MICHAEL S. SPEARMAN, J.
Appellant Holden McDaniel Partners, LLC (HM) brought claims against the City of Arlington, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company, and the developers of the neighboring property, Gleneagle, for designing, developing, operating and maintaining a stormwater management system that caused stormwater runoff and flooding on HM's property. The trial court dismissed HM's claims on summary judgment based on a release agreement executed by the parties, the statute of limitations, and HM's failure to establish damages. Because the trial court erred in dismissing HM's claims based on the release agreement and because there are disputed issues of material fact as to whether HM established its claimed damages, we reverse the trial court on those issues. We otherwise affirm.
Appellant Holden-McDaniel Partners, LLC ("HM") owns property in Arlington, Washington, at 18520 67th Avenue North (Property). HM purchased the Property in 1986 and manufactured steel under the company name HCI Steel Products, Inc. The Property was bordered by a forested hill to the east and by railroad tracks on the west. There was a culvert on the Property that carried drainage from the eastern slope across the Property and discharged it into a ditch near a right-of-way belonging to respondent BNSF. The water then passed through a culvert under the right-of-way and flowed to the south.
Beginning in the 1980s, the area east of the Property was being developed into a residential community and golf course known as Gleneagle. In 1989, respondents Woodland Ridge, Kajima Development Corp., and Arlington Country Club, Inc. (WRJV) purchased the development rights to Gleneagle. Respondent City of Arlington (City) and WRJV entered into a rezone contract where WRJV paid the City to upgrade the downstream stormwater system to accommodate the increased stormwater runoff from the project. The Property flooded in November 1990, when the stormwater retention pond to the east (W-1) overflowed. The same thing happened in December 1994, November 1995, and December of 1996.
In 1994, WRJV enlisted Triad Engineering (Triad) to develop a master drainage plan for Gleneagle. Triad determined that the existing facilities were insufficient and on February 2, 1995, contacted the City to suggest that an enhanced system be constructed on HM's property. At that time, HM had submitted plans for a new manufacturing building. It is unclear from the record whether HM had agreed to accommodate the runoff from Gleneagle as well as its own stormwater issues. Eventually HM agreed to move the existing culvert south and installed it "at a steeper slope and with an inlet configuration which allowed for greater surcharging at the upstream end. . . ." Clerk's Papers (CP) at 1185. But it refused to install a larger pipe because it would protrude above ground and make the area unusable.
The City issued a permit for HM's proposed new building but withheld authorization to begin construction because HM would not install a pipe with greater carrying capacity. On May 5, 1995, HM filed suit under Snohomish County Superior Court cause No. 95-2-03498-3 against the City for damages resulting from the delay in permitting and withholding of construction (Permit Lawsuit). HM brought statutory claims under RCW 64.40.020, which allows an action "for damages to obtain relief from acts of an agency which are arbitrary, capricious, unlawful, or exceed lawful authority," and under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for denial of substantive due process.
A few days later, HM filed suit against WRJV and other developers under cause No. 95-2-03599-8 for failing to implement an appropriate stormwater collection, retention, and discharge system and causing surface water to be discharged onto the Property (Flooding Lawsuit). On July 7, 1995, HM added the City as a defendant in the Flooding Lawsuit, in which its claims against the City mirrored those contained in the Claim for Damages. On August 31, 1995, the court granted the City's motion to consolidate the two lawsuits under cause No. 95-2-03599-8.
In September 1995, the City granted HM's building permit in exchange for a prescriptive drainage easement across the Property. On September 26, 1995, HM executed a hold harmless agreement in favor of the City "to the extent that a 24" x 36" drainpipe is inadequate to handle the flow of surface water legally conveyed to [HM's] property. . . ." CP at 1364. Also in 1995, WRJV enlisted Higa Engineering to design an additional upstream detention facility known as pond W-2. The pond was constructed and finished in 1996.
On November 24, 1998, HM and the City reached a settlement in which HM agreed to release certain of its claims against the City (Release). On motion of the court clerk, the consolidated lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice for want of prosecution in 2000.
In 1999 the City installed a second culvert under the railroad tracks to alleviate backwatering. In 2001, the City retained Earth Tech to design a 67th Avenue improvement project that involved widening the roadway and redirecting the outflows from W-1. Earth Tech designed a v-notched weir that would limit the flow to HM, and excess water was rerouted to a new facility north of 188th Street known as the Triangle pond. As part of the improvements, HM requested that the City lower the road near the north building in order to better accommodate its trucks.
HM experienced no flooding at all on its property from 2003 until 2009, when flooding occurred after a series of storms. Also in that year, HM replaced its onsite filtration system. In 2007, the business was sold to Bluescope Buildings North America, Inc. (BBNA). BBNA leased the Property and facilities from HM until 2012 when the parties reached an agreement releasing BBNA from the lease in exchange for $2.6 million.
In January 2011, HM filed suit against the City, WRJV and other Gleneagle investors, alleging that the developers were negligent in their design and maintenance of Gleneagle's stormwater system. HM also claimed that the City was negligent in its design, construction, and maintenance of the stormwater facilities that receive water from Gleneagle, and for reviewing and approving Gleneagle's permit and design. HM also brought an inverse condemnation claim against the City.
HM alleged that the City's negligence had caused increased flooding of the Property, which constituted an ongoing nuisance as well as past trespass of surface waters and the threat of future trespass. HM claimed that it had incurred clean up and restoration costs for past floods and was facing a loss of over $6 million if it were to lose its lease with BBNA due to flooding. In 2012, HM added BNSF as a defendant, claiming that BNSF had contributed to the increased flooding by failing to maintain its portions of the stormwater system.
The parties brought multiple motions for summary judgment in early 2015. The trial court dismissed each of HM's claims that arose from alleged conduct by the City and WRJV that occurred before May 5, 1995, concluding that the Release precluded any liability on those claims. The court also found that res judicata barred the assertion of HM's claims against the City and WRJV that arose before November 24, 1998, the date the Release was signed. The court also dismissed HM's claims against the City and WRPV because it found that HM's evidence failed to establish an issue of material fact as to its claimed damages. The court dismissed HM's intentional tort claims for nuisance and trespass, concluding that those claims were subsumed within HM's negligence claims. It also dismissed the claims against BNSF, finding that they were precluded by the statute of limitations. Finally, the court excluded a letter offered by HM in support of its damages claim, concluding that it was inadmissible hearsay. HM appeals these rulings.
We review a trial court's grant of summary judgment de novo.
The Release first states that for the sole consideration of $750,000, HM discharges:
CP at 1107. Next, the Release explicitly provides that any claims related to future flooding on HM's property are excluded from the release, unless they fall within a specific exception. It states:
It is abundantly clear from this language that the Release does not apply to any future claims that HM might have regarding flooding on its property, unless the claims arise from conduct described in the cause No. 95-2-03498-3 complaint. At issue is what conduct the parties intended to describe by reference to that complaint.
We interpret settlement agreements the same way as other contracts.
HM contends that the reference in the Release to the Permit Lawsuit complaint is to the conduct described in the complaint, that is, claims for flooding damages arising out of the City's alleged wrongful withholding of HM's authorization to begin construction. The City and WRJV contend the reference is to the conduct described in the complaint
HM disputes that the Claim for Damages was attached to the complaint. And even if it was attached, HM disputes that the document falls within the reach of CR 10(c). They also contend the Claim for Damages was filed for the sole purpose of providing the City with the statutorily required 60-day notice of HM's claims against it. (
We first address the City and WRJV's reliance on CR 10(c) to argue that as a matter of law the Claim for Damages was incorporated into the Permit Lawsuit complaint. We conclude that their reliance is misplaced. CR 10(c) states:
Citing
The City and WRJV nevertheless argue for an expansive view of the definition of "written instrument" as that term is used in CR 10(c), but they cite no Washington authority in support of that position. Instead, they rely on a number of federal cases citing to the similarly worded Fed. R. Civ. P. 10(c). For example, they note that in
Neither the City nor WRJV explain how the Claim for Damages purportedly attached to the Permit Lawsuit complaint falls within the definition of a written instrument as expressed by our supreme court in
Next, the City and WRJV argue vigorously that we should interpret the Release to include the claims in the Flooding Lawsuit because otherwise, in their view, "the settlement agreement makes virtually no sense[.]" Br. of the City at 27.
Despite the unambiguous clarity of the language in the Release, the City and WRJV argue that we must take into account what, in their view, the settlement agreement was intended to accomplish. The City points out that in reaching the agreement it intended to "end[] the litigation, including future claims related to `permanent or progressive damage' arising out of the litigated subject matter." Br. of the City at 30. But to the extent the City believed the Release included all future flooding damage on HM's property without exception, that belief is in direct contradiction to the plain language in the Release. The Release provides "[t]his Release
Accordingly, we hold the trial court erred in denying HM's motion for summary judgment dismissal of the affirmative defense of release and in granting dismissal of HM's claims on that ground.
Res judicata prohibits a party from bringing a claim already litigated or a claim that could have been litigated in a prior action.
The parties do not appear to dispute that there was no judgment on the merits entered in this case. After the Release was signed the parties took no further action with regard to obtaining a judgment. Instead, the case was dismissed without prejudice on the court clerk's motion "for want of prosecution" pursuant to CR 41(b)(2). It is well settled that a dismissal order entered without prejudice will not support a res judicata defense because it is not a final judgment.
Nevertheless, the City and WRJV argue that the prior settlement "ended the litigation for all intents and purposes." Br. of City at 37-38. Citing
Despite its broad language, the City and WRJV's reliance on
Furthermore, regardless of whether res judicata applies, it is well settled that the law favors private settlements of disputes and is inclined to view them with finality.
HM argues that the trial court erred when it entered partial summary judgment with regard to damages. The trial court concluded that HM could not establish any flooding damages because there was no net increase in frequency of flooding after 1995. Relying on HM's expert witness, Malcolm Leytham, the court found that prior to the development of Gleneagle, HM's property flooded at a rate of once every 25 years. By 1995, however, after the development of Gleneagle and the construction of Pond W-1, HM's property flooded at a rate of once every three years. By 1998, following installation of Pond W-2 and the 36" × 24" pipe across HM's property, the flood rate was reduced to once every 15 years. But, after additional work by the City, including installation of Triangle Pond and lowering 67th Avenue, the flooding worsened to once every ten years by 2003 . The court concluded, however, that because flooding once every ten years was better than once every three years, "no rational trier of fact could find that [HM] suffered flooding damage more severe than was negotiated for in the prior litigation." CP at 24. The City and WRJV adopt this reasoning on appeal.
HM argues that there are disputed issues of material fact about whether the City is responsible for the improvement from every three year flooding to every fifteen year flooding. It points to evidence that the improvement was due primarily, if not solely, to HM's installation of the larger 36" × 24" pipe and relocating it to a steeper slope.
HM argues that its claims for trespass should not have been dismissed because there is an issue of material fact as to whether WRJV intended to flood the Property, stating that WRJV knew it's conduct was "`substantially certain'" to result in flooding, or that there was a high probability of increased flooding. Br. of HM at 41. To establish intentional trespass, a plaintiff must show (1) an invasion of property affecting an interest in exclusive possession; (2) an intentional act; (3) reasonable foreseeability the act would disturb the plaintiff's possessory interest; and (4) actual and substantial damages.
HM argues that the City and WRJV had "intent" because they knew that their actions were "`substantially certain'" to result in flooding because the City authorized the W2 pond to discharge at a rate greater than the known capacity of the culvert located on the Property. HM is essentially arguing that the City and WRJV knew that the culvert was insufficient and failed to take that into account when it designed and implemented the various elements of a stormwater management system. A claim for failure to act sounds in negligence and does not support the intentional act needed for trespass.
HM argues that the trial court erred when it found that BNSF had no statutory or common law duty to accept water from upstream entities and dismissed its negligence claims against BNSF. According to HM, by voluntarily allowing the City and Gleneagle to use the ditch as a stormwater disposal facility, BNSF assumed a duty to maintain the ditch in good repair. BNSF argues that it has no duty to HM nor did it assume one when it allowed the ditch to be used for disposal of surface water.
In order to bring a claim for negligence, a plaintiff must first establish that a legal duty exists.
HM cites
HM argues that the distinction makes no difference, quoting
HM argues that the trial court erroneously excluded a letter from BBNA's counsel that indicated that it would no longer make payments on its lease and notified HM of its potential claims related to flooding. HM argues that the letter falls within the business records exception listed in RCW 5.45.020. The trial court was not persuaded that it was a business record.
We use the de novo standard of review when reviewing all trial court rulings made in conjunction with a summary judgment motion.
WRJV argues that the letter was properly excluded as hearsay and does not fall within the exception for business records. We agree. There is no statement from a records custodian or other qualified witness about its identity or that it had been made in the usual course of business at or near the time of the act in question. Neither the attorney's affidavit, nor the date of the letter, supply the missing pieces or provide the inherent reliability necessary to satisfy the exception. The trial court properly excluded the evidence as hearsay.
BNSF asks for an award of costs on appeal; upon submission of a cost bill, we award BNSF its costs under RAP 14.2. Because WRJV is not the prevailing party its request for fees and costs, pursuant to RAP 18.1 and RAP 14.3 is denied.
Reversed in part and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
JAMES VERELLEN, and MARLIN APPELWICK, JJ., we concurs.