Mambo v. Best ( 2009 )


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  •  1   This memorandum opinion was not selected for publication in the New Mexico Reports. Please
    2   see Rule 12-405 NMRA for restrictions on the citation of unpublished memorandum opinions.
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    6        IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO
    7 PETER MAMBO,
    8          Plaintiff-Appellant,
    9 v.                                                                           NO. 29,610
    10   HANNAH BEST & ASSOCIATES and
    11   HANNAH B. BEST, and LAW OFFICES
    12   OF MICHAEL E. MOZES, P.C. a
    13   professional corporation, and
    14   MICHAEL E. MOZES,
    15          Defendants-Appellees.
    16 APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF BERNALILLO COUNTY
    17 Beatrice Brickhouse, District Judge
    18 Scott M. Davidson
    19 Albuquerque, NM
    20 for Appellant
    21 Law Office of Jack Brant, P.C.
    22 John M. Brant
    23 Albuquerque, NM
    24 for Appellees Hannah Best & Associates and Hannah Best
    1 Law Offices of Michael E. Mozes, P.C.
    2 Michael E. Mozes
    3 Albuquerque, NM
    4 Pro Se Appellee
    5                             MEMORANDUM OPINION
    6 WECHSLER, Judge.
    7        Plaintiff, Peter Mambo appeals the summary judgment order dismissing his
    8 legal malpractice claim against Defendants Hannah Best & Associates (Best) and Law
    9 Offices of Michael Mozes (Mozes). We proposed to affirm in a calendar notice, and
    10 Plaintiff responded with a memorandum in opposition.             We have considered
    11 Plaintiff’s arguments, but we are not persuaded that our proposed disposition is
    12 incorrect. We therefore affirm.
    13         Plaintiff filed a claim for wrongful termination. He was first represented by
    14 Best, and when Best withdrew from the case, he was represented by Mozes.
    15 Plaintiff’s case was dismissed on June 17, 2004, and he appealed that decision.
    16 Neither attorney represented Plaintiff on appeal. The dismissal of his wrongful
    17 termination lawsuit was affirmed on appeal. Plaintiff later filed a pro se lawsuit under
    18 
    42 U.S.C. § 1981
     (1991). That case was dismissed by the federal court, and the
    19 dismissal was affirmed by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. On December 17,
    20 2008, Plaintiff filed a legal malpractice claim against Defendants based on their
    2
    1 representation of Plaintiff in his wrongful termination case. Defendants moved for
    2 summary judgment, arguing that Plaintiff’s legal malpractice lawsuit was filed outside
    3 the applicable statute of limitations of four years. Defendants presented a letter
    4 written by Plaintiff to Best in which Plaintiff described a number of reasons why he
    5 was unhappy with Best’s representation. Following a hearing, the district court found
    6 that the statute of limitations had run prior to the filing of the malpractice claim and
    7 granted summary judgment in favor of Defendants.
    8         On appeal, Plaintiff contends that the district court erred in construing the facts
    9 in the light most favorable to Defendants when it rendered its decision and erred in
    10 granting summary judgment in favor of Defendants. In our calendar notice, we
    11 pointed out that Plaintiff had not alerted the district court to his argument that the facts
    12 were construed against him, and we noted that there was no indication in the district
    13 court’s decision that the facts were construed in favor of Defendants. Plaintiff claims
    14 that he should not have been required to alert the district court to his argument, that
    15 his responses to the motions for summary judgment should suffice, and that as a pro
    16 se litigant, we should liberally construe his responses as bringing the matter to the
    17 district court’s attention. In addition, Plaintiff argues that the letter shows only that
    18 he is unhappy with Best’s representation, but not that Plaintiff recognized a factual
    3
    1 basis for a legal malpractice claim.
    2        Even assuming that Plaintiff properly alerted the district court to his claim, we
    3 are not convinced that the district court viewed the evidence in an improper manner.
    4 In particular, as pointed out by the district court, Plaintiff stated in the letter written
    5 to Best that Best’s representation would “hinder the restoration of [his] non-economic
    6 damages.” [RP 172] Clearly, Plaintiff was more than just unhappy. Instead, the
    7 statement shows that Plaintiff was convinced that Best’s representation would have
    8 a negative effect on his case.
    9        Based on our case law, Plaintiff’s actual injury occurred on the date that his
    10 case was dismissed—June 17, 2004—and not on the date that his appeal was finally
    11 decided. See Brown v. Behles & Davis, 
    2004-NMCA-028
    , ¶¶ 9-11, 
    135 N.M. 180
    ,
    12 
    86 P.3d 605
     (determining that an actual injury occurs when the attorney’s acts or
    13 omissions result in the loss of a right, loss of a remedy, loss of an interest, or the
    14 imposition of a liability, regardless of whether the permanency of the injury might be
    15 affected by future events). As discussed in our calendar notice, in legal malpractice
    16 cases, the statute of limitations begins to run when a plaintiff sustains actual injury
    17 and when the plaintiff discovers, or through reasonable diligence should discover, the
    18 facts essential to the plaintiff’s claim of malpractice. See Sharts v. Natelson, 118
    4
    
    1 N.M. 721
    , 724, 
    885 P.2d 642
    , 645 (1994). On June 17, 2004, the date that Plaintiff
    2 suffered injury, he knew all of the facts in connection with the representation by both
    3 Best and Mozes.
    4        Plaintiff continues to claim that, because his was pro se at the time that his case
    5 was dismissed, he could not know the facts essential to a claim of legal malpractice.
    6 First, we point out that we view pro se pleadings with tolerance, but when a pro se
    7 litigant chooses to represent himself, he is held to the same standard of conduct and
    8 compliance with court rules, procedures, and orders as members of the bar. Newsome
    9 v. Farer, 
    103 N.M. 415
    , 419, 
    708 P.2d 327
    , 331 (1985). Second, we hold that, as of
    10 the date of his injury, Plaintiff knew that he had lost his case and he had all of the
    11 information regarding the representation provided by Defendants. Therefore, as of the
    12 date of the dismissal of his case, Plaintiff could have, through reasonable diligence,
    13 discovered the facts essential for a claim of legal malpractice. The statute of
    14 limitations began to run on June 17, 2004, but Plaintiff did not file his claims until
    15 December 17, 2008, which was outside the statute of limitations. See NMSA 1978,
    16 § 37-1-4 (1880).
    17        For the reasons discussed above and in our calendar notice, we affirm the
    18 district court’s decision.
    5
    1      IT IS SO ORDERED.
    2                                       _______________________________
    3                                       JAMES J. WECHSLER, Judge
    4 WE CONCUR:
    5 _______________________________
    6 CELIA FOY CASTILLO, Judge
    7 _______________________________
    8 RODERICK T. KENNEDY, Judge
    6
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 29,610

Filed Date: 11/25/2009

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 4/18/2021