Court Opinion

ID: 9668491
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 02:16:28.238386+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:45.677526
License: Public Domain

MANFORD, Judge
concurring.
I concur in the result reached by the majority opinion in the above matter, but I must disagree with leaving the notice requirements of Rule 74.04(c) unresolved.
The majority opinion declares, “We need not decide whether Rule 74.04(c) preclusively requires that a ten-day notice precede summary judgment. We do say that a summary judgment made and entered on the very day of trial, without other notice to the adversary, or acquiescence, undermines the probity of the procedure and prejudices fairness.”
The pertinent portion of Rule 74.04(c) reads,
“Motions and Proceedings Thereon The motion shall be served at least 10 days before the time fixed for the hearing
There is nothing contained within the remainder of Rule 74.04 which further references the requirement of notice. To state it another way, the rule does not express any other time element, nor does it expressly or impliedly permit a trial court to modify the time requirements in any manner.
The clear expressed intent of the rule, by its very wording, is that a 10-day notice is mandatory. There is no room for any other interpretation. The rule, while providing for an expeditious finality to litigation, (where as a matter of law finality can be achieved) also carries with it a specified number of days (10) to afford a defending party opportunity to respond to a motion filed pursuant to the rule.
The problem with the approach taken by the majority opinion is that conceivably as many as eight separate factual situations could arise and neither the trial court nor counsel would know in advance whether conformity with the rule had been achieved. To illustrate, if such a motion were filed and ruled upon the day of trial, the majority opinion concludes that such an action would be prejudicial. Nobody could argue with the soundness of that conclusion, but what if the motion had been filed say at 4:00 p. m. the day before trial? What about two days before trial, or three or four and so on up to the eighth or ninth day preceding trial. Then would such be prejudicial if ruled upon?
In those situations where the motion is filed somewhere between the 10th day prior to trial and the day of trial, the majority opinion does not address the problem. The result of such a position is that neither the trial court nor counsel would know until long after the initial proceedings whether the rule had been obeyed, by way of an opinion from a reviewing court. It is also not beyond the realm of possibility that interpretations under the rule would appear to conflict. For instance, suppose under a given set of circumstances a reviewing court holds such motion and ruling thereon, filed within four days of trial, was not prejudicial. By contrast, another court, under a different set of circumstances, might rule it prejudicial.
This court should address the matter with clarity and definiteness as to whether or not Rule 74.04(c) “preclusively requires that a ten-day notice precede summary judgment.” In addressing the matter and in concluding that the ten-day notice is mandatory, a two-fold result can be reached.
In the first instance, the same result reached in the instant case would not be altered. Secondly, and just as importantly, to hold the rule mandatory regarding the 10-day notice would resolve all doubt for both the trial court and counsel. The benefits perceived in the latter instance would be a definite guideline for court and counsel, providing for a more orderly processing of such motions and a reduction or the *326possible elimination of potentially costly and time-consuming relitigation which could result from varied interpretations of the rule.
Rule 74.04 is but a procedural rule mandatory in its terms. The instant case provides the opportunity to resolve the issue. This court should squarely face the issue. To refuse to address the issue leaves the issue in limbo and subject to possible equitable embellishment, which is neither necessary nor contributory toward clarity and straightforwardness, the very concepts for which the rule is designed.
If this court is to fulfill its dual capacity of deciding legal issues on the one hand, and providing guidance for the trial court and counsel on the other, it should hold, absent any formal waiver of the 10-day notice upon the record by an opposing party, that the 10-day notice is a mandatory or preclusive requirement to any ruling upon a motion filed within Rule 74.04.
As the matter stands now under the majority view, as best can be said to our trial courts and counsel, the instant proceedings stand as a caution light indicating that maybe prejudice will be found in the proceedings with which you are involved.
The judgment in the instant case should be reversed and the cause remanded upon a finding that a 10-day notice, absent any formal waiver, is mandatory under Rule 74.04(c), and a ruling upon such motion, not in conformity with such interpretation of the rule, is prejudicially erroneous.