Shappa Baker v. Department of Corrections ( 2017 )


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  •                                                                             FILED
    JUNE 29, 2017
    In the Office of the Clerk of Court
    WA State Court of Appeals, Division III
    IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
    DIVISION THREE
    SHAPPA BAKER,                                  )
    )         No. 34967-5-111
    Appellant,                )
    )
    v.                                      )
    )
    DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, a                   )         UNPUBLISHED OPINION
    subdivision of the State of Washington,        )
    )
    Respondent.               )
    FEARING, C.J. -     Shappa Baker, an inmate with the Washington Department of
    Corrections (DOC), appeals from a summary judgment order dismissing his Public
    Records Act suit against DOC and denying his cross motion for summary judgment. The
    parties principally dispute whether DOC, under the Public Records Act, chapter 42.56
    RCW, must retrieve financial records from Bank of America that DOC earlier scanned
    and sent by the Internet to Bank of America for processing and storage. Because the
    factual record does not enable us to determine which, if either, party is entitled to
    summary judgment, we vacate the summary judgment order favoring DOC and remand
    for further proceedings.
    No. 34967-5-III
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    FACTS
    This appeal illustrates the complications resulting from handling and storing
    written documents in the computer era and Internet age. Instead of records resting in one
    physical file folder with one person overseeing the folder, the Internet scatters the records
    throughout cyberspace, no one person serves as a physical custodian of the records, and
    no one knows the extent and location of the records. Sometimes purported advances in
    efficiency complicate our lives.
    On April 26, 2015, Shappa Baker, while in the custody of DOC, sent DOC a
    request for public records. The request sought, in part, the front and back of thirty-one
    negotiable financial instruments with Baker as payee and deposited into his DOC inmate
    trust subaccount. Baker's public records request read:
    Pursuant to the Public Records Act[,] please make available the
    following records:
    1) The front of each of the following thirty-one (31) negotiable
    financial instruments sent in my name and deposited into my Trust Sub-
    Accounts:
    Method of
    Date         Trans.#        Payment         Sub-Account Amount
    a.     11/06/08      13036667       Money Order Postage            $ 10.00
    b.     11/06/08      13037026       Money Order     Spendable         10.
    00 C. 11
    /16/08      13081171       Western Union Spendable         120.00
    d.     12/08/08      13160108       Western Union Spendable         100.00
    e.     12/15/08      13199513       Gratuity        Spendable         14.70
    f.       1/16/09     13312017       Money Order Spendable            120.00
    g.      2/04/09      13391911       Money Order      Postage           20.00
    h.      2/13/09      13428689       Gratuity         Spendable         16.38
    I.      3/13/09      13551230       Gratuity ·       Spendable         13.
    02 J. 3
    /17/09      13575671       Money Order      Postage           50.00
    2
    No. 34967-5-III
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    k.      4/15/09      13704324      Gratuity        Spendable        55.00
    l.      5/15/09      13835144      Gratuity        Spendable        55.00
    m.      6/03/09 ·    13904499      Western Union   Spendable       100.00
    n.      6/15/09      13961049      Gratuity        Spendable        55.00
    o.      6/17/09      13971995      Western Union   Spendable        50.00
    p.      7/15/09      14088606      Gratuity         Spendable       16.80
    q.      7/15/09      14088839      Gratuity         Spendable       30.24
    r.      7/23/09      14120561      Money Order      Postage          50.00
    s.      8/06/09      14183305      Money Order      Postage         15.00
    t.      8/06/09      14183638      Money Order      Spendable        15.00
    u.      8/18/09      14241483      Gratuity         Spendable        20.
    16 V. 10
    /05/09      14432280      Western Union    Spendable        10.
    00 W. 11
    /02/09      14554029      Western Union    Spendable        10.00
    X.      5/17/10      15386625      Gratuity        Spendable         67.40
    y.     11/18/10      16565586      Gratuity        Spendable         70.40
    z.       1/20/11     16799272      Refund          Spendable         60.00
    aa.     4/04/11      17076881      Money Order      Postage           10.00
    bb.     4/07/11      17094556      Western Union    Spendable        10.00
    cc.     5/18/11      17263742      JPay            Spendable          10.00
    dd.     3/07 /13     19548540      Warrant         Spendable [1,800] 4,000.00
    ee.     9/16/13      20240864      Gratuity        Spendable         49.20
    and
    2) The back side of each negotiable instrument, with the
    endorsement, sent in my name and received for deposit into my Trust
    accounts since February 17, 2005.
    Thanks for your prompt response and fullest assistance in satisfying
    this PRA request.
    Clerk's Papers (CP) at 72. DOC later added the letters corresponding to each request.
    We note some anomalies and ambiguities in Shappa Baker's records request. The
    request, in paragraph 2, for the back of negotiable instruments, extended to instruments
    deposited more than three years before the date of the instruments, for which Baker
    sought the front side in paragraph 1. Nevertheless, the parties litigate on the assumption
    3
    No. 34967-5-111
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    that Baker only sought the back side of the negotiable instruments listed in paragraph 1 of
    his public records request.
    We had thought that Western Union issues money orders. Neither party in his or
    its respective briefs explains to this court the difference between "Western Union" and
    "Money Order" for purposes of this list. Apparently Shappa Baker believes a money
    order would have both a front side and a back side, but a "Western Union" would only
    contain one side. We observe that the money orders produced by DOC come from the
    United States Postal Service. Perhaps the "Western Union" entries constitute money
    w1res.
    The parties do not identify the nature of a refund, JPay, or warrant, or explain why
    any of these items would be considered a negotiable instrument, or characterize the form
    of a writing in which these items would be expressed. The misnomer "Gratuity" in
    Shappa Baker's public records request refers to money deposited into an inmate's trust
    subaccount for prison work. By the wording of his public records request, Shappa Baker
    must have considered a deposit for prison work to constitute a negotiable instrument. A
    payroll sheet shows the amount paid by DOC to inmates for work.
    DOC manages, with the assistance of Bank of America, the finances of inmates
    through an internal trust accounting system. Pursuant to law, DOC provides this service
    in part to assist with and confirm an inmate's payment of legal financial obligations
    imposed by a sentencing court and payment of other expenses charged by the government
    4
    No. 34967-5-III
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    to an inmate. DOC deducts funds from money deposited in an inmate subaccount to pay
    for these inmate obligations. RCW 72.09.110, .111(1), .480(2).
    DOC deposits inmate checks and money orders into one commingled inmate trust
    account with Bank of America, by scanning the negotiable instruments using a remote
    deposit terminal. DOC places an endorsement stamp on the back side of the negotiable
    instrument. The deposit terminal uses Bank of America's proprietary CashPro software
    to create and send a digital image of the negotiable instruments to the bank.
    When sending copies of the negotiable instrument to Bank of America, DOC
    scans both the front and back of the instruments. The bank exclusively and digitally
    stores the scans on the bank's servers. DOC does not store the images in its computers.
    According to DOC, the images created by the CashPro software are never DOC records.
    DOC does not know if Bank of America retains the front and back of each deposited
    negotiable instrument on the bank's servers. After depositing a negotiable instrument,
    DOC's trust accounting system credits an inmate's subaccount with the information on a
    deposit slip. By policy, DOC only retains negotiable instruments, such as ones requested
    by Shappa Baker, for a limited amount of time after deposit. DOC destroys the scanned
    records in its possession after ninety days in storage.
    To later search for images of deposited negotiable instruments, DOC may
    interface with Bank of America servers by using the bank's proprietary software. To do
    so, DOC must enter parameters, such as dates, and then scan images of many deposits,
    5
    No. 34967-5-III
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    including deposits for other inmates. DOC accesses the scanned documents from Bank
    of America for a fee when DOC must inspect the records for reconciliation or audit
    purposes. DOC employees review the check and money order images to ensure the
    image amounts match with amounts in a prisoner's account.
    DOC received Shappa Baker's public records request on April 30, 2015, at DOC's
    Public Disclosure Unit (PDU) in Tumwater. Within five days of the request, Gaylene
    Schave, a public disclosure specialist in the PDU, sent a reply letter to Baker
    acknowledging receipt of his request, reiterating his request, and assigning a tracking
    number to the request, PDU-34168. Schave predicted a response date of July 29, 2015.
    She then assigned the task of retrieving the records to Cherrie Borgen. Borgen, in turn,
    assigned other DOC employees to assist in the records search, including employees at
    DOC headquarters and employees at the prisons in which Baker resided: the Washington
    State Penitentiary, Airway Heights Correctional Facility, and Coyote Ridge Correctional
    Facility.
    On May 7, 2015, a supervisor assigned Ben Estock the task of gathering records
    responsive to Shappa Baker's public records request in the possession of Coyote Ridge
    Correctional Facility. On May 21, Estock wrote by e-mail to Cherrie Borgen:
    Only two of these belong to us. Here are the scanned copies the
    bank faxed us for 8/6/2009 deposits. I can mail you the hard copies if you
    send me your address.
    6
    No. 34967-5-111
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    CP at 75. The August 6, 2009 deposits represent requests "s" and "t" in Shappa Baker's
    public records request.
    In his appeal brief, Shappa Baker writes:
    Meanwhile, Ben Estock at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center
    (CRCC) responded to Baker's forwarded request by asking the Bank of
    America for copies. CP 67-68. (Baker had transferred to the Washington
    State Penitentiary (WSP) on October 28, 2008, returning to CRCC on
    August 11, 2009. CP 81-82[]. Estock responded to Borgen by email on
    May 21, 2015, attaching the faxed copies the bank had sent-front and
    back sides of two money orders deposited August 6, 2009. CP 66-67.
    Baker did not receive these documents until the Department responded to
    his second set of production requests on December 30, 2015. CP 128-33.
    Appellant's Opening Br. at 2-3. Contrary to this passage in Baker's brief, CP 66-67 does
    not support the claim that Estock sent to Borgen both front and back of two money
    orders. CP 75 does not indicate whether Estock forwarded both sides of the money
    orders. CP 128-33 confirms that Baker received the back of both money orders for the
    first time through his attorney on December 30, 2015, after Baker filed suit.
    In a June 1, 2015 e-mail, Gaylene Schave asked Cherrie Borgen if she had copied
    the back of each negotiable instrument with endorsements and requested that Borgen
    inform her if the department lacked the back of instruments. Borgen sent all the records
    she received to Schave on June 3. To our knowledge, Borgen's response never answered
    Schave's question of whether Borgen had copied both sides of negotiable instruments.
    DOC's mysterious automated public disclosure management system for some
    unknown reason deemed a second search necessary to respond to Shappa Baker's public
    7
    No. 34967-5-III
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    records request. Thus, during the three months after receiving the records request, DOC
    staff conducted at least two extensive searches. According to DOC, each facility
    provided all responsive records in its possession to the PDU a second time. We do not
    know if a second search uncovered additional requests.
    On July 14, 2015, Cherrie Borgen e-mailed a message to Gaylene Schave, which
    message read in part:
    I spoke to Pat Barerra regarding items "s" and "t", she said that they
    requested those records from the bank since they do not keep those items
    on site.
    CP at 87. Items "s" and "t" refer to two money orders of August 6, 2009. Someone
    handwrote on the message: "BOA copies. We have 2 pgs." CP at 87. We do not know
    if the reference to two pages establishes that the bank only faxed the front side of each
    money order. Borgen's July 14 e-mail omits reference to Estock's e-mail of May 21, by
    which Estock sent Borgen scanned copies of records the bank faxed to DOC.
    In his appeal brief, Shappa Baker pens:
    This is confusing because there were actually four pages received if
    one courts [counts] and [the] front and back separately as it was set forth in
    the request and as Estock received them. However, they were never
    provided.
    Appellant's Opening Br. at 4 n.1. We assume the comment "they were never provided"
    means DOC never provided the front and back sides to Baker. Nevertheless, no record or
    testimony supports Estock having received both front and back of the money orders.
    8
    No. 34967-5-111
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    On July 28, 2015, Gaylene Schave wrote to Shappa Baker that she had gathered
    thirty pages of responsive records and instructed him to send payment for copies and
    postage if he wanted to inspect the records. Baker paid, and Schave acknowledged
    receiving payment in an August 25, 2015 letter. DOC then sent a CD (compact disk)
    containing the records to Baker's third party designee, his mother Roberta Baker, and
    Schave wrote to Shappa Baker that DOC considered his public records request fulfilled.
    According to Roberta Baker, she received a computer disk housing thirty pages of
    documents and an exemption log. The exemption log notified Baker that DOC redacted
    computer security and IPIN numbers from pages 11 and 15 of the request's response and
    DOC redacted bank account numbers from pages 25 and 26 of the response.
    In his public records request, Shappa Baker sought the front side of nine money
    orders. DOC produced front sides of three money orders. None of the money orders
    employ the phrase "pay to the order of." Instead, the money orders read: "Pay to Shappa
    Baker." CP at 107, 108, 110. DOC produced no back sides of money orders. The DOC
    production may have included records never requested such as a trust account statement
    for Shappa Baker dated June 24, 2015.
    Shappa Baker contends that DOC provided both sides of only nineteen ofthirty-
    one negotiable instruments. He further contends that DOC failed to supply copies of the
    front and back of seven of the money orders included in his request and that he received
    copies of only one side of six checks. See Appellant's Opening Br. at 5. In all, Baker
    9
    No. 34967-5-III
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    claims the department failed to disclose the front side of six records and the back side of
    eleven records he requested.
    According to Shappa Baker, the following matrix lists each record requested with
    the response from DOC:
    Date          Description           Facility             Front         Back
    a. 11/0612008        Money Order           Penitentiary         No            No
    b. 11/0612008        Money Order           Penitentiary         No            No
    C. 11/1612008        Western Union         Penitentiary         No            NIA
    d. 1210812008        Western Union         Penitentiary         Yes           NIA
    e. 12/1512008        Gratuity              Penitentiary         NIA           NIA
    f. 0111612009        Money Order           Penitentiary         No            No
    g. 0210412009        Money Order           Penitentiary         No            No
    h. 0211312009        Gratuity              Penitentiary         NIA           NIA
    i. 02/1312009        Gratuity              Penitentiary         NIA           NIA
    j. 03/1712009        Money Order           Penitentiary         No            No
    k. 04/1512009        Gratuity              Penitentiary         NIA           NIA
    1. 0511512009       Gratuity              Penitentiary         NIA           NIA
    m. 0610312009        Western Union         Penitentiary         Yes           NIA
    n. 06/1512009        Gratuity              Penitentiary         NIA           NIA
    0. 06/1712009        Western Union         Penitentiary         Yes           NIA
    p. 07/1512009        Gratuity              Penitentiary         NIA           NIA
    q. 0711512009        Gratuity              Penitentiary         NIA           NIA
    r. 0712312009        Money Order           Penitentiary         No            No
    s. 0810612009        Money Order           Coyote Ridge         Yes     1213012015
    t. 0810612009        Money Order           Coyote Ridge         Yes     1213012015
    u. 0811812009        Gratuity              Airway Heights       NIA           NIA
    V. 1010512009        Western Union         Airway Heights       Yes           NIA
    W. 11/0212009        Western Union         Airway Heights       Yes           NIA
    z. 01/2012011        Refund                Airway Heights       No            No
    aa. 0410412011       Money Order           Airway Heights       Yes           No
    bb. 0410712011       Western Union         Airway Heights       Yes           NIA
    cc. 0310712013       JPay                  Airway Heights       Yes           NIA
    dd. 0310712013       Warrant               Headquarters         Yes           No
    ee. 0911612013       Gratuity              Airway Heights       Yes           NIA
    10
    No. 34967-5-III
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    Appellant's Opening Br. at App. A.
    Shappa Baker first received the back sides of items "s" and "t" during discovery
    after the lawsuit was filed. Thus, according to Baker, he did not receive timely or has not
    received at all the following negotiable instruments:
    Both sides of a November 6, 2008 money order;
    Both sides of a second November 6, 2008 money order;
    A one page document representing a deposit from Western Union on
    November 16, 2008;
    Both sides of a January 16, 2009 money order;
    Both sides of a February 4, 2009 money order;
    Both sides of a March 17, 2009 money order;
    Both sides of a July 23, 2009 money order;
    The back side of an August 6, 2009 money order;
    The back side of a second August 6, 2009 money order;
    Two pages of documents representing a refund on January 20, 2011;
    The back side of an April 4, 2011 money order;
    The second page or back side of a March 7, 2013 warrant.
    We refer to this list as Shappa Baker's "missing list."
    Although Shappa Baker denies receiving a "Western Union" document for
    November 16, 2008, DOC produced, in response to the public records request, a one page
    document, in the form of a deposit slip, confirming a deposit of$120 to the benefit of
    Baker with the sender being his mother, Roberta Baker. Nevertheless, five other similar
    produced pages confirm respective deposits on December 8, 2008, June 3, 2009, June 17,
    2009, October 2, 2009, and April 7, 2011, yet Baker agrees he received the requested
    "Western Union" documents for these dates.
    11
    No. 34967-5-III
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    A Bank of America website page, visited on February 13, 2016, read that the bank
    makes available copies of cancelled checks for "up to 7 years" after their respective
    postings. CP at 126, 178. The document does not read that copies are always available
    for at least seven years. No testimony or records establish that this retention policy
    extended to money orders.
    DOC avers that it provided accurate copies of all documents as they existed at the
    time of the public records request. Gaylene Schave declares that DOC conducted a
    reasonable search for all records in its possession and disclosed each record found.
    PROCEDURE
    Shappa Baker filed a complaint alleging violations of the Public Records Act by
    DOC for failure to produce records, failure to adequately search, withholding records not
    exempt from disclosure, failing to adequately explain redactions, and acting in bad faith.
    Baker later filed a summary judgment motion. DOC responded by submitting its own
    summary judgment motion. The trial court granted DOC's motion. Baker appeals.
    LAW AND ANALYSIS
    The parties raise an interesting and important issue with regard to the application
    of the Public Records Act. The parties ask us to determine whether the scanned copies of
    documents stored on the Bank of America servers are public records within the meaning
    of the Public Records Act? When answering this question, we would need to decide
    whether documents in the possession of Bank of America comprised records that DOC
    12
    No. 34967-5-111
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    prepared, owned, used, or retained and that contained information relating to the conduct
    of government. RCW 42.56.010(3). We decline to answer this issue at this juncture of
    the litigation because of the incomplete status of the record.
    Before discussing summary judgment principles, we highlight some incongruities
    that preclude us from either affirming summary judgment in favor of DOC or granting
    judgment in favor of Shappa Baker. Baker devotes his briefing to the question of
    whether records in the possession of Bank of America constitute public records.
    Nevertheless, Baker does not expound as to whether he ever claimed or still claims that
    DOC failed to produce requested writings held in its direct possession at the time of the
    request. Some of the writings on Baker's missing list might have been solely in the
    immediate possession of DOC. Also, we lack facts as to whether Bank of America ever
    possessed any records concerning refunds or warrants.
    Shappa Baker denies receiving the "Western Union" document for November 16,
    2008. Nevertheless, DOC produced a one page document, in the form of a deposit slip,
    confirming a deposit of$120 on November 16 to the benefit of Shappa Baker with the
    sender being his mother, Roberta Baker. Baker concedes that similar slips delivered by
    DOC to him suffice for fulfilling the requests he issued for five other "Western Union"
    documents. Baker does not explain why the slip avails for purposes of five requests but
    fails for purposes of one request. We do not know if Baker believes DOC or Bank of
    13
    No. 34967-5-111
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    America possess any other records, in addition to the slips, that confirm a deposit in
    Baker's trust subaccount through Western Union.
    In his public records request, Shappa Baker sought the front side of nine money
    orders. DOC produced front sides of three money orders. DOC does not explain why it
    did not produce the other requested six money orders. DOC does not indicate whether it
    concedes the other six money orders ever existed.
    In response to a discovery request, DOC produced the back sides of two money
    orders, the front side of which it produced in response to Shappa Baker's public records
    request. Nevertheless, Baker's public records request only sought the back side of "each
    negotiable financial instrument." CP at 72. Based on the language in the first paragraph
    of his public records request, Shappa Baker apparently considers a money order to be a
    negotiable instrument, but he provides no law that establishes a money order to be a
    negotiable instrument. The term "money order" may encompass non-negotiable as well
    as negotiable instruments. Hong Kong Importers, Inc. v. American Express Co., 
    301 So.2d 707
    , 709 (La. Ct. App. 197 4). The United States Postal Service issued the money
    orders in question. A postal domestic money order is not necessarily like the ordinary
    negotiable instrument. United States v. First National Bank ofBoston, 
    263 F. Supp. 298
    ,
    301 (D. Mass. 1967). Shappa Baker's money orders did not read: "pay to the order of."
    DOC does not address whether a money order is a negotiable instrument. Neither
    party addresses whether DOC should have reasonably concluded that Shappa Baker,
    14
    No. 34967-5-111
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    when asking for the back side of negotiable instruments, sought the back side of money
    orders. Stated differently, neither party addresses whether the back side of money orders
    fell within the second paragraph of Baker's public records request.
    Shappa Baker argues that DOC held an obligation to retrieve negotiable
    instrument records from Bank of America. DOC's response to a request for production
    in this litigation suggests that Bank of America possessed the back side of two money
    orders at the time of Baker's public records request. Nevertheless, no facts before us
    establish that Bank of America possessed, at the time of the request, copies of any other
    records, including back or front sides of money orders, sought by Baker. A Bank of
    America website page, visited on February 13, 2016, read that the bank makes available
    copies of cancelled checks for "up to 7 years" after their respective postings. CP at 126,
    178. The document does not read that copies are always available for at least seven
    years. Also, Shappa Baker never asked for copies of any cancelled checks. No testimony
    or discovery records establish that the bank's retention policy extended to money orders.
    Shappa Baker enumerates, on his missing list, two pages of documents
    representing a refund on January 20, 2011. Baker fails to sufficiently describe the nature
    or purported contents of the pages. DOC does not indicate whether these purported pages
    exist. Shappa Baker also itemizes, on his missing document list, the second page or back
    side of a March 7, 2013 warrant. Neither party indicates if a warrant's back side includes
    any writing. DOC does not indicate whether a back side with content ever existed.
    15
    No. 34967-5-III
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    DOC denies any obligation to retrieve, from Bank of America, records sought by
    Shappa Baker. DOC emphasizes that any copies scanned or created by the computer
    terminal, through which DOC communicates in cyberspace with Bank of America, are
    not papers in the possession of DOC particularly since the terminal comprises Bank of
    America proprietary software. Nevertheless, DOC delivered copies of three money
    · orders and some deposit slips. We do not know how DOC accessed the Western Union
    slips or money orders. More specifically, we do not know if DOC retrieved the papers
    from Bank of America, whether DOC stored the papers on and retrieved the papers from
    the Bank of America terminal, or whether DOC stored the papers on its own servers.
    The trial court record shows that Ben Estock sought copies of money orders from
    Bank of America. We do not know if other DOC employees requested copies of scanned
    documents from Bank of America. DOC contends that Estock went beyond the
    department's duty when seeking records from Bank of America, but DOC does not
    explain why Estock contacted Bank of America to retrieve records if the department had
    no obligation to perform this task.
    DOC avers that it provided accurate copies of all documents as they existed at the
    time of the public records request. When making this representation, DOC does not
    disclose whether it provided the requested negotiable instruments that DOC earlier
    scanned and sent to Bank of America. We question how DOC would have any money
    order and Western Union transfer records in its direct possession if it scanned all
    16
    No. 34967-5-111
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    negotiable instruments, deposit slips, and money orders, sent the scanned records to Bank
    of America, and then destroyed the originals. DOC does not inform this court as to
    which of the items on Baker's missing list it insists it timely provided to Baker, which
    items neither DOC nor Bank of America possessed at the time of the public records
    request, and which items Bank of America may have possessed but DOC did not directly
    possess at the time of the public records request.
    We now turn to summary judgment principles. This court reviews a summary
    judgment order de novo, engaging in the same inquiry as the trial court. Highline School
    District No. 401 v. Port of Seattle, 
    87 Wn.2d 6
    , 15, 
    548 P.2d 1085
     (1976); Mahoney v.
    Shinpoch, 
    107 Wn.2d 679
    ,683, 
    732 P.2d 510
     (1987). Summary judgment is proper ifthe
    records on file with the trial court show no genuine issue as to any material fact and the
    moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. CR 56(c); Lybbert v. Grant
    County, 
    141 Wn.2d 29
    , 34, 
    1 P.3d 1124
     (2000).
    We also review public agency actions challenged under the Public Records Act de
    novo. RCW 42.56.550(3); Cornu-Labat v. Hospital District No. 2, 
    177 Wn.2d 221
    ,229,
    
    298 P.3d 741
     (2013). An appellate court stands in the same position as the trial court
    when the record consists entirely of documentary evidence and affidavits. Cornu-Labat
    v. Hospital District No. 2, 
    177 Wn.2d at 229
    . When, because of unanswered factual
    questions, this court cannot determine whether genuine issues of material fact require a
    trial, this court will vacate any summary judgment order and remand for further
    17
    No. 34967-5-III
    Baker v. Dep 't of Corr.
    proceedings. Kilcullen v. Calbom & Schwab, PSC, 
    177 Wn. App. 195
    ,202,
    312 P.3d 60
    (2013).
    Either Shappa Baker or DOC may later be entitled to a summary judgment order.
    Nevertheless, the many anomalies we list and the many questions we pose disable this
    court from determining whether any party deserves a summary judgment order, and, if so,
    which party. Eventually, a trial may be needed.
    CONCLUSION
    We vacate the summary judgment order dismissing Shappa Baker's complaint.
    We remand to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
    A majority of the panel has determined this opinion will not be printed in the
    Washington Appellate Reports, but it will be filed for public record pursuant to RCW
    2.06.040.
    Fearmg, C.
    WE CONCUR:
    Pennell, J.
    18