(Download) "Gracia v. Bittner" by New Mexico Court of Appeals * Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Gracia v. Bittner
- Author : New Mexico Court of Appeals
- Release Date : January 26, 1995
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 57 KB
Description
Every litigated case is tried at least three times: there is the trial the attorneys intended to conduct; there is the trial the attorneys actually conducted; and there is the trial that, after the verdict, the attorneys wished they had conducted. The questions we address in this case revolve around the extent to which, on appeal of a civil case, an appellate court may review the trial the attorneys wish they had conducted. This case was originally part of our expedited-bench-decision program. Due to the importance of the issues involved, however, we removed the case from the program pursuant to paragraph four of the order adopting it. See In re Court of Appeals Caseload , No. 1-19, Filed Mar. 3, 1993 [reprinted at Vol. 32, No. 25, SBB Section A at 4-5, and Bar Journal, Jan.-Feb. 1995 ed., page 59]. We hold that the issues properly brought to the trial court's attention do not result in reversible error. We also hold that the remaining issues do not fall within the limited circumstances in which an appellate court may review issues raised for the first time on appeal in civil cases. Accordingly, we affirm. Factual and Procedural Background This case arose out of a landlord/tenant dispute. Defendant owns over fifty rental units in New Mexico, most of which are inexpensive units that he rents to people of Hispanic origin or heritage, many of whom receive public assistance. Plaintiff and Defendant entered into an oral agreement pursuant to which Plaintiff would be a handyman for one of Defendant's premises and, in exchange, Plaintiff would receive a daily fee plus living quarters. Shortly after this arrangement began, Defendant was unsatisfied with Plaintiff's work. The evidence was disputed regarding with how much certainty Defendant told Plaintiff of this dissatisfaction and regarding what the parties agreed to do about it. It will suffice to say that Defendant testified that he told Plaintiff to leave, and Plaintiff testified that he was still working in and around the premises and was trying to negotiate rent when the events giving rise to this case occurred. Those events were that, while Plaintiff was out of town and his young son with whom he lived was at school, Defendant used his pass key to enter Plaintiff's apartment; Defendant removed all of Plaintiff's and his son's belongings and put them in the parking lot; Defendant put a sign on the apartment saying that the property was moved by police order and that trespassers were not allowed in the apartment; Defendant watched as people browsed through Plaintiff's property; Defendant watched as Plaintiff's son came home from school to this scene; and Defendant made racial slurs about ""Mexicans"" when questioned about what he had done.