Opinion by
In this dispute over management of a residential rental property, Barbara Wahrman, the owner and landlord, pеtitions under C.AR. 4.2 for interlocutory review of the district court's order that the economic loss rule barred her breach of fiduciary duty and negligence claims against defendants, Golden
I. Background
Defendants acted as Wahrman's broker in leasing and managing her property. According to Wahrmаn, the tenants significantly damaged the property, during and in connection with termination of the tenancy. She alleges that defendants are lable for this damage because they: obtained an adverse credit report on thе tenants, but failed to inform Wahrman; inspected the property, but failed to note the damage; "consented tо various violations of the lease"; and advocated on the tenants' behalf, "against the interests of Wahrman." Based on these allegations, Wahrman asserted claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligence.
On defendants' Motion for Determination of Question of Law, the trial court requested briefing on the economic loss rule. The court held that this rule barred the breach of fiduciary duty and negligence claims. It granted Wahrmаn's Motion for Interlocutory Appeal, without making any findings.
II. Law
C.A.R. 4.2 provides, in pertinent part:
(a) Discretionary Interlocutory Appeals. Upon certification by the trial court, or stipulation of all parties, the court of appeals may, in its discretion, allоw an interlocutory appeal of an order in a civil action....
(b) Grounds for Granting Interlocutory Appeal. Grоunds for certifying and allowing an interlocutory appeal are:
(1) Where immediate review may promote а more orderly disposition or establish a final disposition of the litigation; and
(2) The order involves a controlling and unresolved question of law. For purposes of this rule, an "unresolved question of law" is a question that has not been resоlved by the Colorado Supreme Court or determined in a published decision of the Colorado Court of Appеals, or a question of federal law that has not been resolved by the United States Supreme Court.
Thus, we may grant an interlocutory appeal when (1) immediate review may promote a more orderly disposition or establish a final disposition of the litigation, (2) the order from which an appeal is sought involves a controlling question of law, аnd (8) the order from which an appeal is sought involves an unresolved question of law. See Tomar Development, Inc. v. Bent Tree, LLC,
III. Application
A. Controlling and Unresolved Question of Law
Here, whether the economic loss rule applies to claims regarding the duties a residential broker owes to a landlord appears to be a question of first impression in Colorado. Thus, we will assume that the order at issue involves an unresolved question of law.
However, Wahrman's petition does not offer a definition of "controlling." See Adams,
B. May Promote a More Orderly Disposition
The petition asserts that immediate review may promote a more оrderly disposi
Further, the record shоws why interlocutory review of the economic loss ruling would not "promote a more orderly disposition" of this litigatiоn. Resolution of this question will not avoid a trial. And whether the case is tried only on the contract claim or on the dismissеd claims as well, the evidence of economic loss-damage to the property-will be the same. According to the petition, Wahrman has obtained a judgment against the tenants of $26,839.68, which was discharged in bankruptcy. Likewise, the evidence of defendants' alleged maifeasance-for example, failure to note the damage to the property during inspections or inform Wahrman of tenants' poor credit rating, and acceding to tenants' breaches of the lease-would be the same. Therefore, we conclude that interlocutory resolution of the economic loss question would not promote a more orderly disposition of this litigation.
IV. Conclusion
The petition is denied, and the appeal is dismissed.
Notes
. Where "therе is no just reason for delay," such a ruling may be certifiable as a final judgment under C.RC.P. 54(b) and thus appealable. Some overlap exists between C.R.C.P. 54(b) and C.A.R. 4.2, but C.A.R. 4.2 imposes additional restrictions.
