Matsumoto v. Akiyama

3 N. Mar. I. Commw. 141
CourtDistrict Court, Northern Mariana Islands
DecidedAugust 11, 1987
DocketD.C.A. No. 86 9031; CTC CIVIL ACTION NO. 86-13
StatusPublished

This text of 3 N. Mar. I. Commw. 141 (Matsumoto v. Akiyama) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, Northern Mariana Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Matsumoto v. Akiyama, 3 N. Mar. I. Commw. 141 (nmid 1987).

Opinion

OPINION

LAURETA, District Judge:

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Appeal is taken from the Commonwealth Trial Court's October 20, 1986, dismissal with prejudice of appellants' complaint. The Trial Court held that the reasoning behind its [143]*143order of dismissal- lack of subject matter jurisdiction- in two prior consolidated Civil Actions, No. 85-34 and 85-35, was equally pertinent to the instant action. We AFFIRM.

FACTS

On September 28, 1984, the Commonwealth Land Commission issued two Determinations of Ownership for land on Saipan, CNMI. The first, for Lot E.A. 825, found title in the heirs of Maria S.D. Reyes, except for the interest of Maria A. Aldan, whose interest the Commission determined had been sold by her to Augusta B. Matsumoto. Lot E.A. 826 was likewise found to belong to the heirs of Maria S.D. Reyes, except for the interest of Maximo Reyes Akiyama, which had been transferred by him to Jose Matsumoto.

One hundred seventeen days after issuance of these Determinations, each Matsumoto filed a "Notice of Appeal" of the Land Commission decisions, Augusta for Lot E.A. 825 and Jose for Lot E.A. 826. Each "notice" was filed in the Trial Court, as Civil Actions No. 85-34 and 85-35, respectively. The heirs of Maria S.D. Reyes were denominated "appellees."

Nine months later the Matsumotos filed a "First Amended Complaint and Summons" in their respective civil actions. Maximo Akiyama, Victoria Vaughan, and Maria Aldan were listed as defendants and sole heirs of Maria S.D. Reyes. Defendant Vaughan moved to dismiss the complaints in each case on the ground that neither had been filed in compliance with 2 C.M.C. §4249. This [144]*144statute governs review of Land Commission determinations and requires that a challenge to the Land Commission's determination be made within 120 days by filing a complaint in the Commonwealth Trial Court. This motion was granted in both cases by order dated January 23, 1986. No appeals were taken.

However, on January 16, 1983, one week prior to the order of dismissal in Civil Actions No. 85-34 and 85-35, appellants filed a new lawsuit, with a cause of action for each lot. This new complaint was the same as the old, except that it also asked that the Land Commission's determinations be set aside because appellants' due process rights had been violated by the Commission. This complaint based jurisdiction on 1 C.M.C. §3102, the general jurisdiction statute for the Commonwealth Trial Court, Reyes, Vaughan, and Aldan, but not the Land Commission, were named defendants.

Appellee Vaughan moved to dismiss the new complaint, citing the res judicata effect of the Trial Court's previous order of dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction in Civil Actions No. 85-34 and 85-35. The Trial Court accepted this argument, found that it had no jurisdiction, and dismissed with prejudice on October 20, 1986. Appellants filed their notice of appeal November 18, 1986.

[145]*145ISSUE
WAS THE TRIAL COURT'S JANUARY 23, 1986, ORDER OF DISMISSAL BASED ON LACK -OF SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION CORRECT?

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The decision to dismiss a complaint for lack of jurisdiction is reviewable de novo as a question of law. Peter Starr Production Co. v. Twin Continental Films, Inc., 783 F.2d 1440, 1442 (9th Cir. 1986).

ANALYSIS

Although cast in terms of a single issue, appellants' challenge to the Trial Court decision actually has two grounds. They first argue that the order of dismissal in Civil Actions No. 85-34 and 85-35 did not comply with the Civil Procedure Rule 58

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3 N. Mar. I. Commw. 141, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matsumoto-v-akiyama-nmid-1987.