Opinion ID: 1142806
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Conversion of Motion to Dismiss

Text: Wind Drift moved to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. Both parties submitted letter briefs to the court after Wind Drift filed its motion. Wind Drift also relied upon, and referred the court to, two sworn affidavits filed in support of other defendants' motions. Because the parties submitted matters outside the pleadings, the trial court converted Wind Drift's motion to dismiss into a motion for summary judgment. This treatment is proper where, as here, the parties, in support of, or in opposition to, the motion, file matters outside the pleadings and these matters are not excluded by the court. Garris v. Fed. Land Bank of Jackson, 584 So.2d 791, 793 (Ala.1991); Underwood v. Allstate Ins. Co., 590 So.2d 258 (Ala.1991); Rule 12(b), A.R.Civ.P. The requirements of Rule 56 apply to a converted Rule 12(b)(6) motion. Hales v. First Nat'l Bank of Mobile, 380 So.2d 797, 799 (Ala.1980). Together, Rules 12 and 56 require that the nonmovant receive (1) adequate notice that the trial court intends to treat the motion as one for summary judgment and (2) a reasonable opportunity to present material in opposition. Davis v. Howard, 561 F.2d 565, 571-72 (5th Cir.1977); Hales, at 799. This Court has held that the same 10 days' notice required when a party moves for summary judgment is also required for a converted motion for summary judgment. Hales, at 799. This Court has further held that the record must adequately demonstrate that all counsel were aware of the intentions of the [trial] judge to treat the motion as converted. Hales, at 799-800 (quoting Davis, at 571-72). Although the record does not demonstrate that Graveman had notice of the trial court's intention to treat the motion as converted, Graveman does not challenge the adequacy of notice. In addition, Graveman does not dispute Wind Drift's assertion that it sent Graveman a copy of its letter brief and its request that the motion be treated as a summary judgment motion. Moreover, in opposition to Wind Drift's motion to dismiss, Graveman himself filed matters outside the pleadings. Graveman thereby caused the motion to dismiss to be converted to a motion for summary judgment. Rule 12(b), A.R.Civ.P. The record indicates that three months lapsed between the time Graveman received notice of Wind Drift's request to convert the motion and the time the trial court granted Wind Drift's converted motion for summary judgment. The appellant thus had adequate notice and a reasonable opportunity to present material in opposition to the motion. The requirements of Rule 12(b) and Hale relating to converting a motion to dismiss into one for summary judgment have thus been satisfied. Therefore, the trial court properly treated Wind Drift's motion to dismiss as a motion for summary judgment.