Court Opinion

ID: 9396957
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-23 23:07:24.894133+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:20.515514
License: Public Domain

ORIGINA1                                       05/23/2023

             IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA                              Case Number: DA 23-0054

                                          DA 23-0054

THE MARY ELLEN DUKE TRUST, dated                                       FILED
March 13, 1997, MILLARD COX, MINA COX,
and TROUT CREEK RANCH,                                                  MAY 2 3 2023
                                                                      Bovven Greenwood
                                                                    Clerk of Supreme COUI
                                                                                yAnntar,E.
              Plaintiffs and Appellees.                                  tato

        v.
                                                                    ORDER

LEE LOU, LLC, a Montana limited liability
company,

               Defendant and Appellant.

       Appellees The Mary Ellen Duke Trust, dated March 13, 1997, Millard Cox, Mina
Cox, and Trout Creek Ranch (collectively "Trout Creek Ranch") have moved to dismiss
this appeal, arguing that Appellant Lee Lou, LLC ("Lee Lou"), is attempting to appeal from
an order granting partial summary judgment, which is not appealable as provided by
M. R. App. P. 6(5)(b). Trout Creek Ranch alleges that the District Court has not disposed
of all of the claims raised by Lee Lou in its counterclaim and therefore this matter is not
ripe for appeal.
       Lee Lou opposes Trout Creek Ranch's motion and alleges that it has appealed from
an order granting summary judgment that is a final judgment, as the District Court granted
summary judgment to Trout Creek Ranch and thereby disposed of all the remaining claims
and causes of action in the underlying litigation.
       The underlying litigation is a quiet title and declaratory judgment action concerning
an easement that affects real property owned by the parties. At issue in this appeal is the
December 30, 2022 Order Granting Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary Judgment and
Denying Defendant/Counterclaimant's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, for which
the court accordingly entered judgment. As Lee Lou explains in its response to Trout Creek
Ranch's motion to dismiss, although Trout Creek Ranch's Complaint to Quiet Title set
forth a claim that combined both a claim to quiet title and a claim for declaratory judgment,
Lee Lou in its Verified Counterclaim and Third-Party Complaint to Quiet Title broke out
these two claims as two separate counts but in so doing, Lee Lou did not intend to plead
any claims unrelated to those set forth in Trout Creek Ranch's Complaint.
       Lee Lou asserts unequivocally that the relief granted to Trout Creek Ranch in the
District Court's Order disposed of all of Lee Lou's remaining claims. We have examined
the record in this matter to the extent necessary to resolve this motion to dismiss, and we
conclude that the December 30, 2022 Order Granting Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary
Judgment and Denying Defendant/Counterclaimant's Motion for Partial Summary
Judgment disposed of all claims in the underlying litigation and is therefore properly before
this Court on appeal.
       IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the motion to dismiss is DENIED.
      The Clerk is directedct,y provide a copy of this Order to all parties of record.
      DATED this        '''S laay of May 2023.

                                                                Chief Justice

                                                       gi fir 411,