Opinion ID: 886099
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Did the District Court err when it consolidated the probate and guardianship proceedings?

Text: ¶ 14 Consolidation rests in the discretion of the court and will not be overturned absent a clear abuse of discretion. Tribby v. Northwestern Bank of Great Falls (1985), 217 Mont. 196, 208, 704 P.2d 409, 417. To determine whether a district court abused its discretion, we review the case to ascertain whether the court acted arbitrarily without employment of conscientious judgment or exceeded the bounds of reason resulting in substantial injustice. In re Marriage of Moss, 1999 MT 62, ¶ 15, 293 Mont. 500, ¶ 15, 977 P.2d 322, ¶ 15. ¶ 15 The record provides little indication as to the specific date whereon the District Court consolidated the probate and guardianship matters. As Junior points out, on January 26, 2000, in an order utilizing a consolidated caption, the District Court ordered that the outstanding issues in the above-captioned case shall be submitted to Mediation.... Then, on February 9, 2000, the District Court granted Respondents' motion to file discovery responses under an order which referred solely to the probate matter. Finally, on February 23, 2000, the District Court directed the parties to submit proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, and supporting briefs in an order reverting back to the consolidated caption. While this inconsistent practice does create some confusion as to the initial status of the matters, the District Court, on November 28, 2000, found that [t]he above two Causes are interrelated and therefore the Court will address both Causes within these Findings and Conclusions. ¶ 16 Junior argues that the two actions involve clearly different parties and contemplate entirely different legal and factual issues. Therefore, Junior urges us to remand the two causes for separate consideration as [c]onsolidation of the two cases was clearly inappropriate. We disagree. ¶ 17 Rule 42(a), M.R.Civ.P., provides: Consolidation. When actions involving a common question of law or fact are pending before the court, it may order a joint hearing or trial of any or all the matters in issue in the actions; it may order all the actions consolidated; and it may make such orders concerning proceedings therein as may tend to avoid unnecessary costs or delay. ¶ 18 We agree that the probate and guardianship proceedings did not contemplate similar issues at their inception. The guardianship action simply sought a substitution of Alan's legal guardian and an accounting of Alan's estate. On the other hand, the probate action sought to informally probate Senior's will. At this point, the only similarity enjoyed by the separate actions was the parties involved, i.e., each cause pitted Respondents against Junior and concerned Alan in some fashion or another. ¶ 19 However, as the arguments developed in the probate action, it became apparent that a common bond conjoined the two proceedings. That common bond was the ownership interest in the proceeds from the sale of the Sunnyside residence. In the probate action, the parties proffered evidence surrounding four alleged conveyances of the Sunnyside residence. Each respective conveyance contemplated a unique composition of grantees. At least two of the ownership theories implicated Alan's potential interest in the property. Therefore, the accounting and value of Alan's estate had a direct correlation to the District Court's determination regarding the Sunnyside residence. As such, the two actions shared common questions of both law and fact. ¶ 20 Like most discretionary matters, one could probably fashion an argument supporting either perspective. However, the District Court determined that the collective interests would be better served by consolidating the matters. Despite this conclusion, Junior was given every opportunity to participate, and did in fact participate, in every proceeding irrespective of its origin. Consequently, Junior suffered no injustice at the hands of judicial economy. We hold that the District Court did not act arbitrarily or exceed the bounds of reason when it consolidated the two matters.