Opinion ID: 2045497
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Heading: Legal Principles Governing Intervention.

Text: Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 75 provides for intervention by right: Any person interested in the subject matter of the litigation, or the success of either party to the action, or against both parties, may intervene at any time before trial begins, by joining with plaintiff or defendant or claiming adversely to both. Iowa R. Civ. P. 75 (emphasis added). Although rule 75 gives a clear right of intervention to a party interested in the litigation, we have said the district court is accorded a certain amount of discretion to deny intervention in proper cases. In re B.B.M., 514 N.W.2d 425, 426 (Iowa 1994); In re Estate of DeVoss, 474 N.W.2d 539, 541 (Iowa 1991). This discretion is not the ability to deny intervention where the prerequisites of rule 75 have been met. Rather, this discretion is to be exercised on the question of whether an intervenor is interested in the litigation. See DeVoss, 474 N.W.2d at 541. One is `interested' under rule 75 if one has a legal right that the proceeding will directly affect.  [1] In re B.B.M., 514 N.W.2d at 427 (emphasis added); accord DeVoss, 474 N.W.2d at 542; In re J.R., 315 N.W.2d at 752. We consider the source of the asserted right. See generally In re B.B.M., 514 N.W.2d at 427-28. An interest that is indirect, remote or conjectural is generally insufficient to support intervention. DeVoss, 474 N.W.2d at 542. On the other hand, a statutory right will support intervention, provided that right will be directly affected by the subject litigation. See, e.g., In re J.R., 315 N.W.2d at 752 (statutory right to be considered for guardianship and custodian supported intervention of right). In addition to the nature of the interest, we consider whether the asserted interest will be impaireddirectly affectedby the disposition of the action in which intervention is sought. See State ex rel. Miles v. Minar, 540 N.W.2d 462, 465 (Iowa App.1995) (interest not sufficient where there was no risk from a practical standpoint that it would be affected by pending action). We review the denial of a motion to intervene for correction of errors at law, giving some deference to the district court's discretion. In re B.B.M., 514 N.W.2d at 426; DeVoss, 474 N.W.2d at 541.