Court Opinion

ID: 9788768
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 01:17:56.733966+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:16.648032
License: Public Domain

Elliott, J.:
I concur with our holding that the present case is time barred under our holdings of King v. Pimentel, 20 Kan. App. 2d 579, 890 P.2d 1217 (1995), and Martin v. Board of Johnson County Comm’rs, 18 Kan. App. 2d 149, 848 P.2d 1000 (1993).
I write separately to emphasize the traps contained in K.S.A. 12-105b(d) and to echo the suggestion made by then Chief Judge Briscoe in Martin. The traps were discussed in Palmer & Snyder, What Happened and What’s Left After Judicial Scrutiny, 57 J.K.B.A. 21, 28 (Nov./Dec. 1988). The first trap occurs where a claim is filed and the 120 days run shortly before the statute of limitations expires. The second trap occurs when the 120 days run or the denial itself is made after the statute of limitations expires. Pimentel and Martin define the second trap, but the first trap remains. See Martin, 18 Kan. App. 2d at 155-58.
I agree with the conclusion of Chief Judge Briscoe in Martin that a statute which makes a clear provision for a period of time during which a claimant may file an action after notice of claim is denied would eliminate both traps and is preferable to a statute such as K.S.A. 12-105b(d), which creates the traps. See 28 U.S.C. § 2401(b) (2000); 28 U.S.C. § 2675 (2000); Martin, 18 Kan. App. 2d at 158.
It is for the legislature to address this problem, should they feel a need to do so.