Metcalf v. Lawson

802 A.2d 1221, 148 N.H. 35, 2002 N.H. LEXIS 85
CourtSupreme Court of New Hampshire
DecidedJune 25, 2002
DocketNo. 2001-138
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 802 A.2d 1221 (Metcalf v. Lawson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Metcalf v. Lawson, 802 A.2d 1221, 148 N.H. 35, 2002 N.H. LEXIS 85 (N.H. 2002).

Opinion

DALIANIS, J.

The defendant, Shirley Lawson, appeals an order of the Milford District Court (Ryan, J.) denying her motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. We reverse.

This case arises out of a breach of contract action involving an Internet transaction. The defendant, a New Jersey resident, advertised a “John Deere 30 mini excavator” on an Internet auction site known as “eBay.” The defendant has never been physically present in New Hampshire.

Prior to bidding on the excavator, the plaintiff, Robert Metcalf, a New Hampshire resident, contacted the defendant through electronic mail (email) to inquire about the product’s quality. After receiving an e-mail message from the defendant assuring him that the product was in good condition, he bid on the excavator and won the auction.

Following the auction, the parties exchanged further e-mail messages and at some point the plaintiff informed the defendant that he was a New Hampshire resident. The plaintiff then traveled to New Jersey and purchased the excavator. After the transaction was concluded, the plaintiff experienced problems with the excavator and tried to contact the defendant, hoping to receive a partial refund. The defendant did not respond.

The plaintiff filed a small claims complaint. The defendant moved for dismissal, arguing that she was not subject to personal jurisdiction in New Hampshire. The court denied the motion, stating, in part:

[37]*37By advertising her John Deere excavator on “E-bay” for sale, the defendant knew or should hav[e] know[n] that the offer would be extended to possible buyers in all 50 states. The Court finds that by doing business on the Internet, the defendant has the requisite minimum contact with the State of New Hampshire.

This appeal followed.

“The plaintiff bears the burden of demonstrating facts sufficient to establish personal jurisdiction over the defendant.” Phelps v. Kingston, 130 N.H. 166, 170 (1987). The plaintiff must offer affirmative proof to substantiate facts that relate to personal jurisdiction. See Brother Records v. HarperCollins Publishers, 141 N.H. 322, 324 (1996), cert. denied, 520 U.S. 1103 (1997). The plaintiff, however, need make only a ptima facie showing of jurisdictional facts to defeat a defendant’s motion to dismiss. See id. at 325.

In determining whether a defendant is subject to personal jurisdiction, we generally engage in a two-part inquiry. Staffing Network, Inc. v. Pietropaolo, 145 N.H. 456, 457 (2000). “First, the State’s long-arm statute must authorize such jurisdiction. Second, the requirements of the [F]ederal Due Process Clause must be satisfied.” Id. (citation omitted). Because we construe the State’s long-arm statute as permitting the exercise of jurisdiction to the extent permissible under the Federal Due Process Clause, see Alacron v. Swanson, 145 N.H. 625, 628 (2000), our primary analysis relates to due process. See Dagesse v. Plant Hotel N.V., 113 F. Supp. 2d 211, 215 (D.N.H. 2000).

Pursuant to the Federal Due Process Clause, a court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a non-resident defendant if the defendant has certain minimum contacts with the forum, “such that the maintenance of the suit does not offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice.” Alacron, 145 N.H. at 628. “Where, as here, specific rather than continuous contacts with the forum are the basis for personal jurisdiction, whether these contacts are sufficient to confer jurisdiction over a foreign defendant depends upon the relationship between the defendant, the forum, and the litigation.” Id.

In determining if the exercise of specific personal jurisdiction comports with due process, we examine whether: (1) the contacts relate to the cause of action; (2) the defendant has purposefully availed herself of the protections of New Hampshire law; and (3) it would be fair and reasonable to require the defendant to defend the suit in New Hampshire. Skillsoft Corp. v. Harcourt General, 146 N.H. 305, 308 (2001). All three factors must be satisfied in order for the exercise of jurisdiction to be [38]*38constitutionally proper, Dagesse, 113 F. Supp. 2d at 216, and each factor must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Phelps, 130 N.H. at 171. Because there appears to be no dispute in this case as to the first factor, we begin by considering if the defendant purposefully availed herself of the protections of New Hampshire’s laws.

“The constitutional touchstone of the determination whether an exercise of personal jurisdiction comports with due process remains whether the defendant purposefully established minimum contacts in the forum State.” Asahi Metal Industry Co. v. Superior Court, 480 U.S. 102, 108-09 (1987) (quotations and brackets omitted). Minimum contacts

must have a basis in some act by which the defendant purposefully avails [himself] of the privilege of conducting activities within the forum State, thus invoking the benefits and protections of its laws____Jurisdiction is proper where the contacts proximately result from actions by the defendant himself that create a substantial connection with the forum State.

Id. at 109 (quotations and ellipsis omitted). “The focus of this inquiry, therefore, is not merely whether ... the defendant’s] contacts might have caused injury in New Hampshire, but whether these contacts should have given [the] defendant notice that ... she should reasonably have anticipated being haled into court in this State.” Alacron, 145 N.H. at 628. The purposeful availment requirement ensures that a defendant will not be subjected to a forum State’s jurisdiction based upon random, fortuitous or attenuated contacts. Dagesse, 113 F. Supp. 2d at 215.

It can be difficult to apply long-standing jurisdictional principles in cases involving Internet contacts. See Edberg v. Neogen Corp., 17 F. Supp. 2d 104, 113 (D. Conn. 1998). Nevertheless, while

[t]he internet... undoubtedly challenges the territorial-based concepts that courts have traditionally applied to problems of personal jurisdiction^] ... it is equally true that traditional constitutional requirements of foreseeability, minimum contacts, purposeful availment, and fundamental fairness must continue to be satisfied before any activity — including internet activity — can support an exercise of personal jurisdiction.

Dagesse, 113 F. Supp. 2d at 220-21 (citations and quotations omitted). In analyzing the significance of Internet contacts, therefore, most courts hold that the constitutionality of a State’s exercise of jurisdiction is proportionate to the nature and quality of the commercial activity the defendant conducts over the Internet. See, e.g., Sports Authority [39]*39Michigan, Inc. v. Justballs, Inc., 97 F. Supp. 2d 806, 812-13 (E.D. Mich. 2000); Zippo Mfg. Co. v. Zippo Dot Com, Inc., 952 F. Supp. 1119, 1124 (W.D. Pa. 1997).

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Bluebook (online)
802 A.2d 1221, 148 N.H. 35, 2002 N.H. LEXIS 85, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/metcalf-v-lawson-nh-2002.