of a sound judicial discretion looking toward justice and avoiding injustice which a strict adherence to the time restrictions might produce. See MacArthur v. Cannon, supra; White v. Smith, 440 S.W.2d 497 (Mo. App.1969). It is the policy of the law to favor, wherever possible, a hearing on the merits, whether at the trial level or at the appellate level. We would be loath to dismiss an appeal for late filing of a brief, a helping aid to the Court, if in fact the delay in the filing of the brief has not resulted in any substantial inconvenience, detriment or prejudice to the other party. Foster-Porter Enterprises v. De Mare, 198 Md. 20, 81 A.2d 325 (1951). In the instant case, it does not appear that Allstate was in any way inconvenienced or prejudiced by the late filing. The appellee's motion to dismiss the appeal will be denied, as the enforcement of the rule rests in the sound discretion of the Law Court. See Long & Allstatter Co. v. Willis, 48 Ohio App. 366, 193 N.E. 774 (1934); Inter-Island Resorts, Ltd. v. Akahane, 44 Haw. 93, 352 P.2d 856 (1960). [5]