JUDICIAL PROCEDURE (91)

Tarbell Administrator, Inc., et al. v. City of Concord, 2008-025 (N.H. S.Ct., Sep. 12, 2008)

DUGGAN, J. The plaintiff, Tarbell Administrator, Inc., as trustee of the Tarbell Family Revocable Trust (Tarbell), appeals an order of the Trial Court (Conboy, J.) granting summary judgment in favor of the defendant, City of Concord (City). We hold that the doctrine of discretionary function immunity bars Tarbell’s negligence claims alleging that the City failed to properly construct a dam and failed to properly control and regulate the water level, but does not preclude Tarbell’s remaining claims. Accordingly, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand.

Thomas v. Telegraph Publishing Co., et al., 2003-700 (N.H. S.Ct., Sep. 24, 2004)

NADEAU, J. In these appeals, we are asked to determine whether the Trial Court (Groff, J.) erred in: (1) finding personal jurisdiction over four Massachusetts defendants; and (2) denying the plaintiff’s motion to amend his writ. We affirm and remand.

Dupont v. New Hampshire Real Estate Commission, 2007-893 (N.H. S.Ct., Aug. 21, 2008)

HICKS, J. The petitioner, Lawrence J. Dupont, appeals an order of the Superior Court (Smukler, J.) upholding a decision of the respondent, New Hampshire Real Estate Commission (commission), sanctioning him for violating provisions of the New Hampshire Real Estate Practice Act (the Act) in connection with a sales agreement involving a manufactured home. See RSA ch. 331-A (2004 & Supp. 2007). Dupont argues that paragraphs I and VII of RSA 331-A:4 exempt him from the Act’s requirements. See RSA 331-A:4, I, VII (2004). We affirm.

In Re: Georgakalis, 2008-046 (N.H. S.Ct., Aug. 21, 2008)

DALIANIS, J. The respondent, George Georgakilas, appeals an order recommended by a Marital Master (Nute, M.) and approved by the Superior Court (Fauver, J.) denying his motion for reformation of the certificate of his divorce from the petitioner, Mary Beth Georgakilas. We affirm.

Liam Hooksett, LLC v. Boynton, et al., 2007-675 (N.H. S.Ct., Aug. 20, 2008)

DUGGAN, J. The defendants, Robert Boynton and Tina LaRochelle (tenants), appeal a decision of the Hooksett District Court (LaPointe, J.) ruling against them in an action by the plaintiff, Liam Hooksett, LLC, for unpaid rent and possession of certain property based upon nonpayment of rent. See RSA 540:13 (2007). We hold that the plaintiff failed to establish that it is the owner or lessor of the property at issue. See RSA 540:12 (2007). We further hold that, because the plaintiff filed an action to recover both possession and unpaid rent against the tenants, the tenants were statutorily entitled to raise any defense, claim, or counterclaim in response to the plaintiff’s action. See RSA 540:13, III (2007). Accordingly, we reverse.

Oullette, et al. v. Town of Kingston, 2007-589 (N.H. S.Ct., Aug. 15, 2008)

HICKS, J. The plaintiffs, Scott Ouellette and other Kingston residents, appeal an order of the Superior Court (McHugh, J.) affirming the decision of the Town of Kingston Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) granting approval to the intervenor, Konover Development Corporation (Konover), to construct a supermarket within the town’s historic district. We affirm.

Lassonde v. Stanton, et al., 2007-447 (N.H. S.Ct., Aug. 15, 2008)

BRODERICK, C.J. The defendants, Charles and Susan Stanton, appeal a judgment of the Superior Court (Vaughan, J.) finding them liable for breach of contract and defamation. The plaintiff, Harold Lassonde, III, doing business as Mountain View Construction, cross-appeals, challenging the amount of damages awarded on his defamation claim, and the trial court’s failure to include attorney’s fees and interest in his breach of contract award. We affirm in part, vacate in part, and remand.

State v. Forbes, 2007-573 (N.H. S.Ct., Aug. 6, 2008)

DUGGAN, J. The defendant, John Forbes, was convicted by a jury in Superior Court of one count of aggravated felonious sexual assault. See RSA 632-A:2, II (2007). On appeal, he argues that the Trial Court (Coffey, J.) erred in admitting evidence of his silence as an adoptive admission pursuant to New Hampshire Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2)(B). Because we agree that the trial court unsustainably exercised its discretion by admitting this evidence, we reverse and remand.

Bennett, et al. v. Town of Hampstead, 2007-662 (N.H. S.Ct., Jul. 11, 2008)

DUGGAN, J. In these consolidated cases, the petitioners, Christopher Bennett, Alycia Bennett, and Bennett Landscaping, Inc. (collectively Bennett), appeal two rulings by the Trial Court (McHugh, J.) concerning attorney’s fees. We hold that RSA 676:17, II (Supp. 2007) required the trial court to award attorney’s fees to the respondent, Town of Hampstead (town), because the town prevailed in its action for injunctive relief against the petitioners. We further hold that, because the trial court did not find that Bennett’s due process rights were violated, Bennett is not entitled to attorney’s fees for its declaratory judgment action against the town. Accordingly, we affirm.

In Re: Guardianship of Phuong Phi Thi Luong, 2007-294 (N.H. S.Ct., Jul. 2, 2008)

DUGGAN, J. The petitioners, the guardians of Phuong Phi Thi Luong, appeal orders of the Hillsborough County Probate Court (Patten, J.) rejecting two estate plans they proposed for Phuong Phi Thi Luong pursuant to RSA 464-A:26-a (2004) and adopting an alternative estate plan drafted by a court-appointed referee. We hold that the probate court was within its discretion to reject the estate plans proposed by the petitioners, but find that the court went beyond its authority in adopting the estate plan drafted by the court-appointed referee. Accordingly, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand.
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