Sullivan v. Spot Weld, Inc.

560 N.W.2d 712, 1997 Minn. App. LEXIS 284, 1997 WL 104333
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedMarch 5, 1997
DocketC5-96-1725
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 560 N.W.2d 712 (Sullivan v. Spot Weld, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sullivan v. Spot Weld, Inc., 560 N.W.2d 712, 1997 Minn. App. LEXIS 284, 1997 WL 104333 (Mich. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

OPINION

WILLIS, Judge.

Appellant Gerald Sullivan challenges a district court order granting summary judgment in favor of respondent Spot Weld, Inc., and a subsequent district court order denying Sullivan’s “Motion to Reconsider.” Sullivan alleges that the district court erred in concluding that his February 18,1994 service was not effective, arguing that Spot Weld waived its right to plead lack of personal jurisdiction and that he provided the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) timely notice of his intent to bring this action. In addition, Sullivan claims that he raised genuine issues of fact that preclude summary judgment on his common law negligent supervision claim. Finally, Spot Weld moves to strike all references to materials submitted with Sullivan’s motion to reconsider summary judgment. We affirm and grant Spot Weld’s motion.

FACTS

Spot Weld hired Sullivan in May 1989 and terminated him by letter on September 5, 1990, for insubordination and excessive tardiness. Sullivan applied for reemployment insurance on September 6, 1990. A representative of the Commissioner of Economic Security concluded that Sullivan was not entitled to benefits because he was terminated for insubordination. This court affirmed that determination. Sullivan v. Spot Weld, Inc., No. C7-92-1572 (MinmApp. Dec. 31, 1992) (Order op.).

On August 28, 1991, Sullivan filed a discrimination claim with the MDHR. Sullivan alleges that he was subjected to a hostile working environment at Spot Weld because co-workers and managers routinely insulted him with racial epithets and his employer did nothing to correct the problem. Sullivan also alleges that he was a skilled laborer, but often was required to perform either dangerous or menial tasks. By letter dated June 19, 1992, the MDHR found probable cause to credit Sullivan’s allegation that Spot Weld engaged in an unfair discriminatory practice in violation of Minn.Stat. § 363.03, subd. 1 (1996), of the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA). The MDHR referred the matter to the attorney general’s office. In a letter dated February 2, 1994, the attorney general’s office informed Sullivan that the state was suspending work on his case and asked him whether he had decided to pursue a private civil action.

On or about February 18, 1994, Sullivan served a summons and complaint on Spot Weld by serving an employee at Spot Weld’s place of business. Spot Weld answered the complaint, and on May 10, 1994, Sullivan provided the MDHR with a copy of the complaint.

Sullivan served the summons and complaint again on October 27, 1994. 1 On February 27, 1996, Spot Weld filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that the October 1994 service was untimely under Minn. Stat. § 363.14, subd. 1(a)(3).

In May 1996, the district court granted summary judgment in favor of Spot Weld, finding that Sullivan’s discrimination claim was not brought within the limitations period provided under the MHRA. The district court found that Sullivan’s attempt to commence his suit on February 18, 1994, was ineffective because Sullivan had not given the MDHR advance notice of his intention to commence a civil action, as required by sec *715 tion 363.14. The district court stated that even if the copy of the complaint provided to the MDHR on May 10, 1994, constituted notice, the action was still time-barred because the service of the action on October 27, 1994, occurred more than 90 days after such notice, in violation of section 363.14. Finally, the district court ruled that Minn.Stat. § 363.11, the MHRA’s exclusivity provision, prevented Sullivan from asserting a negligent supervision claim independent of the MHRA.

Sullivan filed a “Motion to Reconsider,” purportedly based on Minn.R.Civ.P. 56, the rule regarding summary judgment, and Minn.Stat. § 549.20, the provision regarding punitive damages. The motion was accompanied by counsel’s affidavit stating that he had given the MDHR telephone notice of his intention to pursue a private civil action “pri- or to” February 18, 1994. In his “Reply Memorandum in Support of Motion for Reconsideration,” Sullivan alleged that the motion was authorized under Minn.R.Civ.P. 60.02.

The district court denied Sullivan’s motion, noting that “[i]t is unclear from [Sullivan’s] motion precisely what rule he is relying on to support his motion” and that “[r]ule 60.02 does not provide for motions for reconsideration.” The district court ruled that counsel’s affidavit was not part of the record because it was submitted to the court for the first time with the motion to reconsider.

ISSUES

1. Did the district court err in denying Sullivan’s motion for reconsideration?

2. Did the district court abuse its discretion by granting Spot Weld’s motion for summary judgment because of Sullivan’s failure to comply with the notice provision of Minn. Stat. § 363.14?

3. Did the district court err in dismissing Sullivan’s negligent supervision claim?

ANALYSIS

Questions of civil procedure are issues of law, which an appellate court reviews de novo. See Wilkie v. Allied Van Lines, Inc., 398 N.W.2d 607, 610 (Minn.App.1986). Summary judgment will be granted

if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that either party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.

Minn.R.Civ.P. 56.03. On appeal from summary judgment, we ask whether there are any genuine issues of material fact and whether the district court erred in its application of the law. State by Cooper v. French, 460 N.W.2d 2, 4 (Minn.1990).

1. Motion to Strike Evidence Submitted with Motion to Reconsider.

The district court denied Sullivan’s motion to reconsider summary judgment, whereby Sullivan argued that the district court erred in its conclusions of law and that not all facts pertinent to this case were developed at the summary judgment hearing. Spot Weld moves this court to strike all evidence submitted with Sullivan’s “Motion to Reconsider” and all references to said evidence, arguing that those materials are outside the record on appeal. We agree.

“The rules of civil procedure do not authorize a motion for ‘reconsideration.’” Carter v. Anderson, 554 N.W.2d 110, 113 (Minn.App.1996), review denied (Minn. Dec. 23, 1996). Sullivan cites Minn.R.Civ.P. 60.02 for the proposition that a party may bring a motion to reconsider when a manifest error of law has occurred. Rule 60.02 authorizes a court to grant relief from a final judgment based on:

(a) Mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect;
(b) Newly discovered evidence which by due diligence could not have been discovered in time to move for a new trial pursuant to Rule 59.03;

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Bluebook (online)
560 N.W.2d 712, 1997 Minn. App. LEXIS 284, 1997 WL 104333, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sullivan-v-spot-weld-inc-minnctapp-1997.