Court Opinion

ID: 9947978
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-05 23:07:49.307127+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:28:49.144560
License: Public Domain

1_j u-.,iGIN,. .,                    03/05/2024

            IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA                                 Case Number: DA 24-0038

                                           DA 24-0038
                                                                    FILL-77)
 IN RE THE MARRIAGE OF:                                             MAR - 5 2024
                                                                  Bowen Greenwoo
                                                                Clerk of Sup
 BOBBY FRANCIS LOWRY V,                                            State of
                                                                            r erne
                                                                            Montan:urt

               Petitioner and Appellant,
                                                                     ORDER
         and

 LYN DENISE WELCH HARMON,

               Respondent and Appellee.

         Before this Court is self-represented Appellant Bobby Francis Lowry V's "Motion
for Copy of District Court Record/Motion for Extension" of time to file his opening brief.
Lowry requests that this Court provide him a copy of the record from the Lewis and Clark
County District Court, where he initiated this civil proceeding. Lowry provides that he
needs an additional thirty days.
         We observe that, while he may proceed on appeal without paying the filing fee,
Lowry is not entitled to a copy of the record without payment. Sections 25-10-404 and
25-1-201(1)(d), MCA. Upon review of the court record on file here, only seven documents
comprise the record. Though Lowry's Notice of Appeal indicates that he is appealing a
January 5, 2024 final judgment or order of the District Court, the record contains no such
order.
         Lowry initiated the underlYing case in February 2022 when he filed a petition for
dissolution without children, proposed property distribution, and motion to proceed
without paying the filing fees. The court granted his motion. Lowry sent a letter to the
court in July 2022, and then requested this Court to take supervisory control regarding the
dissolution matter and other civil cases he had filed. Lowry v. First Judicial Dist. Ct., No.
OP 22-0617, Order dismissing writ of supervisory control (Mont. Nov. 15, 2022). We
dismissed his petition, stating that "Lowry has presented no information or documents that
he actually served the parties with the copies of the construction liens or complaints."
Order, at 2. The record on appeal here reveals that Lowry never served the opposing party
with his February 2022 filings. There is a December 7, 2022 e-mail to the Clerk of District
Court from a Lewis and Clark County Detention Officer, attaching a list of questions from
Lowry, including a question about service of process. The record does not reflect whether
the clerk responded, but there is no indication that service was accomplished. There is
consequently no action the District Court has taken or may take on his pleadings, and there
is no order or final judgment from which Lowry may appeal.
      IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that this appeal is DISMISSED with prejudice and
this matter is CLOSED as of this Order's date.
      IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Lowry's Motion for Copy of District Court
Record/Motion for Extension of Time is DENIED.
      The Clerk is directed to provide a copy of this Order to all parties at their last known
addresses.
                    `7-1,-,
      DATED this S - day of March, 2024.

                                                    ,"
                                                               ' -Chief Justice

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