Court Opinion

ID: 9633957
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 12:08:57.380655+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:08:46.004033
License: Public Domain

SUTIN, Judge (dissenting). I dissent solely from that part of the opinion which remands this case to the district judge to prepare and enter proper findings of fact and enter a judgment based thereon consistent with the opinion. The judgment should be affirmed without remand. A. The trial court made proper findings of fact and conclusions of law. In Mora v. Martinez, 80 N.M. 88, 451 P.2d 992 (1969), and Moore v. Moore, 68 N.M. 207, 360 P.2d 394 (1961), the trial court did not prepare and enter a decision in a separate instrument as required by Rule 52(B)(a) of the Rules of Civil Procedure. The trial court, by a separate order, adopted the findings and conclusions requested by the successful party. To continue the appeal in both cases, the Supreme Court remanded with instructions to repair the damage and send it back to the Supreme Court. Mora lay at rest because the parties settled their differences. Moore was affirmed in Moore v. Moore, 71 N.M. 495, 379 P.2d 784 (1963). Mora is quoted as authority that a remand for proper findings of the court arises when findings fail to resolve the basic issues in dispute, and are insufficient to permit an appellate court to decide the case. Michelson v. Michelson, 86 N.M. 107, 520 P.2d 263 (1974); State ex rel. State Highway Department v. Bruskas, 85 N.M. 634, 515 P.2d 559 (1973). With this I agree. In the instant case, by letter, the trial court announced that all issues were decided in favor of defendants, and asked defendants’ attorney “to prepare the decision of the court making all appropriate, requisite and necessary findings of fact to sustain the judgment of the court, . prepare an order denying all requested findings and conclusions submitted by the parties . . . Plaintiffs did not object to this procedure. Pursuant to this request, we assume defendants’ attorney prepared the decision for the trial court and the order denying all requested findings and conclusions. The decision did not contain two of defendants’ requested findings. Two weeks after the date of the letter, the decision and order was signed by the trial court and filed. By this decision, the trial court found the facts and gave its conclusions in a separate instrument as required by law. It is obvious that the trial court read the decision and approved its contents. I can find no criticism of the trial judge’s request for assistance of the defendants’ attorney even if proper objection had been made. He was sufficiently harassed for three years. The trial judge made proper findings of fact. B. To remand for proper findings and judgment would be useless and would permit a second appeal. The transcript of the record on appeal consists of eight volumes. It contains rambling pleadings, and extensive depositions which consumed 508 pages of the transcript. The complaint was filed on November 8, 1972 and the trial commenced August 4, 1975, almost three years thereafter. More than four years have passed since the complaint was filed. “ . . [Cjertainly if this court can remand the case for the entry of [a decision], it would be a useless thing to strike the present [decision] and remand the case to the trial court for the making of the same over again. Although we must insist upon compliance with the rule by the trial courts, certainly little would be accomplished, other than additional delay, in remanding the case for this purpose only. We do not feel that the interests of justice require such a procedure . . . Brown v. Hayes, 69 N.M. 24, 27-28, 363 P.2d 632, 634 (1961). Furthermore, to require the trial court to prepare and enter a new decision and enter judgment based thereon means that the trial court will have to add additional findings to its decision bearing on the issue of the consummation of the agreement. The consummation occurred subsequent to the filing of this appeal. It was raised by affidavit of defendant Bostian during the appeal, which affidavit showed that plaintiffs cashed checks of defendants which constituted total payment to plaintiffs for timber severed by defendants. Plaintiffs did not contest this matter. If a new decision is required, evidence will be taken, additional findings will be made, and judgment will be entered thereon. Plaintiffs will then have the right to a second appeal. Plaintiffs had one fair trial, unreasonably delayed, and one fair appeal, even though adverse. Plaintiffs are not entitled to a second bite of the apple or a fourth strike in this ballgame.