Opinion ID: 2633411
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: state farm as the real party in interest

Text: ¶ 40 Green argues that the trial court erred in denying her motion to join State Farm as the real party in interest. A trial court's determination of whether a party should be joined to an action will not be disturbed absent an abuse of discretion. Seftel v. Capital City Bank, 767 P.2d 941, 944 (Utah Ct.App.1989), aff'd, Landes v. Capital City Bank, 795 P.2d 1127, 1129 (Utah 1990). ¶ 41 In her motion, which was filed approximately two weeks prior to trial, [15] Green argued that State Farm should be joined as a defendant under rules 17(a), 19(a), and 20(a) of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure. Specifically, Green contended State Farm was the real party in interest because it provided her under-insured motorist coverage and had agreed to satisfy any judgment entered against Louder in this matter. In response, Louder argued Green's motion was untimely and without merit-based on this court's ruling in Young v. Barney, 20 Utah 2d 108, 433 P.2d 846 (1967) (holding that the joinder provisions of rules 18(b) and 20 of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure do not allow the plaintiff to join the defendant's insurance company as a party defendant in a negligence action). ¶ 42 Approximately a week prior to trial, the court denied Green's request. The following is a relevant excerpt from the trial court's ruling: [T]he Supreme Court has consistently held that an insurance company cannot be joined as a party defendant with a tort feasor. Young v. Barney, 20 Utah 2d 108, 433 P.2d 846 (1967).... In addition, Plaintiff's motion is not timely. In Westley v. Farmer's Insurance Exchange and Kelly v. Utah Power & Light, both plaintiff's motions to amend were denied because they would have delayed trial. 663 P.2d 93 (Utah 1983), 746 P.2d 1189 (Utah Ct.App. 1987). Plaintiff filed this motion ... seventeen days prior to the beginning of trial. Granting this motion would certainly delay the trial as the newly named defendant would have to be given the appropriate time to answer, conduct discovery, argue substantive motion, and prepare for trial. ¶ 43 Rule 17(a) of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure provides in pertinent part, [e]very action shall be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest.... The purpose of this rule is to allow defendants the right to have a cause of action prosecuted by the real party in interest in order for the judgment to preclude any action on the same demand by another. Shaw v. Jeppson, 121 Utah 155, 239 P.2d 745, 748 (1952). Green concedes that the language of the rule ... literally applies to only plaintiffs, but also contends the same policy applies to defendants... the rule does not prohibit a plaintiff from suing the real party in interest. However, Green fails to provide any legal authority to support this argument, so we decline to address it. State v. Thomas, 961 P.2d 299, 305 (Utah 1998) (quoting State v. Bishop, 753 P.2d 439, 450 (Utah 1988)). ¶ 44 Turning to rule 19(a) of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure, we address the following language: [A] person ... 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. The purpose of this rule is to guard against the entry of judgments which might prejudice the rights of such parties in their absence. Sanpete County Water Conservancy Dist. v. Price River Water Users Ass'n, 652 P.2d 1302, 1306 (Utah 1982) (emphasis added). With respect to subsection one, we have defined a necessary party as one whose presence is required for a full and fair determination of his rights, as well as of the rights of other parties to the suit. Cowen & Co. v. Atlas Stock Transf. Co., 695 P.2d 109, 114 (Utah 1984) (citing Johnson v. Utah State Ret. Office, 621 P.2d 1234, 1236 (1980)). Green argues [r]ules 17 and 19, together with [r]ule 20, clearly make State Farm a necessary, indispensable, or at least permissible, party to be joined in the action as a real party in interest. The only legal authority she cites to support this argument is a quote from a law review article that states the provision of the policy giving an insurance company full control of the investigation, settlement and litigation of a claim makes the company a real party at interest. Leon Green, Blindfolding the Jury, 33 Tex. L.Rev. 157, [158] (1954). But she fails to address how State Farm, based on the criteria set forth in rule 19(a), was a necessary party to this action. As stated before, we will not assume her `burden of argument and research.' State v. Thomas, 961 P.2d 299, 305 (Utah 1998) (quoting State v. Bishop, 753 P.2d 439, 450 (Utah 1988)). ¶ 45 Finally under rule 20 of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure, [a]ll persons may be joined in one action as defendants if there is asserted against them jointly, severally, or in the alternative, any right to relief in respect of or arising out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences and if any question of law or fact common to all of them will arise in the action .... Green acknowledges in her brief that in Young v. Barney, 20 Utah 2d 108, 112, 433 P.2d 846, 848 (1967), we held that a plaintiff may not join the defendant's insurance company as a party defendant in a negligence cause of action under the joinder provisions of rules 18(b) and 20 of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure. We see no policy reason, nor does Green provide any legal argument, for departing from our holding in Young. Therefore, the trial court properly relied on the principles set forth in Young in denying Green's request to join State Farm in this action.