Court Opinion

ID: 9789909
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 01:43:50.070602+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:25.162040
License: Public Domain

BAKES, Justice,
dissenting:
The case of Compton v. Compton, 101 Idaho 328, 612 P.2d 1175 (1980), cited by the majority, presented facts strikingly similar to the facts presented in the present case. In Compton, an ex-wife also alleged fraud on the part of her ex-husband. We used that case to set out the rules for independent actions to set aside property settlements because of fraud.
First, we said:
“[T]he independent action in equity is a most unusual remedy, available only rarely and under the most exceptional circumstances. It is most certainly not its function to relitigate issues determined in another action between the same parties, or to remedy an inadvertence or oversight of one of the parties to the original action. It will lie only in the presence of an extreme degree of fraud." 101 Idaho at 335, 612 P.2d 1175 (emphasis added).
Later, we noted:
“Like a business partner, each spouse is free to adopt a position favorable to himself or herself regarding the property’s valuation, its inclusion in the community, *484or other such issues.” 101 Idaho at 336, 612 P.2d 1175.
In Compton, we indicated that overreaching must be alleged, then noted:
“No such overreaching has been proven or even alleged in this case: wife’s most serious charge is that husband misrepresented the state of the community.... [T]o survive husband’s motion for summary judgment the burden rests with wife, as challenging party in this case, to allege such fraud as to support an independent action for relief from judgment.” 101 Idaho at 336, 612 P.2d 1175.
Thus, the burden rested with the wife in the present case to allege “an extreme degree of fraud.” The wife did submit affidavits to the court containing allegations, but those affidavits did not comply with I.R.C.P. 56(e). That rule states:
“RULE 56(e). FORM OF AFFIDAVITS — FURTHER TESTIMONY — DEFENSE REQUIRED. — Supporting and opposing affidavits shall be made on personal knowledge, shall set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence, and shall show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters stated therein.” (Emphasis added).
The majority relies upon two particular statements in affirming the Court of Appeals. One statement read: “Based upon my husband’s Answers to Interrogatories and the representation made by my husband that the community property had a fair market value of $446,000, counsel instructed me to enter into a Property Settlement Agreement with the Defendant.... In November, 1978, I discovered that the fair market value of the real property was in truth and in fact, $1,650,000. On February 27, 1976, the Defendant represented to my attorney that our community property was valued at $446,000.”1 This statement does not allege facts indicating what property was undervalued, how the wife came to the conclusion that it was undervalued, whether the new valuation rested on facts within her personal knowledge, etc. Rule 56(e) specifically states that an affidavit must be based on personal knowledge and must show that the witness is competent to testify to the facts asserted. Since there are no underlying facts asserted, no indications of personal knowledge, and no showing of competency to testify as to valuation of the property, the above statement would not be admissible in evidence, and thus cannot be relied on in defending against a motion for summary judgment. Roper v.. Elkhorn At Sun Valley, 100 Idaho 790, 605 P.2d 968 (1980) (affidavit failing to assert specific facts as basis for alleged right will not preclude grant of summary judgment to defendant); Matthews v. New York Life Ins. Co., 92 Idaho 372, 443 P.2d 456 (1968) (conclusions, hearsay, lack of showing of personal knowledge, all render affidavit insufficient to support motion for summary judgment).
The most that can be said about the foregoing allegations concerning value is that the husband’s attorney conveyed to the wife’s attorney their valuation of the property to be $446,000 and in November, 1978, the wife “discovered” (without indicating upon what basis that discovery was made) that the fair market value of the real property was “in truth and in fact $1,650,000.” Those allegations would appear to fit within the foregoing statement from the Compton case that “like a business partner, each spouse is free to adopt a position favorable to himself or herself regarding the property’s valuation .... ” 101 Idaho at 336, 612 P.2d 1175.
The other statement in the plaintiff’s affidavit, relied upon by the majority, is that Mr. Bodine’s representations “were totally false and made by the defendant with the intent to deceive and defraud me.” This statement is a bald conclusion, on its face inadmissible, and fails to comply with Rule 56(e). The affidavit fails to allege facts in support of this statement, or indicate that the affiant had personal knowledge of the *485defendant’s intent. As we noted in Tri-State National Bank v. Western Gateway Storage Co., 92 Idaho 543, 447 P.2d 409 (1968), “Mere denials, assertions of what ‘might have [been],’ of what one has ‘been told’ or ‘advised,’ of matters not stated from personal knowledge, of numerous legal conclusions (especially by laymen), and of what one hopes ‘will be shown at trial’ ” is not enough to prevent a grant of summary judgment to the other party. See Tapper Chevrolet Co. v. Hansen, 95 Idaho 436, 510 P.2d 1091 (1973); Openshaw v. Allstate Ins. Co., 94 Idaho 192, 484 P.2d 1032 (1971); Yribar v. Fitzpatrick, 87 Idaho 366, 393 P.2d 588 (1964).2 Thus, the affidavits submitted by the wife were not sufficient under Rule 56(e) to withstand a motion for summary judgment. The trial court was thus correct in granting the motion, and should be affirmed.

. The “representations” referred to by the wife were apparently representations made in correspondence between the spouses’ attorneys. The record reflects that the parties themselves conducted no direct communication during the divorce proceedings.

. The fact that plaintiff was seeing a psychiatrist and was taking medicine is irrelevant. The extreme degree of fraud which the plaintiff must show must be based on the defendant’s conduct, not upon her own weaknesses. All plaintiff has shown is a different opinion as to value, together with an incompetent, unsupported allegation that her husband intended to deceive and defraud her.