Opinion ID: 673834
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: dismissal of utility's counterclaim

Text: 31 The district court allowed the Utility to amend its answer to include a counterclaim in condemnation. The counterclaim was served on the attorneys for the United States and the Tribe. The court dismissed the claim for failure to serve the individual Indian allottees of the land the Utility sought to condemn. The Utility contends dismissal was improper because the United States represented both the Tribe and the allottees. We agree. When a party is represented by an attorney, service on that attorney is proper service. Fed.R.Civ.P. 5(b). The United States has discretion to represent the individual Indian allottees under 25 U.S.C. Sec. 175. Siniscal v. United States, 208 F.2d 406, 410 (9th Cir.1953). The record establishes the United States and the Tribe represented all the Indian landowners in the case. 17 On remand, the district court should consider whether the Utility can state a claim for condemnation. 18