Court Opinion

ID: 9658817
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 21:15:51.420995+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:59.998154
License: Public Domain

RUDOLPH, Judge
(dissenting).
This is a mandamus action seeking to compel the County Commissioners to act upon the petition which plaintiff filed under the provisions of SDC 28.08.
The attempt here is to compel action by the Board. The Board might deny the petition or start proceedings under the statute. It would only be in the event that the Board started to establish a right of way across intervener’s *503land that intervener would become interested, but that is something for the future dependent entirely upon the action the Board might take.
In the case of In re McClellan’s Estate, 27 S.D. 109, 129 N.W. 1037, this court held that two questions present themselves upon an application for intervention. First, what is the real matter in litigation? Second, has the intervener any such interest in the matter, of such direct and immediate character, that he will either gain or lose by the direct legal operation and effect of any judgment which may be entered? The real matter in litigation in this proceeding is simply to require some action by the Board. Should plaintiff be successful the only judgment which may be entered is one requiring action by the Board, not any particular action, but simply action of some character. The kind of action must be left to the Board. Such being the character of this proceeding I am convinced that intervener does not have such direct and immediate interest in the matter in litigation that intervention should be permitted. Commencing with the case of Gale v. Frazier, 4 Dak. 196, 30 N.W. 138, the rule announced in the McClellan case has been adhered to. It is my opinion that the present holding is a departure from that rule.