Court Opinion

ID: 9608480
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 03:13:40.30109+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:04:13.719124
License: Public Domain

HARTZ, Judge (specially concurring). I concur in the reversal of the summary judgment. I regret that I cannot join in the able opinion of Judge Pickard. I have no particular quarrel with the legal analysis in the opinion and fully agree with the discussion of the inappropriateness of the judicial affidavits in this case. Nevertheless, the parties’ briefs on appeal have made concessions on the principal matters discussed in the opinion. We should honor those concessions. First, as I read Plaintiff’s briefs, he does not contest that the value of the business was actually and necessarily determined in the first trial. He contends, rather, that in the first trial the value issue was not “actually litigated” and he did not have a “full and fair opportunity” to litigate the issue. Plaintiff’s argument that the value issue was not “actually litigated” focuses on the dearth of evidence on the matter presented at the first trial. But how active the parties were in presenting evidence is not the test of whether a matter was “actually litigated.” As stated in Restatement (Second) of Judgments Section 27 cmt. d (1980): “When an issue is properly raised, by the pleadings or otherwise, and is submitted for determination, and is determined, the issue is actually litigated within the meaning of this Section.” By that test Plaintiff’s contention fails. Although the parties may have concentrated their efforts on whether rescission was proper, the pleadings ask for damages for misrepresentation, one element of which is the difference between the contract price and the fair market value. This is not a matter that was stipulated to by the parties or conceded by one of the parties. See id. cmt. e. I am persuaded, however, by Plaintiff’s other argument. Plaintiff raises an appropriate ground for denying collateral estoppel in the discussion of his claim that he was denied a “full and fair opportunity” to litigate the value issue in the first trial. His deposition testimony indicates that it was through the fault of Defendants that he failed to put on expert testimony regarding the value of the business. If Defendants were responsible for a substandard presentation of Plaintiff’s case with respect to value at the first trial, Plaintiff should not be collaterally estopped in this malpractice action against Defendants by a finding on the value issue at the first trial. Collateral estoppel should not be a weapon to protect one against his or her own wrongdoing. See id. § 29(8) (collateral estoppel should not be permitted when “compelling circumstances make it appropriate” to permit relitigation); Bucci v. Rustin, 227 Ill.App.3d 779, 169 Ill.Dec. 810, 592 N.E.2d 297 (1992). Although there may be doubt whether (1) conduct by Defendants could have caused the attorney who represented Plaintiff in the first trial to fail to put on expert testimony regarding value or (2) competent counsel would necessarily have called an expert witness on value, Defendants’ brief does not claim the absence of a factual dispute on these matters. Thus, summary judgment was inappropriate with respect to collateral estoppel. Because Defendants offer no ground in support of any portion of the summary judgment other than the collateral-estoppel ground, there is no need for this court to determine whether there is an independent ground supporting any portion of the summary judgment. Therefore, I concur in reversal of the entire summary judgment.