Opinion ID: 2221652
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Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Jurisdiction of the Associate Probate Judge.

Text: We have jurisdiction of appeals from final decisions of the district court. Iowa R.App. P. 1(a). Thus, we must determine if an order entered by an associate probate judge terminating a guardianship constituted a final decision of the district court. This requires us to examine our statutes to determine if the legislature granted an associate probate judge jurisdiction to enter final judgments in guardianship actions. The district court sitting in probate is granted jurisdiction over all probate actions, including conservatorship and guardianship proceedings. Iowa Code §§ 633.10(3), .13. However, the district court is authorized to appoint a referee to audit accounts of fiduciaries and perform other ministerial duties in probate proceedings. Id. § 633.20(1). We have previously determined this statutory language does not grant jurisdiction to probate referees to enter final judgments of the district court. In re Estate of Willis, 418 N.W.2d 857, 860 (Iowa 1988). In Willis, we found the governing statute contained no language expressly granting jurisdiction to referees to enter final decisions for the purposes of appellate review. Id. at 859-60. We further observed our rules of civil procedure suggest that decisions by referees were not final until adopted by the district court. Id. Additionally, we observed that referees were included within the definition of a master under the rules of civil procedure, and those rules, as well as our earlier decisions interpreting similar rules, indicated that referee reports were not final judgments. Id. at 858-59. The court of appeals relied on our holding in Willis to conclude in this case that it had no jurisdiction to hear the appeal because the order by the associate probate judge had not been reviewed by the district court. However, section 633.20 was amended following our decision in Willis. See 1993 Iowa Acts ch. 70, § 11. The amendment did not alter the authority of the district court to appoint referees in probate to perform ministerial duties, but granted the chief judge of the district authority to appoint an associate probate judge. See Iowa Code § 633.20(3). The associate probate judge was not only given jurisdiction which mirrored the authorized acts of a referee, but was also granted jurisdiction to perform judicial functions as the court prescribes. Id. Thus, we must decide if this statutory language gives an associate probate judge jurisdiction to enter final judgments for the purposes of appellate review. [1] We have previously determined our legislature granted juvenile court referees jurisdiction to enter final decisions for the purposes of appeal. See In re D.W.K., 365 N.W.2d 32, 34 (Iowa 1985). In D.W.K. we found the statutory language defining the authority of a juvenile court referee granted referees concurrent district court jurisdiction. Id. at 33-34. The statute specified the juvenile court referee had the same jurisdiction to ... issue orders ... as the judge of the district court. Id. Similarly, we recently held that a hospitalization referee had statutory authority to enter final decisions for the purposes of appellate review. In re Melodie L., 591 N.W.2d 4, 7 (Iowa 1999). The statute establishing hospitalization referees provides that orders entered in the discharge of their duties had the same force and effect as if ordered by a district judge. Id.; see Iowa Code § 229.21(2). A review of our probate code reveals the legislature created two separate positions within the umbrella of the district court probate jurisdiction. Compare Iowa Code § 633.20(1), with id. § 633.20(3). A referee is authorized to assist the district court in ministerial probate matters. Id. § 633.20(1). In doing this, the legislature refrained from describing the duties of a referee in the context of a grant of jurisdiction. Id. Instead, referees are considered to be masters, and subject to the rules of civil procedure which include review by the district court. See Iowa Rs. Civ. P. 207-13. On the other hand, section 633.20(3) reveals our legislature created the position of associate probate judge separate from the position of referee. More importantly, the duties of an associate probate judge are specifically described in the context of jurisdiction, which expresses authority to perform duties of the district court beyond mere ministerial functions. See Iowa Code § 633.20(3). Additionally, the legislature has failed to establish a procedure for the district court to review orders by an associate probate judge. As in D.W.K. and Melodie L., this indicates orders by an associate probate judge are final. Finally, our legislature has specified that appeals from orders by district associate judges exercising any jurisdiction of the district court are governed by the law relating to appeals from orders by the district court. Id. § 602.6306(4). This reveals a general legislative scheme for orders entered by associate judges within the district court to be final orders for the purpose of appellate review. We conclude this case is properly before us on appellate review.