Court Opinion

ID: 9720894
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 08:44:14.306604+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:22.072470
License: Public Domain

CRONE, Judge,
concurring.
I concur with the majority's reasoning and result but feel compelled to express my concerns regarding the preferred venue requirements of Trial Rule 75(A)(5). I agree with Lake Holiday that the application of the rule by the trial court in this case creates a highly inconvenient and illogical result. It is unfortunate that Rule 75(A)(5) as written is susceptible to abuse and an unnecessary increase in litigation costs, not just to the taxpayers of local governmental agencies who may be required to pay to defend far from their locales, but also to private defendants who have the misfortune of simply being a party to a lawsuit involving a governmental agency.
Nevertheless, I agree with the majority that the trial court had no choice but to apply the trial rule as written and that there is no logical reading that would permit any other result. In fact, we previously held as much in Board of Commissioners of Cass County v. Nevitt, 448 N.E.2d 333 (Ind.Ct.App.1983).