Hansen v. Herrera

53 P.3d 838, 137 Idaho 787, 2002 Ida. App. LEXIS 56
CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 2, 2002
DocketNo. 27526
StatusPublished

This text of 53 P.3d 838 (Hansen v. Herrera) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hansen v. Herrera, 53 P.3d 838, 137 Idaho 787, 2002 Ida. App. LEXIS 56 (Idaho Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

PERRY, Chief Judge.

John P. Hansen appeals from an order of the district court dismissing his personal injury complaint against Daniel Herrera. We affirm.

I.

FACTS AND PROCEDURE

Hansen was injured when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle driven by Herrera. The accident occurred on July 1, 1998. On June 20, 2000, Hansen filed a complaint against Herrera and a summons was issued. On that same day, Hansen sent an offer of settlement to Herrera’s insurance company in the amount of $100,000. In the letter, Hansen informed the insurance company that [789]*789he had filed a complaint and that a summons had been issued but not yet served. No response was received from Herrera’s insurance company, and on September 20, 2000, Hansen sent a follow-up letter.

On October 13, 2000, Herrera’s insurance company made an offer of settlement in the amount of $24,500. On November 1, 2000, Hansen rejected that offer and indicated that he would be willing to settle for no less than $50,000. The insurance company responded on November 20, 2000, that it would settle Hansen’s claim for $26,500. No further action was taken until January 10, 2001, when another summons was issued pursuant to a motion made by Hansen. The complaint and the second summons were served on Herrera on January 17, 2001.

Herrera subsequently filed a motion to dismiss based on Hansen’s failure to comply with the six-month time limitation for service of process provided by I.R.C.P. 4(a)(2), which a district judge granted. That district judge concluded that Hansen had failed to show good cause for the untimely service under Rule 4(a)(2). Hansen now appeals, asserting that the district judge erred by overturning the “finding” of the district judge that issued the second summons that good cause existed for his failure to comply with Rule 4(a)(2).

II.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The determination of whether good cause exists is a factual one. Sammis v. Magnetek, Inc., 130 Idaho 342, 346, 941 P.2d 314, 318 (1997). In ascertaining whether good cause exists, there is no bright-line rule. The question of whether legal excuse has been shown is a matter for judicial determination based upon the facts and circumstances in each case. Martin v. Hoblit, 133 Idaho 372, 375, 987 P.2d 284, 287 (1999). Because the existence of good cause is a factual determination, the appropriate standard of review is the same as that used to review an order granting summary judgment. Sammis, 130 Idaho at 346, 941 P.2d at 318. Thus, when reviewing the trial court’s decision that Hansen failed to establish good cause under the rule, we must liberally construe the record in the light most favorable to Hansen and must draw all reasonable inferences in his favor. See id.

III.

ANALYSIS

A. Order for Issuance of Second Summons

On January 3, 2001, an order for issuance of a second summons was entered. The order was issued by the district court in response to an affidavit filed by Hansen’s counsel in which he outlined the negotiations that had occurred between Hansen and Herrera’s insurance company and stated that the parties had been unable to reach a settlement. Apparently recognizing that the time for service of the original summons and complaint had expired, counsel requested that another summons be issued. Counsel did not assert that good cause existed for the failure to comply with Rule 4(a)(2) nor did he request the district court to make such a finding. After reviewing counsel’s affidavit, the district court entered an order for the issuance of a second summons.

On appeal, Hansen argues that that order implicitly constituted a finding of good cause for his failure to comply with Rule 4(a)(2) by the issuing district judge. Hence, Hansen argues, the second judge was bound by the issuing first judge’s finding of good cause and erred by granting Herrera’s motion to dismiss based on its conclusion that Hansen had failed to show good cause for the untimely service of the original summons. Hansen’s argument is unavailing. The affidavit filed by Hansen’s counsel did not assert that good cause existed for the untimely service of the original summons. Counsel did not request that the issuing district court make a finding of good cause, and the issuing district court’s order does not make such a finding. Although the district court ordered that another summons be issued so that Herrera could be served with the second summons and complaint, the district court’s order does not suggest that Herrera would be precluded from asserting Hansen’s failure to comply with Rule 4(a)(2) in a subsequent motion to [790]*790dismiss. There was no finding relating to the existence of good cause under Rule 4(a)(2), and the district court was not bound by the order for issuance of a second summons. Thus, we conclude that Hansen has shown no error in that regard.

B. Untimely Service of Summons

Hansen next contends that the ongoing settlement negotiations with Herrera’s insurance company constituted good cause for his failure to comply with Rule 4(a)(2) and that he did not realize that a settlement would not be forthcoming until early January 2001, after the six-month time period had expired.

Idaho Rule of Civil Procedure 4(a)(2) provides:

If a service of the summons and complaint is not made upon a defendant within six (6) months after the filing of the complaint and the party on whose behalf such service was required cannot show good cause why such service was not made within that period, the action shall be dismissed as to that defendant without prejudice upon the court’s own initiative with 14 days’ notice to such party or upon motion.

By its terms, Rule 4(a)(2) imposes the burden of demonstrating good cause on the party who failed to effect timely service. Sammis, 130 Idaho at 346, 941 P.2d at 318. The relevant period of time on which we focus is the six months following the filing of the complaint. See id. Thus, in this ease, we look at actions taken from June 20 through December 20, 2000.

Ongoing settlement negotiations during the six-month period after the filing of the complaint do not provide justification for delay of service and do not, in and of themselves, constitute good cause for noncompliance with Rule 4(a)(2). See Martin, 133 Idaho at 376-77, 987 P.2d at 288-89. Although Martin should not necessarily be read so as to preclude settlement negotiations from contributing to good cause for noncompliance with Rule 4(a)(2) in every ease, we must emphasize that settlement negotiations alone do not provide good cause. The party who has the burden of demonstrating good cause must show that additional factors exist to support a finding of good cause. See Martin, 133 Idaho at 376-77, 987 P.2d at 288-89 (settlement negotiations between parties alone are insufficient to excuse noncompliance with Rule 4(a)(2) where no agreement by insurer to waive time limits found in rule and no evidence that defendant or insurance company enticed plaintiffs to forego service or led them to believe that defendant would not assert his or her rights under the rule).

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Related

Sammis v. Magnetek, Inc.
941 P.2d 314 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1997)
Nerco Minerals Co. v. Morrison Knudsen Corp.
976 P.2d 457 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1999)
Brand S Corp. v. King
639 P.2d 429 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1981)
Martin v. Hoblit
987 P.2d 284 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1999)

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Bluebook (online)
53 P.3d 838, 137 Idaho 787, 2002 Ida. App. LEXIS 56, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hansen-v-herrera-idahoctapp-2002.