Court Opinion

ID: 9541861
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:29:04.183787+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:05:05.101238
License: Public Domain

BURKE, Justice,
with whom MOORE, Justice, joins, dissenting in part, concurring in part.
Assuming, arguendo, that Civil Rule 60(b)(1) affords any basis for relief in a case such as this, I dissent from that part of the majority opinion holding that Lawrence’s application was untimely because the time for appeal had passed at the time the modification motion was filed.
On the date of Lawrence’s divorce decree, the superior court’s authority to order payment of post-majority educational support was firmly established, by our holding in Hinchey v. Hinchey, 625 P.2d 297 (Alaska 1981). Hinchey was not overruled until March 30, 1984, when we announced our decision in Dowling v. Dowling, 679 P.2d 480 (Alaska 1984). That announcement came three months after entry of the divorce decree and more than sixty days past the deadline for notice of appeal. Rule 204(a), Alaska R.App.P. Throughout this period of time, a motion to amend the judgment, made upon the ground that the trial court had no authority to order payment of post-majority educational support, was sure to fail. Under Hinchey, which the trial court was bound to follow, the court would have had no choice but to deny the motion. Lairsey v. Advance Abrasives Co., 542 F.2d 928 at 932. Under these circumstances, I see no legitimate reason to fault Lawrence’s failure to bring his motion within the time allowed for notice of appeal. Any such motion would have been a useless act.
The majority rejects Lawrence’s argument because it finds “persuasive” the policies articulated in Parks v. U.S. Life & Credit Corp., 677 F.2d 838 (11th Cir.1978). Those policies, essentially, are that there is a “strong interest in the finality of litigation” and that Rule 60(b) should not be used “as a substitute for a timely and proper appeal.” Id. at 840-41. In Parks, however, “no controlling case law existed at the time of the original judgment.” Id. at 839. Here, of course, the exact opposite is true. Why the majority chooses to ignore this important difference is difficult to understand. The two cases are clearly distinguishable.
Otherwise, I concur.