Court Opinion

ID: 9552359
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 19:09:32.957141+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:26:12.873419
License: Public Domain

MATTHEWS, Justice,
in which CON-NOR, Justice, joins, concurring.
I agree with all of the majority opinion except that portion which declines to decide the propriety of the award to the non-party fisherman, Malutin, because Mullen did not raise that issue in his statement of points on appeal. The issue was raised in Mullen’s opening brief and given distinct and adequate attention there. The appellees have not claimed prejudice by reason of Mullen’s failure to express the issue in his statement of points on appeal. Where an issue is not set forth in a statement of points on appeal but is adequately argued and there is no prejudice this court has taken the position that the issue should be decided on the merits. Putnam v. State, 629 P.2d 35, 39 n.2 (Alaska 1980); Hootch v. Alaska State Operated School System, 536 P.2d 793, 808 n.58 (Alaska 1975); Torres v. State, 519 P.2d 788, 793-94 (Alaska 1974); Lapham v. Town of Haines, 372 P.2d 376, 377 (Alaska 1962). See also, Miller v. City of Fairbanks, 509 P.2d 826, 829 (Alaska 1973); Steward v. City of Anchorage, 391 P.2d 730, 732 (Alaska 1964); Fairview Public Utility District Number One v. City of Anchorage, 368 P.2d 540, 542 (Alaska 1962). In my view, this position should be followed here. It comports with the policy that cases where possible be decided on the merits.1 The only purpose of the statement of points on appeal required by Appellate Rule 210(e) is to inform the opposing party of the issues to be raised on the appeal so that those portions of the trial court record germane to such issues may be designated. Steward v. City of Anchorage, 391 P.2d at 732. Since there is here no claim that this purpose has been frustrated by appellants’ failure there is no good reason not to consider the issue in question on the merits.
Turning to the merits, Mullen contends that the court erred in including in the Panamaroff claim some $6,500.00 due Malu-*1352tin. Mullen asserts that there was no evidence that Malutin had assigned his claim to Panamaroff. Factually this argument is without merit because the evidence shows that Malutin and Panamaroff entered into an agreement under which Panamaroff agreed to sell Malutin’s fish in Panama-roff’s name, collect for them and turn over the proceeds to Malutin. Thus, to use the language of Civil Rule 17(a), Panamaroff was “a party with whom or in whose name a contract has been made for the benefit of another” and as such he was authorized to “sue in his own name without joining with him the party for whose benefit the action is brought. ...” The trial court, therefore, did not err in refusing to reduce Panama-roff ⅛ judgment by the amount which Pana-maroff must remit to Malutin.

. See, Societe Internationale v. Rogers, 357 U.S. 197, 78 S.Ct. 1087, 2 L.Ed.2d 1255, 1265 (1958); Independent Productions Corp. v. Loew’s Inc., 283 F.2d 730, 733 (2d Cir. 1960); Zeller v. Poor, 577 P.2d 695, 697 (Alaska 1978); Champion Oil Co. v. Herbert, 552 P.2d 670, 673 (Alaska 1976) (Boochever, J., Concurring Opinion); Guard v. Benson, 438 P.2d 219, 223 (Alaska 1968); Mely v. Morris, 409 P.2d 979, 982 (Alaska 1966); Oaks v. Rojcewicz, 409 P.2d 839, 843 (Alaska 1966); Palzer v. Serv-U-Meat Co., 419 P.2d 201, 206-07 (Alaska 1966); Sanuita v. Hedberg, 404 P.2d 647, 651 (Alaska 1965).