Court Opinion

ID: 9586932
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:16:38.281676+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:56.734643
License: Public Domain

WELLS, Judge.
Plaintiff contends that the trial court erred in dismissing his suit under Rule 13(a) of the Rules of Civil Procedure1 because *314plaintiffs G.S. § 75-1.12 action for unfair trade practices had not matured at the time plaintiff answered defendant’s complaint in the prior action between plaintiff and defendant and was therefore not a compulsory counterclaim. While we must disagree with this argument, we nevertheless hold for other reasons that plaintiffs suit should not have been dismissed under Rule 13(a).
It is clear from plaintiffs complaint that all of the transactions and occurrences constituting defendant’s unfair practices had taken place when plaintiff filed his answer in the previous action and plaintiff concedes that when he answered defendant’s complaint, he was aware of those events and circumstances. The injury was therefore then extant, the only unknown aspect of the matter being the extent of plaintiffs damages. It would appear that at the trial of the prior action, plaintiffs ultimate and entire damages would have been somewhat speculative since plaintiff incurred post trial damages in defending defendant’s action against him at the appellate level.
Our decision, however, is based on principles of equity. The remedies provided pursuant to G.S. § 75-1.1 are equitable in nature and should not be frustrated by narrow or strict applications of procedural rules. At the time plaintiff filed his answer in the prior action, there was a degree of uncertainty as to the maturity of his G.S. § 75-1.1 claim against defendant sufficient to require a careful balancing of the procedural requirements of Rule 13(a) of the Rules of Civil Procedure and the equitable *315remedies of G.S. § 75-1.1. It would offend our sense of justice to allow defendant to avoid answering in this action for its flagrant conduct through a narrow or strict application of the provisions of Rule 13(a) of the Rules of Civil Procedure, thereby defeating the balancing process we deem necessary in this case.
For the reasons stated, the order of the trial court must be reversed and this cause must be remanded for further proceedings on the merits of plaintiffs action.
Reversed and remanded.
Judge Braswell concurs.
Judge PHILLIPS concurs in the result.

. G.S. § 1A-1, Rule 13(a). (a) Compulsory counterclaims. A pleading shall state as a counterclaim any claim which at the time of serving the pleading the pleader has against any opposing party, if it arises out of the transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter of the opposing party’s claim and does not require for its ad*314judication the presence of third parties of whom the court cannot acquire jurisdiction. . .

. § 76-1.1. Methods of competition, acts and practices regulated; legislative policy, (a) Unfair methods of competition in or affecting commerce, and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce, are declared unlawful, (b) For purposes of this section, “commerce” includes all business activities, however denominated, but does not include professional services rendered by a member of a learned profession, (c) Nothing in this section shall apply to acts done by the publisher, owner, agent, or employee of a newspaper, periodical or radio or television station, or other advertising medium in the publication or dissemination of an advertisement, when the owner, agent or employee did not have knowledge of the false, misleading or deceptive character of the advertisement and when the newspaper, periodical or radio or television station, or other advertising medium did not have a direct financial interest in the sale or distribution of the advertised product or service, (d) Any party claiming to be exempt from the provisions of this section shall have the burden of proof with respect to such claim.