Opinion ID: 2621912
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Whether certain real parties in interest have a beneficial interest in obtaining writ relief

Text: Whether ANSE, MS Concrete, Pratt Development, and Dean Roofing have standing to seek extraordinary writ relief from this court is essentially a question of whether those subcontractors have a sufficient beneficial interest in obtaining writ relief. [13] According to real parties in interest, ANSE, MS Concrete, Pratt Development, and Dean Roofing lack a sufficient beneficial interest to seek writ relief with respect to real parties in interest's district court complaint because in it they assert claims against only Del Webb entities. As they have not asserted any causes of action against ANSE, MS Concrete, Pratt Development, and Dean Roofing, who are third-party defendants below, real parties in interest contend that those subcontractors lack a sufficient beneficial interest in obtaining relief with respect to petitioners' claims against Del Webb. A beneficial interest is a `direct and substantial interest that falls within the zone of interests to be protected by the legal duty asserted' [; thus] `the writ must be denied if the petitioner will gain no direct benefit from its issuance and suffer no direct detriment if it is denied.' [14] ANSE, as the subcontractor that initiated the partial summary judgment motion in the district court, which Del Webb joined, and MS Concrete, Pratt Development, and Dean Roofing ostensibly will directly benefit from obtaining the writ relief that they seek. [15] In particular, Del Webb's third-party complaint, in part, seeks indemnification and contribution from those subcontractors for any damages that the district court determines Del Webb owes to real parties in interest. If those subcontractors successfully demonstrate that up to approximately 700 of over 1,200 real parties in interest are not entitled to the remedies of Nevada's residential constructional defect statutes, the potential amount of any damages that the district court determines Del Webb owes could be significantly reduced. This may correspondingly reduce the potential amount of any indemnification or contribution that the district court determines the subcontractors owe to Del Webb based on its third-party complaint against them. It thus appears that ANSE, MS Concrete, Pratt Development, and Dean Roofing may gain a direct benefit from this court's issuance of a writ of mandamus in this case. Accordingly, those petitioners have standing to seek our intervention by way of extraordinary relief.