Opinion ID: 3168933
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: judgment is entered in favor of de soto

Text: In the usual case, this Court simply would reverse the grant of summary judgment to the State and remand for further proceedings. De Soto asks, however, that this Court grant its cross-motion for summary judgment, the overruling of which it also appealed. “Ordinarily, denial of a motion for summary judgment is an interlocutory order and is not a proper point on appeal.” James v. Paul, 49 S.W.3d 678, 682 (Mo. banc 2001). But, the State acknowledges in its brief that “the overruling of a party’s motion for summary judgment can be reviewed when its merits are intertwined completely with a grant of summary judgment in favor of an opposing party.” Bob DeGeorge Assoc.’s, Inc. v. Hawthorn Bank, 377 S.W.3d 592, 596–97 (Mo. banc 2012). The State recognizes that the issues here are intertwined. The State admits in its brief that both the State and De Soto sought summary judgment based on official publications of the population of cities and counties, relying on the 2010 census and a map of fire protection district boundaries and that the issues regarding whether the law is 12 a special law are questions of law. 9 Moreover, the State had the opportunity and obligation when bringing its own motion for summary judgment and when responding to De Soto’s to attempt to show substantial justification once the law was shown to be a special law, but it failed to do so. In such a case, because the State agrees that the two summary judgment motions are based on the same facts and law, and because this Court has held that the trial court’s grant of judgment in favor of the State was in error because the law is a special one, no purpose would be served by remand. The trial court erred in failing to grant summary judgment to De Soto. Under Rule 84.14, this Court may enter the judgment the trial court should have entered.