Opinion ID: 1686639
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Was the disputed four acre tract part of the homestead of Roland and Marguerite Shows?

Text: The chancellor, in his final judgment, held that the plaintiffs failed to show by clear and convincing evidence an intent on the part of Roland Shows contrary to that expressed by the quitclaim deed itself. The chancellor also held: Additionally, plaintiffs seek cancellation of an instrument to which the Garners are party, and the Garners are not before the Court as parties to this cause; and the Court is of the opinion that the Garners are necessary and indispensable parties to a suit which seeks to cancel a deed to them. This case is controlled by the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 19, [1] which states in part: (a) Persons to Be Joined if Feasible. A person who is subject to the jurisdiction of the court shall be joined as a party in the action if: (1) in his absence complete relief cannot be accorded among those already parties, or (2) he claims an interest relating to the subject of the action and is so situated that the disposition of the action in his absence may (i) as a practical matter impair or impede his ability to protect that interest or (ii) leave any of the persons already parties subject to a substantial risk of incurring double, multiple, or otherwise inconsistent obligations by reason of his claimed interest. If he has not been so joined, the court shall order that he be made a party. If he should join as a plaintiff but refuses to do so, he may be made a defendant or, in a proper case, an involuntary plaintiff. The federal counterpart to Rule 19 has well defined contours. See Provident Tradesmen Bank & Trust Co. v. Patterson, 390 U.S. 102, 88 S.Ct. 733, 19 L.Ed.2d 936 (1968); 3A Moore's Federal Practice (2d Ed. 1984) §§ 19.07-1, et seq., pages 19-120, et seq.; Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure (1972) §§ 1601, et seq. Because it is substantially the same as MRCP Rule 19, this Court looks to Federal Rule 19 and the construction it has been given as guidance for the shaping of our rule. See Stanton & Associates v. Bryant Const. Co., 464 So.2d 499 (Miss. 1985), Bourn v. Tomlinson Interest, 456 So.2d 747, 749 (Miss. 1984). This Court affirms the chancellor and holds that the Garners, who resided in Richton, Mississippi and were subject to the jurisdiction of the Chancery Court of Perry County, should have been joined as parties to this suit under Rule 19(a)(2)(i). Furthermore, joinder of the Garners should have been preliminary to any adjudication made on the merits of the plaintiffs' homestead claim. Likewise, it is prejudicial to the Shows' position to finally adjudicate adversely to their position based upon a non-joinder of parties rather than on the merits of their claim. This Court must reverse the chancellor's finding that the plaintiffs failed to show by clear and convincing evidence an intent of Shows contrary to the express intent of the quitclaim deed for the reason that it is against equitable principles. This case is one in which both the Shows and the Garners have an interest in the matter in controversy that cannot be determined without either affecting that interest or leaving the interest of those before the Court in a situation inconsistent with equitable principles. This Court, therefore, reverses the chancellor on his finding that plaintiffs failed to show by clear and convincing evidence an intent of Shows contrary to that which was expressed by his quitclaim deed. An adjudication that the property was homestead property and that the Shows-Garner quitclaim deed was invalid would certainly have impeded the Garners' ability to defend certain covenants made in their general warranty deed by which they purported to convey the disputed property to Mr. and Mrs. Watkins. See Howard v. Clanton, 481 So.2d 272 (Miss. 1985). We therefore reverse in part the chancellor's judgment on the merits of the homestead claim as premature, but affirm his finding that the Garners should have been parties and remand for retrial with instructions to join Mr. and Mrs. Garner to this suit under Rule 19 as persons needed for just adjudication of the homestead question.