Opinion ID: 164367
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: analysis

Text: This court is obligated to consider standing questions before reaching the merits of an appeal. Weinman v. Fid. Capital Appreciation Fund (In re Integra Realty Res., Inc.) , 262 F.3d 1089, 1101 (10th Cir. 2001). The party invoking federal jurisdiction bears the burden of establishing his standing. Id. at 1101-02. He must show an injury in fact personal to himself. Hinkson v. Pfleiderer , 729 F.2d 697, 700 (10th Cir. 1984). -5- Mr. Novak has repeatedly disavowed any interest, legal or equitable, in the 1994 Viper automobile at issue in this case. See Affidavit, No. 02-CV-2209, R., Doc. 4 at 1 (“I hereby attest under Oath and Penalty of Perjury that I have never held any ownership to [the] 1994 Dodge Viper . . . .”). The only interest he has asserted in this proceeding is his personal desire not to see the Viper sold and distributed to creditors as part of his bankruptcy estate, because it belonged to his father. This being the case, he fails to show a legally-cognizable injury to himself from the sale of the Viper and therefore lacks standing, as debtor in his bankruptcy case, to prosecute this appeal. Mr. Novak also purports to appear, however, as “authorized agent” of Alfred Novak’s estate. The record indicates that the Viper was titled in the name of the Alfred Novak Living Trust, not in the name of Alfred Novak or his estate. Nothing in Mr. Novak’s briefs indicates that he is trustee of this trust, or for that matter, that he is the personal representative of Alfred Novak’s estate. Recognizing the serious standing problems posed by these facts, we issued an order to show cause why this appeal should not be dismissed for lack of standing. Mr. Novak filed a timely response. Upon consideration of the response, Mr. Novak’s briefs, and the record, we hold that Mr. Novak has failed to demonstrate that he has standing to appeal. Property held in trust generally does not constitute a part of the decedent’s -6- probate estate. See Restatement (Third) of Property: Wills & Other Donative Transfers § 1.1(a), cmt. b. Mr. Novak fails to show that this general rule is inapplicable here. He also fails to demonstrate that his notarized authorization from his brother Paul Novak, purporting, “as a beneficiary of the Estate of Dr. Alfred Novak” to authorize Mr. Novak to “file necessary motions and documents in order to protect the interests of the Estate of Dr. Alfred Novak,” conferred standing on him to appeal on behalf of the aggrieved party, the Alfred Novak Living Trust. See Response to Show Cause Order, Ex. “A,” at 5 (“Authorization”). Mr. Novak’s own affidavit, purporting to appoint himself to represent the Alfred Novak estate in the bankruptcy proceeding, suffers from the same deficiency. In addition, neither of these documents purports to have been executed by the personal representative of the Alfred Novak estate, who would be the appropriate party to bring suits on behalf of the estate to recover property belonging to the estate. See Kos v. Patrons State Bank & Trust Co. (In re Estate of Matthews), 493 P.2d 555, 562 (Kan. 1972). We dispose briefly of the other arguments Mr. Novak raises in support of his standing to appeal. He argues that a finding of “no standing” violates due process because it allows “corrupt” bankruptcy trustees to loot with impunity the estates of the dead. Response to Show Cause Order, at 14. This argument ignores the fact that there is a potential party with standing: the legitimate trustee -7- of the Alfred Novak Living Trust. The only problem is, this trustee is not present in this court to defend the Trust’s interests. There may be many reasons for this, including the devastating findings made against the trustee when he intervened in Mr. Novak’s criminal action in the prior Fed. R. Crim. P. 41(e) proceeding. Mr. Novak also argues that he may represent the trust under the doctrine of jus tertii or “third party standing.” In order to raise a legitimate claim of third party standing, a litigant must satisfy three criteria: The litigant must have suffered an ‘injury in fact,’ thus giving him or her a sufficiently concrete interest in the outcome of the issue in dispute; the litigant must have a close relation to the third party; and there must exist some hindrance to the third party’s ability to protect his or her own interests. Powers v. Ohio, 499 U.S. 400, 411 (1991) (quotations and citations omitted). Mr. Novak’s claim founders on the first and third criteria. Having disclaimed all legal and equitable interest in the automobile, he has no personal “injury in fact” cognizable in this court. He also makes no showing that the Alfred Novak Living Trust has been hindered in representing itself in this action, if it chose to do so. While he claims to represent the Alfred Novak estate, he fails to show that the estate has suffered any “injury in fact,” because there is no indication that the estate (as opposed to the Trust) owned the Viper. Mr. Novak lacks standing to bring these appeals. The appeals are therefore -8- DISMISSED. Mr. Novak’s motion to proceed IFP is GRANTED. Entered for the Court Wade Brorby