Di Orio v. City of Scottsdale

408 P.2d 849, 2 Ariz. App. 329
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedDecember 16, 1965
Docket1 CA-CIV 87
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 408 P.2d 849 (Di Orio v. City of Scottsdale) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Di Orio v. City of Scottsdale, 408 P.2d 849, 2 Ariz. App. 329 (Ark. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

CAMERON, Judge.

This is an appeal by the plaintiff Di Orio from an order granting defendant City of Scottsdale’s motion to dismiss, and from an order granting defendant City of Scottsdale’s motion for summary judgment.

The action arises out of an automobile-motorcycle accident. The question before this Court is whether the doctrine of res judicata or the doctrine of collateral estoppel will apply against Di Orio where he has suffered a judgment to be taken against him in the United States District Court on the same fact situation but in favor of an employee of the City of Scottsdale where the City of Scottsdale was not a party.

The facts necessary for a determination of this matter on appeal are as follows: Di Orio was the driver of an automobile which was involved in an automobile-motorcycle accident in Scottsdale, Arizona, on or about 20 September, 1962.- This motorcycle was driven by Jon T. Nicholson, a motorcycle patrolman for the appellee, City of Scottsdale. Nicholson brought suit against Di Orio, and the matter was transferred to the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. Di Orio filed an answer and counterclaim against Nicholson, alleging, among other things in the answer, that Nicholson was guilty of contributory negligence. The City of Scottsdale was not joined by Di Orio in his counterclaim. Di Orio next moved to dismiss his own counterclaim without prejudice which motion was granted, 17 June, 1963. Thereafter, on 28 June, 1963, Di Orio filed this suit in the Superior Court of the State of Arizona against the City of Scottsdale. The City of Scottsdale moved to dismiss.

On 24 September, 1963, judgment was rendered in the District Court in favor of Nicholson and against Di Orio, in. the amount of $90,000. Motion to dismiss and a motion for summary judgment were thereafter granted in the State court in favor of the City of Scottsdale, a judgment of dismissal was entered, and Di Orio brings this appeal.

It is the contention of the appellee, City of Scottsdale, that the doctrine of res judicata or the doctrine of collateral estoppel applies in this case, and is available to the City of Scottsdale as a bar to further action by Di Orio on the same fact situation which was litigated in the District Court. Under the doctrine of res judicata an existing final judgment rendered upon the merits without fraud or collusion by a court of competent jurisdiction is conclusive as to every point decided and as to every point which could have been raised by the record, and decided with respect to the parties thereto. Day v. Wiswall’s Estate, 93 Ariz. 400, 381 P.2d 217 (1963). The doctrine of res judicata binds the same parties standing in the same capacity in the subsequent litigation on the same cause of action, not only upon the facts actually litigated, but also upon those points which might have been (even though not expressly) litigated. A. L. Kornman Co. v. Metropolitan Government, Etc., 391 S.W.2d 633 (1965). Generally, there must be mutuality, not only of the parties, but of the issues .to invoke the doctrine of res judicata.

*331 In the instant case, both the Arizona and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 13(a), 16 A.R.S., U.S. and U.S.C.A. 28, provide that a counterclaim shall be compulsory when;

“ * * * at the time of serving the pleading the pleader has [a claim] against the opposing party, if it arises out of the transaction or occurence that is the subject matter of the opposing party’s claim * * * ”

Di Orio, having been sued by Nicholson as a result of the automobile-motorcycle accident, had a duty under Rule 13(a) to assert any counterclaim he might have against Nicholson in the action pending in the District Court. Having failed to do so, he may not bring a suit against Nicholson for Nicholson’s negligence, and if he would do so, the doctrine of res judicata could be invoked as a bar against said action.

Di Orio chose instead to bring suit against the employer of Nicholson under the doctrine of respondeat superior based upon the negligence of Nicholson. The City of Scottsdale was not a party to the Nicholson action. There is respectable authority to the effect that the City of Scottsdale being the employer of Nicholson, the doctrine of res judicata would be available to the City in a suit by Di Orio against the City of Scottsdale because of privity. The majority, and we feel better view, applies the doctrine of collateral estoppel (also called estoppel by judgment or estoppel by verdict) instead of res judicata. As has been stated:

“The basic distinction between the doctrines of res judicata and collateral estoppel, as those terms are used in this case, has frequently been emphasized. Thus, under the doctrine of res judicata, a judgment ‘on the merits’ in a prior suit involving the same parties or their privies bars a second suit based on the same cause of action. Under the doctrine of collateral estoppel, on the other hand, such a judgment precludes relitigation of issues actually litigated and determined in the prior suit, regardless of whether it was based on the same cause of action as the second suit.” Lawlor v. National Screen Service Company, 349 U.S. 322, 326, 75 S.Ct. 865, 867, 99 L.Ed. 1122 (1955).

Generally, the doctrine of res judicata is available in the second action as between the parties in the first action. The doctrine of collateral estoppel is usually raised in the second action by a party not involved in the first action and is raised against a party who was part of the first action. It is not necessarily available to all of the parties in the second action. In the instant case, for example, it could be contended that the City of Scottsdale could bring suit against Di Orio for property damages resulting from the accident and Di Orio would not have the benefit of res judicata or collateral estoppel as a bar t'd the City of Scottsdale’s suit. Without specifically ruling on this point, we cart state the reverse is not true. The City of Scottsdale may invoke the doctrine of collateral estoppel against Di Orio based upon a determination of the law suit between Nicholson, the City of Scottsdale’s servant or employee and Di Orio:

“It is contended that estoppel by verdict is not applicable unless the adversary of the party against whom the doctrine is invoked appears in the same capacity in both actions. This is not the law of Minnesota. What we have held (citations omitted) is that the doctrine may not be invoked against a party to the subsequent action who appears in a different capacity from the losing party in the initial litigation. This fundamental distinction is required by due process which prevents the result of a prior suit from binding adversely a litigant who was a stranger to it and had no opportunity to be heard. But our court and other jurisdictions do. not require that in a second action one who invokes the doctrine of estoppel *332 in- his own favor against an adversary who appeared, in identical capacities in both, suits must also have been a party, to the first action.

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

Related

In re: Lisa M. Garcia
Ninth Circuit, 2020
Tripati v. FORWITH
219 P.3d 291 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2009)
Picaso v. Tucson Unified School District
154 P.3d 364 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2007)
Corbett v. Manorcare of America, Inc.
146 P.3d 1027 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2006)
Hullett v. Cousin
63 P.3d 1029 (Arizona Supreme Court, 2003)
Gemstar Ltd. v. Ernst & Young
917 P.2d 222 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1996)
Aldrich and Steinberger v. Martin
837 P.2d 1180 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1992)
Matter of Estate of Kopely
767 P.2d 1181 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1988)
Gilbert v. Board of Medical Examiners
745 P.2d 617 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1987)
Harris v. Curtis
708 P.2d 1341 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1985)
Ferris v. Hawkins
660 P.2d 1256 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1983)
Clugston v. Moore
655 P.2d 29 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1982)
Barassi v. Matison
656 P.2d 627 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1982)
Food for Health Co. v. 3839 Joint Venture
628 P.2d 986 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1981)
Vance v. Vance
601 P.2d 605 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1979)
Simkins v. Pulley
569 P.2d 1385 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1977)
Standage Ventures, Inc. v. State
562 P.2d 360 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
408 P.2d 849, 2 Ariz. App. 329, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/di-orio-v-city-of-scottsdale-arizctapp-1965.