Opinion ID: 883634
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: De Minimus

Text: When a legal matter is termed de minimus, it means that courts need not consider it because the matter is trifling or too minor to be considered in the interest of judicial economy. Hopkins v. Kitts (1908), 37 Mont. 26, 94 P. 201; Section 1-3-224, MCA. By telling the District Court that it had to make this determination, we instructed the District Court to consider the Chamber's involvement in the case, which the court had not done, and then to make a determination after considering the facts before it as to whether the matter was substantial enough to be considered in any court of law. A designation that an issue is not de minimus means that it is a matter of consequence and that the issue should be considered by the court. The District Court found that the Chamber would occupy 40% of the building as currently planned. The court also found that the Chamber said that it would pay $200,000 for its part of the building. However, the facts indicate that the Chamber's portion of the building would cost twice that amount. The facts also indicate that the federal government denied payment for any portion of the Chamber's offices. That leaves approximately $200,000 of the Chamber's offices unfunded. Therefore, the District Court was not clearly erroneous by finding that the Chamber's involvement in the project was not de minimus and that it should consider the effect that the Chamber, a private corporation, would have on an otherwise public project.