Warren-White v. Sullivan

CourtSuperior Court of Maine
DecidedMarch 25, 2019
DocketCUMre-15-105
StatusUnpublished

This text of Warren-White v. Sullivan (Warren-White v. Sullivan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Warren-White v. Sullivan, (Me. Super. Ct. 2019).

Opinion

( 'MY) STATE OF MAINE SUPERJOR COURT CUMBERLAND, ss CIVIL ACTION DOCKET NO. RE-15-105

NATHANIEL WARREN-WHITE, etal., STATE OF MAINE Plaintiffs V. Cumberland , ss. Clerk's Office ORDER MAR 26 2019 MARTINA SULLIVAN, RECEIVED Defendant

The prior history of this case is that after a two day trial in February 2017 the court

(Walker, J.) found that plaintiffs Nathanial and Elizabeth Warren-White had established ownership

by adverse possession to a disputed area (generally referred to as the Abandoned Road area) that

was also claimed by defendant Martina Sullivan. The court also awarded the Warren-Whites

$2,000 against Sullivan on their claim of trespass. See Findings and Decision dated August 17,

2017 and filed August 18, 2017. Judgment was entered on September 8, 2017.

Sullivan appealed from that judgment, which was affirmed by the Law Court on May 3,

2018. Decision No. Mem. 18-38, Docket No. Cum-17-420.

On August 13, 2018 Sullivan, now representing herself, 1 filed a motion pursuant to

M.R.Civ.P. 60(b)(3) and 60(b)(6) for relief from the judgment. She filed an amended motion on

August 15, 2018. In the meantime, however, she had filed an appeal from an order entered on

plaintiffs' post-trial bill of costs. Pursuant to M.R.App.P. 3(c)(2) the Superior Court did not have

1 Sullivan had been previously represented by counsel.

Plaintiffs-Michael Vaillancourt, Esq. Defendant-Pro Se Defendant authority to act on Sullivan's Rule 60(b) motion while the appeal was pending, and the file was in

the Law Court.

On March 22, 2019 this court received the file in the above-captioned case back from the

Law Court after the mandate issued affirming Justice Walker's order on the post-trial bill of costs.

The court has now reviewed the papers filed on Sullivan's Rule 60(b) motion.

Rule 60(b )(3) allows the court to set aside a prior judgment upon a showing of fraud,

misrepresentation, or other misconduct of an adverse party. 2 The party seeking relief from

judgment pursuant to Rule 60(b) bears the burden of proving that the judgment should be set aside.

Keybank NA. v. Sargent, 2000 ME 153 113, 758 A.2d 528.

In this case Sullivan has provided a list of alleged instances that she apparently cont~nds

constitute fraud, misrepresentation, or misconduct by the Warren-Whites. However, she has not

provided any affidavits or made any factual showing to justify relief under Rule 60(b)(3).

Specifically, Sullivan argues that the Warren-Whites and their surveyor and attorneys

"misrepresented" the location of the boundary line that was in dispute at the trial in February 2017.

This is simply an attempt to relitigate the issues that were decided at the trial. Sullivan has offered

no evidence of any misrepresentation that would justify an evidentiary hearing. See In re David

H, 2009 ME 131 1 34, 985 A.2d 490. Instead she has merely rephrased the argument that the

Warren-Whites should not have prevailed at trial as a contention that they and their surveyor and

attorneys "misrepresented" the boundary line.

2 While Sullivan's motion also refers to Rule 60(b)(6), the Law Court has stated that relief under Rule 60(b)(6) is an extraordinary remedy that may be granted only when the more particularized circumstances set out in the other subsections of Rule 60(b) do not apply. Ezell v. Lawless, 2008 ME 139 ~ 28, 955 A.2d 202.As a result, if Sullivan is not entitled to relief under Rule 60(b)(3), the court cannot consider the same alleged fraud or misconduct to determine whether relief is available under Rule 60(b)(6).

2 (

Sullivan cites certain meetings and communications that are listed in an attorney's fee

affidavit submitted by an attorney for the Warren-Whites. However, she has offered no evidence

to support her bare assertion that those meetings and communications somehow constituted

collusion or misconduct. While she also suggests that there are certain inconsistencies with the

testimony offered by the Warren-Whites and their witnesses at trial, those inconsistencies are

trivial at best.

Finally, she argues - without any specifics - that her insurance company somehow limited

her defense and that she and her surveyor were not given an opportunity by her attorneys to review

the boundary line set forth in the September 8, 2017 judgment. If so, those are issues between

Sullivan and her insurer and former attorneys. They are not a basis for relief from the judgment

under Rule 60(b).

SuJlivan has commenced a second action (RE-18-228) contending that the boundary line

established by the September8, 2017 judgment has not been correctly marked on the face of the

earth, and that action remains pending.

The entry shall be:

Defendant's Rule 60(b) motion for relief from the judgment entered on September 8, 2017 is denied. The clerk shall incorporate this order in the docket by reference pursuant to Rule 79(a).

Dated: March---1.5__, 2019

Thomas D. Warren Justice, Superior Court

Entered on the Docket:~J 0 I;, 11 7-.:._:µ 'fW, _/ 3 STATE OF MAINE SUPERIOR COURT CUMBERLAND, ss. CIVIL ACTION DOCKET NO. RE-15-105 NATHANIEL WARREN-WHITE and ) ELIZABETH WARREN-WHITE, ) ) Plaintiffs ) ORDER ON PLAINTIFFS' BILL OF ) COSTS SN~ . TEOr- (M \Nt r.nml'i:~nrl ~~ Clerk's Offtee v. ) ) MARTINA SULLIVAN, ) JUN 13 2018 t:/1PM ) Defendant. ) RECE\VED ML1 Before the Court is Plaintiffs' bill of costs to which Defendant has filed a request for

review. The Court has considered the parties' filings and will tax costs as outlined below.

Hearing no objection from Defendant, the Court allows the following costs:

06/12/15 Complaint filing fee $150.00 06/15/15 Sheriff service costs $81.74 01/06/17 Witness fee - E. Curtis $17.26 01/06/17 Witness fee - S. Flynn $18.80 01/17/17 Service of witness subpoena $44.71 01/19/17 Witness fee - J. Barker $15.28 01/19/17 Witness fee - L. Montgomery $24.78 02/06/17 Attorney parking - Day 1 of Trial $18.00 02/07/17 Attorney parking - Day 2 of Trial $15.00 02/22/16 Large format poster boards for trial $6.56 03/03/16 Deposition transcript - M. Sullivan $451.45 04/21/16 Deposition transcripts - Warren-Whites $513.45 05/16/16 Deposition transcript - R. Parker $131.45 06/23/16 Deposition transcript - M. Ek $326.10 02/03/17 Outside copying - trial exhibits $40.16 02/10/17 Trial transcript (audio) $25.00

Pursuant to 14 M .R.S.A. § 1502-B, Plaintiffs have requested recovery of the following

costs, to which Defendant objects:

01/12/17 Out of state service - S. Flynn subpoena $20.00 01/17/17 Service of witness subpoenas - Payzants $70.79 1 of 5

Plaintiffs-Michael Vaillancourt, Esq. Defendant-Andrew Sparks, Esq. and Bruce Mclaughlin, Esq. 02/14/17 Travel reimbursement - Witness S. Flynn $330.00 03/20/17 Travel reimbursement - Witness R. Parker $1,652.27

Defendant objects to the cost of out-of-state service of witness Flynn because attendance

cannot be compelled by subpoena served on an out-of-state witness, and therefore the cost

"could not achieve anything." (Def.'s Br. 3.) On March 15, 2017, Plaintiffs attorney filed his

billing records with this Court, which include a January 12, 2017 charge for "Sheriff costs Out of

State - Grayson County," where witness Flynn resides. Regardless of whether the subpoena

served on witness Flynn would have been enforceable by this Court, it served the intended

purpose of compelling the witness's attendance at trial. The Court will not deny Plaintiff this cost

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Related

In Re David H.
2009 ME 131 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2009)
Poland v. Webb
1998 ME 104 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1998)
Dombkowski v. Ferland
2006 ME 24 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2006)
Keybank National Ass'n v. Sargent
2000 ME 153 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2000)
Cole v. A.J. Cole & Sons, Inc.
567 A.2d 1342 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1989)
Striefel v. Charles-Keyt-Leaman Partnership
1999 ME 111 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1999)
Ezell v. Lawless
2008 ME 139 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2008)

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Warren-White v. Sullivan, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/warren-white-v-sullivan-mesuperct-2019.