Court Opinion

ID: 9706731
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 01:50:46.325463+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:22:24.660215
License: Public Domain

HABHAB, Judge,
specially concurring.
I specially concur in the result reached by the majority. The majority sets forth a substantial part of rule 127. However, I think the last sentence of the third paragraph of that rule is determinative of the problem before us. That sentence provides:
The provisions of R.C.P. 134(a)(4) apply to the award of expenses incurred in relation to the motion.
*640Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 134(a)(4) must, of course, be considered when a violation of Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 127 occurs. The rule, in effect, permits the awarding of reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, to an aggrieved party.
The reference to Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 134(a)(4) in rule 127 plays an additional role for it is the section that provides sanctions and remedies for aggrieved parties. I hasten to add that nowhere in rule 127 is there a provision that a verdict will be set aside as suggested by the plaintiff because a party fails to comply with its provisions.
I believe the sanction remedy is consistent with writings that have taken place when interpreting Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 36. When discussing improper denials or failure to admit under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 36 (a rule quite similar to ours), the following statement appears in West Federal Practice Manual Rev.2d Ed. Vol 7 §§ 7691-10000 at § 8460:
The only penalty for improper denial or a failure to admit that which should have been admitted is set out in rule 37(c). In such instance “if the party requesting the admissions thereafter proves the genuineness of the documents or the truth of matter, he may apply to the court for an order requiring the other party to pay him the reasonable expenses incurred in making that proof, including reasonable attorney’s fees.”
Thus, under our rule 127, when the requests for admission were filed, the party to whom the request is directed must serve upon the party requesting the admission a written answer or objection addressed to the matter. The answer must specifically deny the matter or set forth in detail the reasons why the answering party cannot quickly admit or deny the matter. If the party requesting the admission is dissatisfied, he may move to determine the sufficiency of the answers or objections. If the court determines that an answer does not comply with the requirements of rule 127, it may order either that the matter stands admitted or that an amended answer be served.
Here the plaintiff was not satisfied with the answers submitted by the defendant. The plaintiff then filed a motion asking the trial court to declare defendant had admitted the matters contained in the requests that were not specifically denied. This motion was attended to by the trial court and subsequently overruled. The trial court essentially found that the requests for admissions stood denied.
We have often said that the trial courts have considerable discretion in ruling on discovery matters. This does not mean to say there are not instances when the appellate courts of this state have found an abuse of that discretion. The plaintiffs remedy on appeal is whether the trial court abused its discretion in overruling the plaintiffs motion asking the court to rule his requests should stand admitted. I find no abuse of discretion. Thus I would affirm.