Court Opinion

ID: 9552420
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 19:10:22.379567+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:26:23.633004
License: Public Domain

*136Stafford, J.
(concurring in part; dissenting in part)—I concur with the majority opinion except insofar as it concludes that a summary judgment was properly entered dismissing the professional services corporation.
The basic issue is whether there is any genuine issue of material fact which would contravene the corporation's motion.
The purpose of summary judgment procedures is to avoid an unnecessary trial when there is no genuine issue of material fact. However, a trial is absolutely necessary if there is a genuine issue as to any material fact. LaPlante v. State, 85 Wn.2d 154, 158, 531 P.2d 299 (1975); Morris v. McNicol, 83 Wn.2d 491, 519 P.2d 7 (1974); Preston v. Duncan, 55 Wn.2d 678, 681, 349 P.2d 605 (1960). A "material fact" is one upon which the outcome of the litigation depends. Morris v. McNicol, supra; Barber v. Bankers Life & Cas. Co., 81 Wn.2d 140, 500 P.2d 88 (1972). CR 56(c) provides that summary judgments may be rendered on the basis of "the pleadings, depositions, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any," submitted by the parties.
Initially the burden is on the party moving for summary judgment to prove by uncontroverted facts that there is no genuine issue of material fact. LaPlante v. State, supra at 158; Rossiter v. Moore, 59 Wn.2d 722, 370 P.2d 250 (1962); 6 J. Moore, Federal Practice ¶ 56.07, ¶ 56.15[3] (2d ed. 1948). If the moving party does not sustain that burden, summary judgment should not be entered, irrespective of whether the nonmoving party has submitted affidavits or other materials. Preston v. Duncan, supra at 683; see also Trautman, Motions for Summary Judgment: Their Use and Effect in Washington, 45 Wash. L. Rev. 1 (1970).
In ruling on a motion for summary judgment, the court must consider the material evidence and all reasonable inferences therefrom most favorably for the nonmoving party and, when so considered, if reasonable people might reach different conclusions, the motion should be denied. Balise v. Underwood, 62 Wn.2d 195, 199, 381 P.2d 966 *137(1963); 45 Wash. L. Rev. 4, 5; see also 6 J. Moore, Federal Practice ¶ 56.11[3], ¶ 56.15[3].
For the reasons stated in Mr. Justice Utter's dissent, I am not convinced that the defendant personal service corporation has carried its initial burden. Given the facts of this case, reasonable people might easily reach different conclusions. Thus, the trial court should not have granted defendant corporation's motion for summary judgment.