Opinion ID: 2630183
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Does Wife have standing to challenge the appointment of Father as personal representative of the decedent to file a wrongful death claim?

Text: [¶ 4] Father did not raise below the question of whether Wife has standing to challenge his appointment as personal representative. Standing, however, is a jurisdictional issue, and it may be raised at any time. Halliburton Energy Servs., Inc. v. Gunter, 2007 WY 151, ¶ 10, 167 P.3d 645, 649 (Wyo. 2007); Hicks v. Dowd, 2007 WY 74, ¶ 18, 157 P.3d 914, 918 (Wyo.2007). Standing is short for standing to sue, which requires a legally protectable and tangible interest at stake in the litigation. Olsten Staffing Servs., Inc. v. D.A. Stinger Servs., Inc., 921 P.2d 596, 599 (Wyo.1996) (quoting Black's Law Dictionary 1405 (6th ed.1990)). The phrase tangible interest has been equated with the phrase personal stake in the outcome. Goshen Irrigation Dist. v. Wyo. State Bd. of Control, 926 P.2d 943, 947 (Wyo.1996); State ex rel. Bayou Liquors, Inc. v. City of Casper, 906 P.2d 1046, 1048 (Wyo.1995). The person alleging standing must show a perceptible, rather than a speculative harm from the action; a remote possibility of injury is not sufficient to confer standing. Sinclair Oil Corp. v. Wyo. PSC, 2003 WY 22, ¶ 13, 63 P.3d 887, 894-95 (Wyo.2003). Halliburton, 2007 WY 151, ¶ 11, 167 P.3d at 649. The question of standing is a legal issue that we review de novo. Northfork Citizens for Responsible Dev. v. Park County Bd. of County Comm'rs, 2008 WY 88, ¶ 6, 189 P.3d 260, 262 (Wyo.2008); Halliburton, 2007 WY 151, ¶ 10, 167 P.3d at 649. [¶ 5] Father declares that Wife lacks standing to bring this appeal because Wife cannot prove that she will suffer any harm from Father's appointment as personal representative. Although we have said that perceptible harm is an aspect of the concept of standing, we have also used the phrases personal stake in the outcome and tangible interest in describing standing. Jolley v. State Loan & Inv. Bd., 2002 WY 7, ¶ 6, 38 P.3d 1073, 1076 (Wyo.2002). Under those standards, we have no trouble declaring that Wife has standing to challenge Father's appointment. Wife is not only, herself, a potential personal representative and claimant under the wrongful death act, and in first priority as a probate administratora factor that will be discussed in more detail belowbut she is also the mother of the decedent's two daughters, who also are likely claimants under the wrongful death act. Given the complexities of a wrongful death action, and given the factalso to be discussed in more detail belowthat the personal representative under the wrongful death act acts as a trustee for the claimants, Wife certainly has a tangible interest in the determination of who will act as personal representative, and she has a personal stake in the outcome of the petition contest.