Computronics v. Next Computer,Inc ( 1997 )

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
Filed 1/7/97
FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT
COMPUTRONICS CONSULTANTS,
INC.,
Plaintiff-Counter-
Defendant-Appellant, No. 96-5020
(D.C. No. CV-95-50)
v. (N.D. Okla.)
NeXT COMPUTER, INC.,
Defendant-Counter-
Claimant-Appellee.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before EBEL and HENRY, Circuit Judges, and DOWNES, ** District Judge.
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The court
generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
**
Honorable William F. Downes, District Judge, United States District Court
for the District of Wyoming, sitting by designation.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously to grant the parties’ request for a decision on the briefs without oral
argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(f) and 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The case is
therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
Appellant, Computronics Consultants, Inc. (CCI), appeals the district
court’s grant of summary judgment to defendant NeXT Computer, Inc., (NeXT),
on CCI’s various tort claims and on NeXT’s counterclaims. CCI also appeals the
district court’s refusal to grant a continuance in this case. Our jurisdiction arises
under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we affirm. 1
Summary judgment is appropriate where there is no genuine
issue as to any material fact, and the moving party is entitled to
1
NeXT filed a motion to dismiss this appeal, arguing that because CCI had
filed its notice of appeal before the district court had entered a final judgment,
this court lacked jurisdiction to hear the appeal. The order forming the basis of
this appeal was filed on December 8, 1995, and was entered on the docket on
December 11, 1995. That order, however, did not establish the amount NeXT
was entitled to recover from CCI on NeXT’s counterclaims. Further, no separate
Rule 58 judgment had been filed at the time CCI filed its notice of appeal on
January 10, 1996. NeXT argues that CCI’s notice of appeal was therefore
premature and ineffective. This is incorrect.
We agree that the December 8 order was not a final judgment and that
CCI’s notice of appeal was technically premature. However, that premature
notice matured once the district court entered its Rule 58 judgment on February 7,
1996, thus vesting this court with jurisdiction. See Kelley v. Michaels, 59 F.3d
1055, 1057 (10th Cir. 1995)(holding that premature appeal matured upon entry of
Rule 54(b) certification and citing Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(2): “A notice of appeal
filed after the court announces a decision or order but before the entry of the
judgment or order is treated as filed on the date of and after the entry.”).
-2-
2
judgment as a matter of law. In Celotex [Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S.
317, 322 (1986),] the Supreme Court stated: [t]he plain language of
Rule 56(c) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate
time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to
make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element
essential to that party's case, and on which that party will bear the
burden of proof at trial.
A party opposing a properly supported motion for summary
judgment must offer evidence, in admissible form, of specific facts,
sufficient to raise a genuine issue of material fact. [T]he mere
existence of some alleged factual dispute between the parties will not
defeat an otherwise properly supported motion for summary
judgment.[] Factual disputes that are irrelevant or unnecessary will
not be counted.
Summary judgment is only appropriate if there is [not]
sufficient evidence favoring the nonmoving party for a jury to return
a verdict for that party. The Supreme Court stated: [t]he mere
existence of a scintilla of evidence in support of the plaintiff's
position will be insufficient; there must be evidence on which the
jury could reasonably find for the plaintiff. Thus, to defeat a
summary judgment motion, the nonmovant must do more than simply
show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.
[T]here is no issue for trial unless there is sufficient evidence
favoring the nonmoving party for a jury to return a verdict for that
party. If the evidence is merely colorable, or is not significantly
probative, summary judgment may be granted.[]
In essence, the inquiry for the Court is whether the evidence
presents a sufficient disagreement to require submission to a jury or
whether it is so one-sided that one party must prevail as a matter of
law. In its review, the Court construes the record in the light most
favorable to the party opposing summary judgment.
Biester v. Midwest Health Servs., Inc., 77 F.3d 1264, 1265-66 (10th Cir.
1996)(quotations and citations omitted). We review the summary judgment
determination of a district court de novo. Id. at 1266. Our review of the district
-3-
3
court’s refusal to grant a continuance is for abuse of discretion. See Committee
for the First Amendment v. Campbell, 962 F.2d 1517, 1522 (10th Cir. 1992).
The parties are familiar with the facts of this case, and we will not repeat
them here. We view this dispute, as did the district court, as one governed
entirely by the written dealer agreement executed by two sophisticated parties in
an arms-length relationship. CCI’s attempt to transform the legal reality here
from one controlled by the terms of an enforceable contract to one somehow now
ruled by the precepts of tort law is unavailing.
Specifically, we agree with the district court that there is no evidence here
of any fraud or other misrepresentation, and there is no legal basis upon which to
conclude that some sort of fiduciary relationship arose between the parties.
Similarly, because CCI did not come forward with any defense to its failure to
pay for equipment supplied by NeXT, the district court was also correct to grant
summary judgment to NeXT on its counterclaims.
Finally, the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant
CCI’s motion for continuance. CCI’s conclusory statements regarding its need
for more discovery fail to satisfy the standard of Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(f) required to
support such a motion. See Jensen v. Redevelopment Agency of Sandy City, 998
F.2d 1550, 1554 (10th Cir. 1993)(requiring a specific statement regarding how
-4-
4
additional time would enable the nonmovant to resist summary judgment and a
statement as to the specific facts believed to be discoverable).
After our de novo review of the order of the district court, the briefs of the
parties, and the record on appeal, we affirm the judgment of the district court for
substantially the reasons stated by that court in its thorough and well-reasoned
opinion of December 8, 1995.
The judgment of the United States District Court for the Northern District
of Oklahoma is AFFIRMED.
Entered for the Court
William F. Downes
District Judge
-5-
5