Opinions

Blomdahl v. Blomdahl 2011 ND 78
Docket No.: 20100053
Filing Date: 4/13/2011
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Divorce - Property
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A motion for contempt under N.D.C.C. 14-05-25.1 is not an "action upon the judgment" for purposes of applying the ten-year statute of limitations in N.D.C.C. 28-01-15.
For a contempt finding under N.D.C.C. 14-05-25.1, there must be a violation of a valid and existing court order, judgment, or decree.

Christensen v. N.D. Dep't of Human Services 2011 ND 77
Docket No.: 20100263
Filing Date: 4/12/2011
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Administrative Proceeding
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: An applicant for Medicaid benefits has the responsibility to provide information sufficient to establish eligibility and has the burden of proving an asset is not actually available.

Matter of Wolff 2011 ND 76
Docket No.: 20100290
Filing Date: 4/12/2011
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Civil Commitment of Sexually Dangerous Individual
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: In civil commitment cases, the State must clearly show the committed individual's personality disorder is likely to manifest itself in a serious difficulty in controlling his or her behavior.
The conduct evidencing the committed individual's serious difficulty in controlling his or her behavior need not be sexual in nature.

Schumacker v. Schumacker 2011 ND 75
Docket No.: 20100282
Filing Date: 4/12/2011
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: Merely conflicting allegations in affidavits and moving papers for a change in primary residential responsibility of parties' children must be resolved at an evidentiary hearing, unless the party opposing the movant has conclusively proved the movant's allegations are insufficient or have no credibility.
Pre-divorce conduct can be relevant for a change of custody when the divorce was stipulated and the trial court was unaware of the facts at the time of the stipulation.
Inadmissible hearsay statements are not competent evidence supporting a prima facie case for a change of primary residential responsibility.
Statements by declarants on their state of mind and emotion fit an exception to the hearsay rule and are competent evidence.

Swanson, et al. v. Swanson, et al. 2011 ND 74
Docket No.: 20090289
Filing Date: 4/12/2011
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Real Property
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: Every person who has actual notice of circumstances sufficient to put a prudent person on inquiry and who omits to make such inquiry with reasonable diligence is deemed to have constructive notice of all facts such inquiry would have disclosed had it been properly pursued.
The information sufficient to put a prudent person on inquiry may consist of a statement made by the claimant of the adverse ownership right. The information need not be so full or detailed as to communicate a complete description of the adverse interest if it creates a reasonable belief a conflict right exists as a fact.
To comply with the requirement for a reasonably diligent inquiry, a prospective purchaser with actual notice of circumstances sufficient to put a prudent person on inquiry must, at the very least, conduct a record search. If a purchaser fails to make a reasonably diligent inquiry, the purchaser cannot claim the protection of a good-faith purchaser status.

Matter of J.G. (CONFIDENTIAL) 2011 ND 73
Docket No.: 20100366
Filing Date: 4/12/2011
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Civil Commitment of Sexually Dangerous Individual
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Order denying petition for discharge from commitment as a sexually dangerous individual summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2).

State v. Trowbridge 2011 ND 72
Docket No.: 20100363
Filing Date: 4/12/2011
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Drugs/Contraband
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Order granting motion to reduce sentence summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(4).

Disciplinary Board v. Rozan 2011 ND 71
Docket No.: 20110031
Filing Date: 4/6/2011
Case Type: Discipline - Attorney - Original Proceeding
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Discipline ordered for lawyer.

Thompson, et al. v. Schmitz, et al. (cross-reference w/20080191) 2011 ND 70
Docket No.: 20100248
Filing Date: 3/28/2011
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Contracts
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: An award of attorney's fees and pre-judgment interest is permitted under the Business Corporations Act when a district court finds an officer or director of a corporation violates fiduciary duties or finds a party to have acted arbitrarily, vexatiously, or otherwise not in good faith.
The district court may award expert witness fees, including fees for experts who do not testify, under the Business Corporations Act.

Kost v. Kraft 2011 ND 69
Docket No.: 20100159
Filing Date: 3/25/2011
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Contracts
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: The receipt and acceptance of leased goods need not be exclusively referable to an alleged oral lease agreement, and conduct consistent with an oral agreement is sufficient to take a claimed oral lease agreement out of the statute of frauds even though the conduct is not inconsistent with some other plausible arrangement between the parties.
A party moving for summary judgment must show there are no genuine issues of material fact and the case is appropriate for judgment as a matter of law.