Wollan v. Jahnz

656 N.W.2d 416, 2003 Minn. App. LEXIS 157, 2003 WL 282379
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedFebruary 11, 2003
DocketC4-02-1127
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 656 N.W.2d 416 (Wollan v. Jahnz) 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
Wollan v. Jahnz, 656 N.W.2d 416, 2003 Minn. App. LEXIS 157, 2003 WL 282379 (Mich. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

OPINION

ROBERT H. SCHUMACHER, Judge.

Appellant LeAnn Wollan brought this action for personal injuries against respondents Grizzly’s Sports Bar & Grill, Inc., Douglas Fore, and Susan Fore for providing alcohol to a minor. The district court granted the motion of Grizzly’s and the Fores to dismiss the case, holding that Wollan failed to include Grizzly’s and the Fores as defendants within a two-year limitations period. We reverse.

FACTS

On December 29, 1997, Grizzly’s hosted its employee Christmas party. The Fores, sole shareholders and operators of Grizzly’s, provided alcoholic beverages to employees at the event. Jayson M. Jahnz, an employee under 21 years of age, consumed alcoholic beverages at- the party and became intoxicated. Later that evening, Jahnz was driving a snowmobile with Wol-lan as a passenger when the snowmobile flipped, and Wollan was injured.

Wollan commenced this action against Jahnz on August 20, 1998, alleging his negligent operation of the snowmobile. On January 13, 2000, Jahnz filed for bankruptcy protection, and Wollan’s initial attorneys withdrew as counsel that same day. This action was then stayed pending the outcome of the bankruptcy.

On August 2, 2001, nearly four years after her injury, Wollan sought to amend the complaint to include Grizzly’s and the Fores as additional defendants for a claim under Minn.Stat. § 340A.801, subd. 6 (2002). The district court initially denied Wollan’s motion to amend the complaint, but it later amended its order to allow the inclusion of the additional defendants.

Grizzly’s and the Fores then moved to dismiss the case, contending the two-year limitations period applied. Wollan argued that the proper limitations period was six years as a common-law negligence action under Minn.Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(5) (2002). The district court granted the motion to dismiss, reasoning that the claim was similar to an intentional tort action with the two-year limitations period specified by Minn.Stat. § 541.07(1) (2002).

ISSUE

Is an action brought under Minn.Stat. § 340A.801, subd. 6, for providing alcohol to a minor who causes injury to another, subject to a two-year or six-year limitations period?

*418 ANALYSIS

This case contains no factual disputes, but only questions of law that are reviewed de novo. Moreno v. Crookston Times Printing Co., 610 N.W.2d 321, 327 (Minn.2000). When a ease is decided on stipulated facts, the only issue on appeal is whether the district court erred in applying the law. VanWagner v. Mattison, 533 N.W.2d 75, 77 (Minn.App.1995), review denied (Minn. Sept. 20, 1995). A claim brought under the Civil Damages Act, Minn.Stat. § 340A.801 (2002), is a creation of statute in derogation of common law. Whitener ex rel. Miller v. Dahl, 625 N.W.2d 827, 830 (Minn.2001). As a statutorily created cause of action, the statute will be strictly construed. Id. at 833.

If a pleading is amended to introduce a new party, the limitations period is calculated as of the date of the amendment. Johnson v. Davis, 166 Minn. 126, 128, 207 N.W. 23, 24 (1926) (substituting new party is equivalent to bringing new action); Watson v. Stonewings on the Lake, 393 N.W.2d 518, 521 (Minn.App.1986) (holding that action including additional parties did not relate back to original filing if additional parties had no prior knowledge of action against initial defendants).

Here, the district court held that a claim brought under Minn.Stat. § 340A.801, subd. 6 (2002) must be brought within the two-year limitations period provided for in section 541.07(1) (2002). Wollan argues that the proper period is the six-year term for negligent torts under section 545.01, subd. 1 (2002).

The common law did not recognize a cause of action against a vendor for injuries resulting from the sale of intoxicating beverages. K.R. v. Sanford, 605 N.W.2d 387, 391 (Minn.2000). However, the Minnesota legislature first imposed liability on vendors in 1911 by enacting the Civil Damages Act. Id.; see also Minn.Stat. § 340A.801. Since the Act’s promulgation, the Minnesota Supreme Court and the legislature have engaged in a “duet” in which the court notes an omission or oversight in the statute, and the legislature responds by amending it. See Koehnen v. Dufuor, 590 N.W.2d 107, 109-12 (Minn.1999) (outlining evolution of Civil Damages Act).

In 1985, the supreme court held that “a social host is not liable in a common-law action for negligently serving alcohol to a minor.” Holmquist v. Miller, 367 N.W.2d 468, 472 (Minn.1985); accord Meany v. Newell, 367 N.W.2d 472, 474 (Minn.1985). The court stated that only the legislature could create social-host liability. Holmquist, 367 N.W.2d at 471-72. In 1990, the Minnesota legislature enacted the following amendment in apparent response to the Holmquist decision:

Nothing in this chapter precludes common law tort claims against any person 21 years or older who knowingly provides or furnishes alcoholic beverages to a person under the age of 21 years.

Minn.Stat. § 340A.801, subd. 6 (2002); see VanWagner, 533 N.W.2d at 79 (recognizing that Holmquist was superceded by statute).

The statute did not overtly create a statutory cause of action, but merely permitted common-law tort claims. The common law, however, did not recognize tort claims for providing a minor with alcoholic beverages. Koehnen, 590 N.W.2d at 109. Rather, such liability “is a part of our jurisprudence solely as a creation of the legislature.” Id. At 111-12. Despite the lack common-law precedent, subdivison 6 did not specifically provide á limitations period for claims brought under that section.

Wollan argues that the six-year statute of limitations for negligence actions *419 is the appropriate measure for cases brought under subdivison 6. Most negligence causes of action are governed by Minn.Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(5) (2002), which provides a six-year limitations period for “criminal conversion, or for any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising out of contract, and not hereinafter enumerated.” (Emphasis added); see D.M.S. v. Barber, 645 N.W.2d 383

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Bluebook (online)
656 N.W.2d 416, 2003 Minn. App. LEXIS 157, 2003 WL 282379, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wollan-v-jahnz-minnctapp-2003.