Simpler v. Lowrey

316 N.W.2d 330, 1982 N.D. LEXIS 214

• Court: North Dakota Supreme Court
• Decided: February 24, 1982
• Docket: Civ. 10010
• Status: Published

Opinions

PAULSON, Justice.

Palmer Simpler appeals from an order granting summary judgment entered by the District Court of Billings County on March 26, 1981. The appellees have moved for dismissal of the appeal. We grant the motion to dismiss the appeal.

Palmer and Margaret Simpler, husband and wife, commenced an action in the District Court of Billings County to recover additional moneys from the conveyance of mineral deeds, or, in the alternative, to restore ownership of certain mineral rights to Palmer and Margaret Simpler. Palmer and Margaret Simpler had conveyed certain mineral rights to Les Lowrey in April of 1979. Lowrey subsequently conveyed a portion of the Simpler mineral rights to George H. Fentress and George A. Bernat.

Margaret Simpler died on July 3, 1980, while the action in the district court was pending. Palmer Simpler appealed from the district court’s order of March 26, 1981. Palmer Simpler died on May 30, 1981, after the notice of appeal had been filed.

On September 24, 1981; the appellees filed a written suggestion upon the record of the deaths of Margaret Simpler and Palmer Simpler.

On October 27, 1981, the appellees filed with this court a motion to dismiss the appeal, based on the fact that the plaintiffs had both died and there had been no substitution of parties pursuant to Rule 43 of the North Dakota Rules of Appellate Procedure. On January 4, 1982, counsel for the appellant filed a motion to substitute Inez E. Ulrich Saunders, the personal representative for the Margaret Simpler and Palmer Simpler Estates, as the party plaintiff and appellant. The appellees have filed a brief in resistance to this motion.

Initially, we note that Margaret Simpler has been treated as an appellant by counsel for both sides in this case., However, Margaret Simpler died prior to the filing of the notice of appeal, and the notice of appeal was filed in the name of Palmer Simpler only. Margaret Simpler has never been a party to this appeal, and the failure to substitute a party on her behalf has no effect on this appeal whatsoever.

In discussing the appellees’ motion to dismiss, we first note that substitution of parties on appeal is governed by Rule 43, N.D. R.App.P., which provides, in part:

“RULE 43 — SUBSTITUTION OF PARTIES

“(a) Death of a party. If a party dies after a notice of appeal is filed or while a proceeding is otherwise pending in the supreme court, the personal representative of the deceased party may be substituted as a party on motion filed by the representative or by any party with the clerk of the supreme court. The motion of a party shall be served upon the personal representative in accordance with the provisions of Rule 25. If the deceased party has no personal representative, any party may suggest the death on the record and proceedings shall then be had as the supreme court may direct_”

The appellees mistakenly assume that the reference to “Rule 25” in Rule 43(a), N.D.R. App.P., refers to Rule 25 of the North Dakota Rules of Civil Procedure, and they therefore conclude that Rule 43 is “based upon” Rule 25 of the Civil Rules. They then point to the following language of Rule 25, N.D.R.Civ.P., to support their contention that dismissal is mandatory:

“RULE 25 — SUBSTITUTION OF PARTIES

“(a) Death. (1) ... Unless the motion for substitution is made not later than 90 days after the death is suggested upon the record by service of a statement of the fact of the death as provided herein for the service of the motion, the action shall be dismissed as to the deceased party.” [Emphasis added.]

The contention of the appellees is premised upon the mistaken assumption that Rule 43, N.D.R.App.P., is “based upon” Rule 25 of the North Dakota Rules of Civil Procedure. Rule 43, N.D.R.App.P., is based upon Rule 43 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. Furthermore, the reference in Rule 43 to “Rule 25” is referring to Rule 25 of the North Dakota Rules of Appellate Procedure, and relates to the method of service of the motion for substitution of parties. It is only a coincidence that Rule 25, N.D.R.Civ.P., deals with substitution of parties at the trial court level; this Rule has no application to substitution of parties on appeal, which is governed by Rule 43, N.D.R.App.P.

Although Rule 25 of the North Dakota Rules of Civil Procedure provides for mandatory dismissal of the action if a party is not substituted within 90 days after suggestion of the death upon the record, Rule 43 of the North Dakota Rules of Appellate Procedure does not contain a mandatory dismissal provision. A Federal court, construing the corresponding Federal Rule, Rule 43, F.R.App.P., has also concluded that dismissal is not mandatory when there has been failure to substitute a party on appeal. Gamble v. Thomas, 655 F.2d 568, 569 (5th Cir. 1981).¹ We therefore conclude that dismissal is not warranted in this case for failure to substitute parties.

Although we find that the failure to substitute parties does not warrant dismissal, we conclude that dismissal of the appeal is nevertheless required on jurisdictional grounds. Even though the appellees have not raised the issue of the appealability of the order for summary judgment, it is the duty of this court to dismiss the appeal on our own motion if we conclude that it is not an appealable order. Chas. F. Ellis Agency, Inc. v. Berg, 214 N.W.2d 507, 509 (N.D.1974); Trautman v. Keystone Development Corp., 156 N.W.2d 817, 819 (N.D. 1968).

The appellant appealed from the order of the district court granting summary judgment and dismissing the action. We recently addressed the issue of appealability of orders granting summary judgment in First National Bank of Hettinger v. Dangerud, 316 N.W.2d 102 (N.D.1982). In Dangerud, supra 316 N.W.2d at 104, we held that an order granting summary judgment is an intermediate order and is not appealable. See also Gebeke v. Arthur Mercantile Co., 138 N.W.2d 796, 797 (N.D.1965).

This court has also held that an order dismissing an action is not appealable. City of Minot v. Minot Highway Center, Inc., 120 N.W.2d 597, 598-599 (N.D.1963); Landowski v. Forx Motor Co., 85 N.W.2d 422 (N.D. 1957); Malherek v. City of Fargo, 49 N.D. 123, 190 N.W. 176 (1922).

The order in this case, granting the motion for summary judgment and dismissing the action, is not an appealable order. We are therefore without jurisdiction to hear the appeal, and the appeal is dismissed without prejudice to an appeal being taken from a judgment when the same is rendered pursuant to the North Dakota Rules of Appellate Procedure. See particularly Rules, 3, 4, and 7, N.D.R.App.P.

ERICKSTAD, C. J., and PEDERSON and VANDE WALLE, JJ., concur.

1 . We note that in Gamble v. Thomas, supra, the court did dismiss the appeal. Upon close examination of the facts, however, it is readily apparent that the court went to great lengths in attempting to preserve the appeal. After learning of the appellant’s death, the court, on its own initiative, directed the clerk to write to each known living relative and friend of the decedent in an effort to determine if any person wished to be substituted as a party to the appeal. The court received no response indi-

eating that anyone desired to further prosecute the appeal.

The court then noted that Rule 43, F.R. App.P., provides that, if no personal representative is known to exist, “proceedings shall then be had as the court of appeals may direct”. The court determined that this Rule implied the power to dismiss the appeal when no personal representative was known to exist, and concluded that dismissal was appropriate in the circumstances presented in the case at bar.

We note that in the instant case a personal representative is known to exist, and the portion of Rule 43 relied upon by the Gamble court is therefore inapplicable.