Opinion ID: 2783518
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Acceptance of the Federal Question

Text: [¶13] “Title 4 M.R.S. § 57 authorizes, but does not require, us to consider a certified question of state law posed by a federal court in certain circumstances.” Fortin v. Titcomb, 2013 ME 14, ¶ 3, 60 A.3d 765. “We may consider the merits of a certified question from the United States District Court and, in our discretion, provide an answer if (1) there is no dispute as to the material facts at issue; (2) there is no clear controlling precedent; and (3) our answer, in at least one alternative, would be determinative of the case.” Dinan v. Alpha Networks Inc., 2013 ME 22, ¶ 11, 60 A.3d 792. [¶14] We have stated that “wherever reasonably possible, the state court of last resort should be given opportunity to decide state law issues on which there are 8 no state precedents which are controlling or clearly indicative of the developmental course of the state law” because this approach (1) tend[s] to avoid the uncertainty and inconsistency in the exposition of state law caused when federal [c]ourts render decisions of [s]tate law which have an interim effectiveness until the issues are finally settled by the state court of last resort; and (2) minimize[s] the potential for state-federal tensions arising from actual, or fancied, federal [c]ourt efforts to influence the development of [s]tate law. Id. ¶ 12 (quotation marks omitted). [¶15] Here, there are no material facts in dispute, there is no clear controlling precedent on point, and our answer to the certified question will also be determinative of the case because it will ultimately decide who is entitled to the proceeds of the senior foreclosure sale. Therefore, we agree to consider this certified question.