Court Opinion

ID: 9646710
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 13:08:45.07693+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:58:19.559320
License: Public Domain

*403WATHEN, Justice,
with whom VIO-LETTE, Justice, joins, dissenting.
I must respectfully dissent. While I agree with Part I of the majority opinion in which it is determined that 24 M.R.S.A. § 2903 (Supp.1980) governs this action, I cannot agree with the majority’s interpretation of that provision, nor the extension of the rationale previously announced in Dougherty v. Oliviero, Me., 427 A.2d 487 (1981). The majority interprets non-compliance with Section 2903 as giving rise to an affirmative defense under M.R.Civ.P. 8(c) and then concludes that the statute leaves to the Court the determination of an appropriate sanction for non-compliance, giving due regard to the facts of the individual case and the equitable substance of the statute. That such a complicated and uncertain analytical process should arise out of the plain language of Section 2903 is striking. That section provides unambiguously “[n]o action ... shall be commenced until at least 90 days after written notice of the claim” has been served upon the person accused of wrongdoing. Noticeably absent is any language to soften the effect of the clear and unequivocal prohibition. In other areas when the legislature has wished to temper the harsh results of similar provisions, they have demonstrated that they are capable of doing so expressly. For example, in the Maine Tort Claims Act 14 M.R. S.A. § 8107(4) (1980) it is provided that substantial compliance with the notice requirement will suffice.
The majority interpretation of Section 2903 first appeared in Dougherty where this Court saved from dismissal an action in which the complaint was filed and the notice was served within the applicable statute of limitations notwithstanding the fact that the notice was served one day after the filing of the complaint, rather than 90 days before. In the present case the majority permits the action to be salvaged notwithstanding the fact that no valid notice was ever served within the statute of limitations even though suit was timely filed. It is apparent that the legislative purpose has not been served. The ad hoc fashioning of sanctions for non-compliance is not only unwise but also unnecessary in those instances where the legislature has prohibited the commencement of the action. The result in this particular case is less important than the precedent that the phrase “no action shall be commenced” carries with it no sanctions but rather leaves open to the Court the choice of sanctions, to be determined in accord with the “equitable substance” of the statute. The general statute of limitations set forth in 14 M.R.S.A. § 752 (1980) is not distinguishable from Section 2903. It merely provides that “[a]ll civil actions shall be commenced within 6 years after the cause of action accrues and not afterwards . . . . ” If a similar analysis were undertaken with regard to Section 752, arguably it would lead to the conclusion that since no sanction is expressed it is the function of the Court to select an appropriate sanction. I cannot accept such a result as a correct interpretation of legislative intent. A statute prohibiting the commencement of an action need say no more to require a dismissal of any action filed in violation of its terms. I would affirm the judgment below.