FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF LEWISTOWN v

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No. 13866 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF LEWISTOWN, a National Banking Corporation, Plaintiff and Respondent, -vsPHILIP K. FRY and PATRICIA A. FRY, et al., Defendants and Appellants, CULLIGAN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY, a corporation, Third Party Plaintiff and Respondent, -vsPHILIP K. FRY and PATRICIA A. FRY, et al., Third Party Defendants. Appeal from: District Court of the Tenth Judicial District, Honorable LeRoy L. McKinn, Judge presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellants: D. Frank Kampfe, Red Lodge, Montana Gilbert Burdette argued, Red Lodge, Montana For Respondents: Peter L. Rapkoch argued, Lewistown, Montana Bradley B. Parrish, Lewistown, Montana Submitted: January 23, 1978 R Decided: W Filed: MAR - 6 1273 - 6 1978 M r . J u s t i c e Gene B. Daly d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e Court. T h i s i s an a c t i o n of f o r e c l o s u r e of mortgage. Notice of e n t r y of judgment f o r p l a i n t i f f was f i l e d February 9 , 1977, i n t h e D i s t r i c t Court, Fergus County. O A p r i l 11, 1977, n defendants moved t h e t r i a l c o u r t t o v a c a t e and s e t a s i d e a p o r t i o n of t h e judgment. T h i s i s a motion under Rule 52, M.R.Civ.P.,and must be made w i t h i n 10 days a f t e r s e r v i c e of n o t i c e of e n t r y of judgment, a s s t a t e d ,in t h e ~ u l e : "(b) Amendment. Upon motion of a p a r t y made n o t l a t e r than 10 days a f t e r e n t r y of judgment t h e c o u r t may amend i t s f i n d i n g s o r make a d d i t i o n a l f i n d i n g s and may amend t h e judgment accordingly. * * *" The motion h e r e was made 46 days beyond t h e a u t h o r i t y of Rule 52. Since i t was n o t timely made, i t d i d not suspend t h e running of time w i t h i n which t h e defendants a r e permitted t o f i l e t h e i r appeal under Rule 5 , M.R.App.Civ.P., which s t a t e s : "The time w i t h i n which an appeal from a judgment o r an o r d e r must be taken s h a l l be 30 days from t h e e n t r y t h e r e o f , except t h a t i n c a s e s where s e r v i c e of n o t i c e of e n t r y of judgment i s r e q u i r e d by Rule 77(d) of t h e Montana Rules of C i v i l Procedure t h e time s h a l l be 30 days from t h e s e r v i c e of n o t i c e of e n t r y of judgment ** *.'I The r u l e i s s u b j e c t t o o t h e r exceptions t h a t do n o t apply h e r e , such a s when t h e s t a t e of Montana i s a p a r t y . does come under Rule 77(d), M.R.Civ.P., This case and hence a n o t i c e of appeal was mandatory w i t h i n 30 days from f i l i n g of n o t i c e of e n t r y of judgment. A n o t i c e of appeal f i l e d a f t e r t h e 30 day period f a i l s t o v e s t j u r i s d i c t i o n i n t h i s Court and t h i s appeal must be dismissed. Defendant, f o r t h e f i r s t time on t h i s a p p e a l , argues t h a t h i s A p r i l 11, 1977 motion t o v a c a t e was f i l e d and heard pursuant t o Rule 60, M.R.Civ.P. There i s no evidence i n t h e record t h a t defendant ever intended t o proceed under Rule 60. However, had t h i s been t h e case and t h e motion properly pleaded under t h e provisions of Rule 60(a) o r ( b ) , t h e time l i m i t a t i o n mandatory under t h e s e s e c t i o n s i s found i n Rule 6 0 ( c ) , a s amended J u l y 1, 1969. This s e c t i o n of t h e r u l e provides t h a t t h e time l i m i t a t i o n s i n Rule 59, M.R.Civ.P., be followed. f o r motions t o a l t e r o r amend judgments w i l l Rule 59(g), M.R.Civ.P., provides: "A motion t o a l t e r o r amend t h e judgment s h a l l be served not l a t e r than 10 days a f t e r t h e s e r v i c e *." of t h e n o t i c e of t h e e n t r y of t h e judgment ** This Court lacking j u r i s d i c t i o n t o hear t h i s a p p e a l , hereby o r d e r s t h e appeal dismissed. Justice W Concur: e

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