Opinion ID: 561287
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Amendment to Pleadings

Text: 35 Moyers and Jenkins claim that the district court should have allowed them to amend their pleadings to aver mistake. Moyers and Jenkins responded to Gulf's summary judgment motion with affidavits discussing the negotiations preceding the assignment from Avatar to Gulf. These affidavits allege that the parties intended (1) for the reassignment clause to require Gulf to reassign the lease prior to expiration of the primary term, and (2) for Gulf to assume the responsibilities of Avatar contained in the overriding royalty assignments. Gulf objected to the introduction of these affidavits because appellants' pleadings did not aver mistake with particularity as required by Fed.R.Civ.P. 9(b). Gulf argued that the failure to plead mistake precluded admission of this parol evidence to prove the parties' intentions. 36 Although leave to amend pleadings shall be freely given when justice so requires, Fed.R.Civ.P. 15(a), leave to amend is not automatic. The decision to grant or deny a motion to amend is in the sound discretion of the trial court. Shivangi v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., 825 F.2d 885, 890 (5th Cir.1987). The district court denied appellants' motion for two reasons. First, the motion was untimely. The court set a final deadline for the filing of amendments, and appellants moved to amend their pleadings past the deadline. We often have affirmed denials of motions to amend when the motions have been untimely filed. Gregory v. Mitchell, 634 F.2d 199, 203 (5th Cir.1981). 37 We also affirm denials of motions to amend when amendment would be futile. Addington v. Farmer's Elevator Mut. Ins. Co., 650 F.2d 663, 666-67 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 1098, 102 S.Ct. 672, 70 L.Ed.2d 640 (1981). Moyers and Jenkins wanted to amend their pleadings to assure consideration of their affidavits as parol evidence. These affidavits allegedly proved the true intentions of the parties. Since the district court properly found that the agreement between Avatar and Gulf was unambiguous, parol evidence was not admissible to contradict the import of that agreement. Amendment of the pleadings would provide no benefit to Moyers and Jenkins under these circumstances. We hold that the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to allow Moyers and Jenkins to amend their pleadings.