Ashley v. Ashley

2016 Ark. 161, 489 S.W.3d 660, 2016 Ark. LEXIS 133
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedApril 14, 2016
DocketCV-15-362
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 2016 Ark. 161 (Ashley v. Ashley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ashley v. Ashley, 2016 Ark. 161, 489 S.W.3d 660, 2016 Ark. LEXIS 133 (Ark. 2016).

Opinion

JOSEPHINE LINKER HART, Associate Justice

11 Richard H. Ashley and J.D. Ashley, Jr., as the personal representatives of the estate of J.D. Ashley, Sr.; Candace Baughman; and the estate of Charolette Ashley, deceased (the Ashleys) appeal from the circuit court’s nunc pro tunc order addressing deficiencies in an earlier order it had issued granting an extension of time for lodging the record in Todd H. Ashley’s appeal. On cross-appeal, Todd Ashley appeals from the circuit court’s probate order approving a settlement agreement among the Ashleys. Also pending before us is the Ashleys’ motion to dismiss Todd’s appeal, in which they argue that Todd failed to timely lodge the record for ■ his appeal. The Ashleys have also asked for sanctions against Todd Ashley for filing a frivolous appeal. On direct appeal, we affirm the circuit court’s nunc pi'o tunc order. On cross-appeal, |2we affirm the circuit court’s order approving the settlement agreement. Further, we deny the Ashleys’ motion to dismiss and their motion for sanctions. •

On direct appeal, the Ashleys challenge the circuit court’s nunc pro tunc order in which the court stated that it was clarifying an earlier order that had granted an extension of time for lodging the record in the appeal brought by Todd Ashley. By way of background, on October 3, 2014, Todd Ashley filed a notice of appeal from the probate order approving the settlement agreement. On December 8, 2014, the court reporter averred that an extension of time was needed to prepare the record. On December 22, 2014, Todd Ashley filed a motion requesting that the court grant the additional time needed to prepare the record. On January 2, 2015, the circuit court granted the motion and extended the time to lodge the record to April 10,2015.

On February 2, 2015, Todd Ashley filed a motion in which he noted that the order extending the time to lodge the record did not include the findings required by Rule 5(b) of the Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure — Civil. He asked the court to enter a nunc pro tunc order clarifying its findings of fact relating to the order granting the extension. The Ashleys objected, stating that the requirements of Rule 5(b) were not present when the January 2, 2015 order was entered. Particularly, they asserted that they had not been given an opportunity to be heard on the motion for an extension of time. The Ashleys noted that Rule 6 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure sets out time in which to respond to a motion. They asserted that according to the rule, they had until after January 2, 2015, 1 in which to respond |3to Todd Ashley’s motion to extend the time for lodging the record but that the court instead granted the order on that day. Following a hearing, the circuit court entered the nunc pro tunc order on March 17, 2015. In the order, the .court stated that the requirements of Rule 6(b) were in existence at the time the court’s January 2, 2015 order was enteredL On appeal, the Ashleys argue that the circuit court erred in entering the March 17, 2015 nunc pro tunc order because Rule 5(b) had not been complied with at the time the original motion fop extension of time was granted.

The record on appeal is due to be filed in the appellate court within ninety days from the filing of the first notice of appeal. Ark. R.App. P. — Civ. (5)(a). If an extension of time is needed, Rule 5(b) provides as follows:

(1) If any party has designated steno-graphically reported material for inclusion in the record on appeal, the circuit court, by order entered before expiration of the period prescribed by subdivision (a) of this rule or a prior extension order, may extend the time for filing the record only if it makes the following findings:
(A) The appellant has filed a motion explaining the reasons for the requested extension and served the motion on all counsel of record;
(B) The time to file the record on appeal has not yet expired;
(C) All parties have had the opportunity to be heard on the motion, either at a hearing or by responding by writing;
(D) The appellant, in compliance with [Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure — Civil] Rule 6(b), has timely ordered the stenographically reported material in the record on appeal or for the clerk to compile the record; and
(E) -An extension of time is necessary for the court reporter to include the stenographically reported material in the record on appeal or for the circuit clerk .to compile the record.,

Historically, when an order fails to comply with Rule 5(b), we remand the matter to the circuit court for compliance with the rule. See, e.g., Baxter v. Wing, 2016 Ark. 42, at 2, 2016 WL 447861 (per curiam). On a remand for compliance with Rule 5(b)(1), the circuit court determines whether |4the rule was complied with at the time the original motion for extension of time was filed and granted. Id. at 3. In those cases, we instruct the circuit court not to permit the parties the opportunity to correct any deficiencies, but instead to make the findings required by the rule as if they were being made at the time of the original motion. Id.

First, the Ashleys assert that they were entitled to a hearing before the January 2, 2015 order was entered. The language of the rule, however, provides that the circuit court must find that'-the parties “had the opportunity to be heard on the motion, either at a hearing or by responding by writing.” Ark." R.App. P. — Civ. 5(b)(1)(C). Thus, a circuit court is not required to hold a hearing before entering an extension order if there is an opportunity to respond in writing.

Second, the Ashleys assert that even if a hearing was not required, Rule 5(b) had not been complied with at the time the original motion for extension of time was granted on January 2, 2015, because they did not have opportunity to be heard in writing on the original motion for extension of time. They note that the extension motion was filed on December 22, 2014, and that the extension order was entered on January 2, 2015. They assert that the order was entered before the expiration of the time period allowed to respond to motions under Rule 6(c) of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure. In calculating their time to respond, the Ash-leys state that Rule 6(a) provides that when the period of time prescribed or allowed is less than fourteen days, intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays are excluded from the computation, and they note that Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are legal holidays. They also assert that, pursuant to Rule 6(d), an additional three days should be added [(¡to the computation because Todd served the motion by electronic transmission. Thus, the Ashleys argue that the deadline to respond to the extension motion was after January 2, 2015, and accordingly, they did not have an opportunity to be heard in writing on the original motion for extension of time to file the record as required by Rule 5(b)(1)(B).

We note, however, that the rule does not provide an express time period in which a party must have an opportunity to be heard. Rather, the rule provides that the motion and order must be filed before the time has expired for lodging the record on appeal. Ark. R.App. P. — Civ. 5(b)(1)(B).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Tracey Burris v. Kristen J. Simmons and James M. Simmons
2023 Ark. App. 432 (Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 2023)
David Kinder v. Wendy Kinder
2022 Ark. App. 39 (Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 2022)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2016 Ark. 161, 489 S.W.3d 660, 2016 Ark. LEXIS 133, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ashley-v-ashley-ark-2016.