Court Opinion

ID: 9704896
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 00:49:27.708973+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:22:06.356702
License: Public Domain

TERRY, Associate Judge,
concurring:
I join in reversing the judgment. For the most part, I agree with the per curiam opinion, but I have two reservations.
First, my colleagues have left the door slightly open to the filing of new motions for summary judgment. I would close the door entirely. As I view this case, summary judgment for either party is impossible, even if a movant could present evidence to the trial court that meets the requirements of Rule 56(e). This court has admonished on several occasions that summary judgment should be granted sparingly in cases involving motive or intent. Spellman v. American Security Bank, 504 A.2d 1119, 1122 (D.C.1986); Wyman v. Roesner, 439 A.2d 516, 519 (D.C.1981); Willis v. Cheek, 387 A.2d 716, 719 (D.C.1978); accord, e.g., Attorney General v. Irish People, Inc., 254 U.S.App.D.C. 229, 233, 796 F.2d 520, 524 (1986) (“Summary judgment is often inappropriate where state of mind is crucial to the ultimate factual issue” (citations omitted)); see Poller v. Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., 368 U.S. 464, 473, 82 S.Ct. 486, 491, 7 L.Ed.2d 458 (1962). In light of these decisions, and considering the respective burdens of proof and presumptions that are applicable in this case, I cannot conceive how either party could concoct a motion for summary judgment that would demonstrate the absence of any genuine issue of material fact. In addition, this court has held that “[wjhere the motion for summary judgment is based solely on the testimony of an interested party and knowledge of the basis for that testimony is largely in the hands of the witness, summary judgment ordinarily should not be granted.” Kuder v. United National Bank, 497 A.2d 1105, 1107 (D.C.1985) (citations omitted). Any motion for summary judgment filed by these appellants would almost certainly be based on evidence to be provided by one or more of the very same appellants, all of whom, as heirs, are interested parties. In such circumstances Ku-der teaches that summary judgment, at least for the appellants, is not appropriate. In short, I think this case must be tried.
Second, I am troubled by the fact that Grace Eng was allowed to testify at the *1300hearing on the cross-motions for summary judgment. In ruling on those motions, the court was entitled to consider “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any,” submitted by the parties. Super.Ct.Civ.R. 56(c). In its discretion the court could also “permit affidavits to be supplemented or opposed by depositions, answers to interrogatories, or further affidavits.” Super.Ct.Civ.R. 56(e). A trial court also has discretion under Super. Ct.Civ.R. 43(e) to take live testimony at a hearing on a motion for summary judgment, see Occidental Realty Co. v. General Insurance Co., 301 A.2d 66 (D.C.1973), although it is highly unusual — indeed, it is extremely rare — for a court to do so. This case illustrates why it is an unwise practice. The effect of the court’s taking testimony from Grace Eng was to turn the hearing into a trial on the merits, to appellants’ prejudice. Had there actually been a trial, appellants would have been entitled to present evidence of their own to rebut Eng’s testimony. The court’s procedural short cut deprived them of their right to do so. I would therefore reverse the judgment on the additional ground that the court abused its discretion by receiving testimony from Grace Eng at the motion hearing.