Randolph v. Lambert

926 So. 2d 941, 2006 WL 998110
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedApril 18, 2006
Docket2004-CA-02169-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 926 So. 2d 941 (Randolph v. Lambert) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Randolph v. Lambert, 926 So. 2d 941, 2006 WL 998110 (Mich. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

926 So.2d 941 (2006)

Linda Kaye RANDOLPH, Appellant
v.
Laurence L. LAMBERT, LLL Properties, Inc., BP Properties, Inc. and Frank P. Wittmann, III, Appellees.

No. 2004-CA-02169-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

April 18, 2006.

*942 Ray T. Price, Hattiesburg, attorney for appellant.

Floyd J. Logan, Sherrie L. Moore, Gulfport, attorneys for appellees.

Before MYERS, P.J., CHANDLER and ROBERTS, JJ.

CHANDLER, J., for the Court.

¶ 1. Laurence Lambert filed suit against Linda Randolph for breach of contract. Randolph filed a motion for summary judgment and a counterclaim, which alleged the filing of a frivolous lawsuit under the Litigation Accountability Act. The Circuit Court of Harrison County granted Randolph's motion for summary judgment before Lambert filed an answer to the counterclaim. Thereafter, Randolph obtained new counsel and filed an amended counter-complaint adding Lambert's counsel, Frank Wittmann, III, as a defendant and asserting additional claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress. *943 Lambert filed a motion for summary judgment and Wittmann filed a motion to dismiss. Both motions were granted and Randolph appeals.

I. WHETHER THE LITIGATION ACCOUNTABILITY ACT WAS USED PROPERLY AS A CAUSE OF ACTION

II. WHETHER THE INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS CLAIM WAS TIME BARRED UNDER THE CONTINUING TORT DOCTRINE

III. WHETHER THE COURT ERRED IN DISMISSING THE INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS CLAIMS

IV. WHETHER THE COURT ERRED IN DISMISSING THE NEGLIGENT INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS CLAIMS

V. WHETHER WITTMANN WAS ON NOTICE OF THE CLAIM AND A NECESSARY PARTY TO THE LITIGATION

¶ 2. Finding no error, we affirm.

FACTS

¶ 3. On June 5, 2000, Randolph purchased a piece of property from Lambert. Subsequently, Randolph sold the property to Edwin Pearson. On April 24, 2001, Lambert filed a lawsuit against Randolph which claimed that Randolph failed to honor an oral contract to split the profits on the sale to Pearson. Randolph filed a counterclaim which alleged the filing of a frivolous lawsuit under the Litigation Accountability Act. Randolph also filed a motion for summary judgment which the court granted on September 27, 2002, dismissing Lambert's claims. When the motion for summary judgment was granted, Lambert had not filed an answer to Randolph's counterclaim. Lambert filed a motion to set aside the judgment which was overruled by the trial court. Lambert did not appeal.

¶ 4. Subsequently, Randolph obtained new counsel and on May 5, 2003, she filed an amended counterclaim. The amended counterclaim alleged the filing of the frivolous lawsuit under the Litigation Accountability Act and asserted the additional claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress or, in the alternative, negligent infliction of emotional distress. The counterclaim alleges that the counter-defendants "knew or should have known through the use of due diligence that the lawsuit was filed without substantial justification, frivolous, groundless in fact and in law, and vexatious." Randolph claims that she suffered severe emotional distress throughout the course of the original suit and she suffered detriment to her business as a real estate investor. Randolph feared the lawsuit would have an adverse effect on her business reputation. As a result of the emotional distress, Randolph became depressed. Randolph was prescribed Paxil by her family physician and she saw a cardiologist for her increasing blood pressure.

¶ 5. In the amended counterclaim, Randolph also named Lambert's counsel, Frank P. Wittmann, as a defendant. No leave of the trial court was requested by Randolph to add Wittmann as a defendant and Wittmann was not served with process. Wittmann filed an answer and a motion to dismiss the amended counterclaim for insufficient service of process, improper joinder and expiration of the statute of limitations. Additionally, Lambert filed a motion for summary judgment and Wittmann joined the motion. On September 30, 2004, the Circuit Court of Harrison County granted Lambert's motion *944 for summary judgment and Wittmann's motion to dismiss.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 6. Lambert was granted his motion for summary judgment against Randolph's amended counter complaint claims. A moving party is entitled to a summary judgment as a matter of law when there is no genuine issue of material fact. M.R.C.P. 56(c). The standard of review for a summary judgment is de novo.

¶ 7. The trial court granted Wittmann's motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure. A Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss tests the legal sufficiency of the complaint. Little v. Mississippi Dep't. of Human Services, 835 So.2d 9, 11 (¶ 6) (Miss.2003). To grant a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), the trial court must be certain that Randolph is entitled to no relief under any set of facts that could be proved in support of the claim. Franklin County Co-op v. MFC Services (A.A.L), 441 So.2d 1376, 1377 (Miss.1983). Because a motion to dismiss is a question of law, the standard of review is de novo. UHS-Qualicare, Inc. v. Gulf Coast Cmty. Hosp., Inc., 525 So.2d 746, 754 (Miss.1987).

LAW AND ANALYSIS

I. WHETHER THE LITIGATION ACCOUNTABILITY ACT WAS USED PROPERLY AS A CAUSE OF ACTION

¶ 8. The Litigation Accountability Act of 1988 states in pertinent part:

in any civil action commenced or appealed in any court of record in this state, the court shall award, as part of its judgment and in addition to any other costs otherwise assessed, reasonable attorney's fees and costs against any party or attorney if the court, upon the motion of any party or on its own motion, finds that an attorney or party brought an action, or asserted any claim or defense, that is without substantial justification, or that the action, or any claim or defense asserted, was interposed for delay or harassment, or if it finds that an attorney or party unnecessarily expanded the proceedings by other improper conduct including, but not limited to, abuse of discovery procedures available under the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure.

Miss.Code Ann. § 11-55-5(1) (Rev.2002). Therefore, the Litigation Accountability Act allows the court to award the prevailing party for encountering unnecessary expenses in order to vindicate a state protected right. Id. The court will only award fees when a party brings frivolous or bad faith litigation. Young v. Deaton, 766 So.2d 819, 822 (¶ 12) (Miss.Ct.App.2000).

¶ 9. Randolph claims that the Litigation Accountability Act may be properly brought before the court as a cause of action. Lambert claims that the act is a remedy for frivolous actions and not a cause of action itself. Lambert contends that the statute states the court shall award fees for frivolous action "upon the motion of any party or on its own motion" and therefore, the statute is clear that the Litigation Accountability Act is to be brought as a motion and not as an independent cause of action.

¶ 10. The trial court agreed with Lambert.

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Bluebook (online)
926 So. 2d 941, 2006 WL 998110, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/randolph-v-lambert-missctapp-2006.