Court Opinion

ID: 9528000
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 03:36:11.420489+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:26:22.851190
License: Public Domain

APODACA, Judge, specially concurring. Although I concur in the majority’s conclusion that the trial court’s denial of summary judgment should be affirmed, I disagree with both the majority’s analysis and its interpretation of Tafoya v. Doe, 100 N.M. 328, 670 P.2d 582 (Ct.App.), cert. quashed sub. nom. Carrie Tingley Hosp. v. Tafoya, 100 N.M. 327, 670 P.2d 581 (1983). The majority, in my view, has adopted an unworkable, fact-based interpretation of Tafoya that will lead eventually to confusion for the trial courts and bar, as well as unnecessary appeals. This is so because neither the courts nor trial bar would have any guidance or criteria concerning the question of whether sufficient facts are present in a particular case to toll the limitations period. Rather, I would hold that the trial court correctly determined that, under Tafoya, minors are excused from complying with the notice requirement contained in NMSA 1978, Section 41-4-16(A) (Repl.Pamp.1989). I disagree with the majority’s conclusion that Tafoya did not hold that application of the notice requirement to any minor would violate due process. Tafoya stated: All of these cases reflect the view that one unable to comply with a notice requirement by reason of minority is protected by the reasonableness requirements of the common law, the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, or similar provisions in their state constitutions. Tafoya, 100 N.M. at 332, 670 P.2d at 586. Although not discussed by the majority, the cases relied on in Tafoya involved minors as old as nineteen years of age. McDonald v. City of Spring Valley, 285 Ill. 52, 120 N.E. 476 (1918) (age seven); Grubaugh v. City of St. Johns, 384 Mich. 165, 180 N.W.2d 778 (1970) (age nineteen); McCrary v. City of Odessa, 482 S.W.2d 151 (Tex.1972) (age eighteen); Cook v. State, 83 Wash.2d 599, 521 P.2d 725 (1974) (en banc) (age thirteen). Additionally, Tafoya noted: It is axiomatic that the constitutional provision of due process extends to protect that “property” construed to be a vested right and that generally an accrued right of action is a vested property right which may not be arbitrarily impinged. To take away [plaintiff’s] cause of action ... because [being under legal disability] he could not meet the notice provisions of the act would deprive him of a vested right of action without due process of law. Tafoya, 100 N.M. at 331, 670 P.2d at 585 (quoting Grubaugh, 180 N.W.2d at 781, 783). As observed in Tafoya, minors are incapable of appointing an agent or an attorney, and therefore a minor should not be left to the “ ‘whim or mercy of some self-constituted next friend to enforce its rights.’ ” Id. at 332, 670 P.2d at 586 (quoting McDonald, 120 N.E. at 478). Additionally, I point out that, in the time since Tafoya was decided, the legislature has not chosen to make the notice requirement explicitly applicable to minors, with or without limitation. The majority believes that reading Tafoya as barring application of the notice requirement to any minor is inconsistent with Howie v. Stevens, 102 N.M. 300, 304, 694 P.2d 1365, 1369 (Ct.App.1984), cert. quashed, 102 N.M. 293, 694 P.2d 1358 (1985). I respectfully disagree. First, Howie was a workers’ compensation case, and as such, did not directly address the notice requirement of the Tort Claims Act. Tafoya was mentioned only as a case with facts “analogous” to those in Howie. I myself would not draw that analogy. Second, when Howie was decided, it was well established that minors did not receive any extension to limitation periods for workers’ compensation actions. Howie, 102 N.M. at 304, 694 P.2d at 1369. Finally, I believe that Howie misconstrued Tafoya as being fact-based. In my view, the majority perpetuates the error by continuing that reading of Tafoya. Indeed, to the extent that Howie may be interpreted as the majority suggests, I would limit its application strictly to its facts in workers’ compensation cases, or overrule it altogether. In summary, because I would hold that, under Tafoya, minors are excused as a matter of law from complying with the 90-day notice requirement, I concur in the result only and do not join in the majority’s analysis and discussion.