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IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO 1 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE 2 OF JOE D. WHITTENBURG, JR., 3 Deceased. 4 GINGER BOONE, 5 Personal Representative-Appellant, 6 and NO. 35,590 7 WANDA WHITTENBURG, 8 Intervenor-Appellee. 9 APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF ROOSEVELT COUNTY 10 Donna J. Mowrer, District Judge 11 Steven K. Sanders & Associates, L.L.C. 12 Steven K. Sanders 13 Albuquerque, NM 14 for Appellant 15 Hinkle Shanor LLP 16 Stephen S. Shanor 17 Albuquerque, NM 18 for Appellee 19 MEMORANDUM OPINION 202 VIGIL, Chief Judge. 1 {1} Appellant has challenged the dismissal of the underlying probate proceedings. 2 We previously issued a notice of proposed summary disposition in which we proposed 3 to uphold the district court’s disposition. Memoranda in support and in opposition 4 have been filed. After due consideration, we affirm. 5 {2} The pertinent background has previously been set forth. We will avoid undue 6 reiteration here, focusing instead on the content of the memorandum in opposition. 7 {3} Appellant continues to argue that the district court erred in dismissing in 8 deference to the previously-filed Texas proceedings. We understand her to assert that 9 our proposed reliance upon principles of j udicial deference, as set forth in FastBucks 10 of Roswell, New Mexico, LLC v. King , 2013-NMCA-008, 294 P. 3d 1287, is improper 11 for two reasons: first, because she is not a party to the Texas litigation, and second, 12 because the equities should favor her choice of forum. [MIO 1-8] For the reasons that 13 follow, we remain unpersuaded. 14 {4} We acknowledge that Appellant may not be a party to the Texas proceedings 15 at this juncture. However, as the district court observed, those proceedings are 16 ongoing, and Appellant is at lib erty to intervene in order to present her claims. [RP 17 365] Appellant does not dispute this. [MIO 1-8] Accordingly, Appellant “has the 18 opportunity to raise the same arguments” in that forum. Id. ¶ 11. We further note that 193 the district court took the additional precautionary step of dismissing without 1 prejudice, to ensure that Appellant may further pursue her claims here in the unlikely 2 event that she should be precluded from so doing in Texas. [RP 368] Under the 3 circumstances, the fact that Appellant has yet to take steps to participate in the Texas 4 proceedings does not alter our assessment. 5 {5} Appellant further contends that her status as the first-appointed personal 6 representative, and her alleged status as the decedent’s common-law wife, should 7 entitle her to pursue her claims in New Mexico, as her forum of choice. [MIO 3-5] 8 Relatedly, she argues that a variety of factors associated with the doctrine of forum 9 non conveniens weigh in her favor. [MIO 5-8] However, as we previously observed, 10 [CN 5] Appellant has cited no authority to suggest that her status should preclude 11 application of the broad principles of comity and deference upon which the district 12 court relied. The doctrine of forum non conveniens, which was neither invoked nor 13 applied below, does not re quire a different result. 14 {6} Accordingly, for the reasons statedabove and in the notice of proposed 15 summary disposition, we conclude that the district court’s election to defer to the 16 Texas proceedings was well within its discretion. We therefore affirm. 17 IT IS SO ORDERED. 18

_________________________________ 19 MICHAEL E. VIGIL, Chief Judge 204 WE CONCUR: 1

____________________________ 2 M. MONICA ZAMORA, Judge 3

____________________________ 4 J. MILES HANISEE, Judge 5