Makani Development Co., Ltd. v. Stahl

670 P.2d 1284
CourtHawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 8, 1983
Docket8366
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 670 P.2d 1284 (Makani Development Co., Ltd. v. Stahl) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Makani Development Co., Ltd. v. Stahl, 670 P.2d 1284 (hawapp 1983).

Opinion

670 P.2d 1284 (1983)

MAKANI DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, LIMITED, a Hawaii corporation, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Jon Riley STAHL, Noriko Asano Stahl (formerly known as Noriko Asano Bell) and Stahl, Asano, Shigetomi Associates, Defendants-Appellees, and
Bank of Hawaii, Intervenor.

No. 8366.

Intermediate Court of Appeals of Hawaii.

September 26, 1983.
As Amended December 8, 1983.

*1286 Lawrence I. Weisman, pro se.

Mark Bernstein, Honolulu, for Makani Development Co.

Paul Maki, Honolulu (Woo, Kessner & Duca, Honolulu, of counsel), for the Stahls.

Before BURNS, C.J., and HEEN and TANAKA, JJ.

HEEN, Judge.

In a foreclosure of an agreement of sale, applicant-appellant[1] Lawrence I. Weisman (Weisman) appeals from the June 19, 1981 order directing the co-commissioners to make certain disbursements from a deposit on a bid made on Weisman's behalf at a public auction sale. Weisman urges that the court below erred: (1) in assessing attorney's fees and delay damages against him to be paid from the deposit to plaintiff Makani Development Company, Ltd. (Makani); (2) in denying his motion to award him attorney's fees from Jon Riley Stahl, Noriko Asano Stahl, and Stahl, Asano, Shigetomi Associates (collectively referred to as Stahls); and (3) in ordering the commissioner to hold $25,000 of the deposit in escrow pending disposition of the proceedings. We affirm.

The facts pertinent to this appeal are as follows: On April 6, 1979, Makani filed an action against Stahls to cancel or foreclose an agreement of sale of the Makani Kai Hotel.

After numerous delays, the court, on October 20, 1980, entered an interlocutory decree of foreclosure and appointed two co-commissioners to proceed with the foreclosure sale. On January 23, 1981, a public auction was conducted and Makani, who was the only bidder, purchased the property for $2,120,000. On February 5, 1981, the court orally confirmed the sale.

However, on February 20 and 23, 1981, pursuant to representations by the Stahls and the co-commissioners that additional bidders were interested in purchasing the property, the court entertained new bids, but again orally confirmed the sale to Makani on both occasions. On February 25, 1981, the court entertained further bids. *1287 This time Jon Stahl, purportedly on behalf of Weisman, William Dodd on behalf of Makani, and Dwayne Kurisu on behalf of Petty Corporation, submitted bids for the property. John Stahl entered a high bid of $2,650,000 and deposited $200,000 with the co-commissioners to be forfeited if Weisman failed to close within 45 days of the sale.

On March 6, 1981, Makani filed a motion to disqualify Weisman as a purchaser charging that Weisman had contacted Makani and had indicated that he wished to settle the case with them by purchasing the property for $1.8 million, by making an additional $100,000 down payment and paying the remainder in installments at 6% interest. Weisman filed a memorandum in opposition to the motion to disqualify stating that he was prepared to close the sale, but that he would join in the motion to disqualify if his deposit, and interest earned thereon, were returned. At the hearing on March 12, 1981, the court orally denied Makani's motion.[2]

On March 22, 1981, Weisman and co-counsel, John Williams, withdrew as attorneys for the Stahls, and Paul Maki, Esq., replaced them. Weisman claimed in his withdrawal that he had been relieved of duties as of March 15, 1981.

On March 23, 1981, Weisman filed a motion asking the court to eliminate any payment to Stahls from the proceeds of the sale or, in the alternative, to allow him to withdraw his bid and the deposit. Weisman charged in his motion that Jon Stahl had exceeded his authority when he entered the bid on Weisman's behalf, and that Jon Stahl had used a sham bidder to raise the selling price. Weisman alleged he was prepared to pay the amount due to Makani, together with Makani's costs and fees, but was not willing to pay anything more than that, which would go to Stahls.

At the March 27, 1981 hearing on Weisman's motion, the court held that Weisman would be allowed to withdraw his bid, but that Weisman would be assessed damages and expenses for the delay occasioned by his actions. The court also confirmed the sale to Makani at its original bid of $2,120,000. A written order was filed on April 3, 1981.

On May 12, 1981, Weisman filed a motion to assess attorney's fees against the Stahls for Weisman's services. After hearing, the court orally denied the motion but no written order was ever filed.

On May 19, 1981, Makani filed a motion for entry of deficiency judgment against Stahls and for an order directing disbursement of deposit. On June 19, 1981, after hearing, the court entered an order which denied the motion for deficiency judgment and ordered disbursement of Weisman's $200,000 deposit as follows: (1) $1,500 to Makani as partial reimbursement of attorney's fees; (2) $13,465.87 to Makani as interest at the statutory rate of 10% on the principal sum due, as and for damages caused by the delay in closing; (3) $25,000 to Weisman and Maki jointly;[3] and (4) the balance of the deposit, in addition to the interest earned on the deposit, to Weisman. Judgment was entered and Weisman's appeal followed.

At the outset, we note that Weisman has failed to comply with Rule 3(b)(5), Rules of the Hawaii Supreme Court (RSC). Rule 3(b)(5), RSC, states in pertinent part:

(b) Opening Brief. Within 60 days after the filing of the record on appeal, the appellant shall file an opening brief, containing in the order here indicated:
* * * * * *
(5) A concise statement of the points on which appellant intends to rely, set forth in separate, numbered paragraphs. *1288 Each point shall refer to the alleged error upon which appellant intends to rely and shall show the manner in which it is raised, with a reference to the record where the same may be found. * * *

Where an opening brief does not contain a statement of points, the reviewing court may disregard any issue not in compliance with the Rule's requirement. In re Miller and Lieb Water Co., 65 Haw. 310, 651 P.2d 486 (1982); Lau v. Valu-Bilt Homes, Ltd., 59 Haw. 283, 582 P.2d 195 (1978); Alamida v. Wilson, 53 Haw. 398, 495 P.2d 585 (1972); State v. Halemanu, 3 Haw. App. 300, 650 P.2d 587 (1982); State v. Napoleon, 2 Haw. App. 369, 633 P.2d 547 (1981); King v. Ilikai Properties, Inc., 2 Haw. App. 359, 632 P.2d 657 (1981); Hana Ranch, Inc. v. Kaholo, 2 Haw. App. 329, 632 P.2d 293 (1981); State v. Pacariem, 2 Haw. App. 277, 630 P.2d 650 (1981); Crutchfield v. Hart, 2 Haw. App. 250, 630 P.2d 124 (1981); Tanuvasa v.

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Bluebook (online)
670 P.2d 1284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/makani-development-co-ltd-v-stahl-hawapp-1983.