Court Opinion

ID: 9561421
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 18:09:37.81087+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:13:47.519788
License: Public Domain

ZIMMERMAN, Justice:
(Concurring and Dissenting)
I would dismiss the appeal.
Hunt quite plainly brought this appeal in his capacity as personal representative of the estate. That much is clear from the notice of appeal filed by “Richard L. Hunt, Personal Representative of the Estate of Reed Dwane Hunt” on October 6, 1989. Hunt then resigned as personal representative of the estate on November 9, 1989. No one has moved to substitute a successor personal representative as appellant in this appeal. Thus, there has been a failure to substitute parties pursuant to rule 38(b) of the Utah Rules of Appellate Procedure. Utah R.App.P. 38(b).
Whatever standing to pursue this appeal Richard L. Hunt as an individual heir might have, see Provo City Corp. v. Willden, 768 P.2d 455, 457 (Utah 1989); Society of Professional Journalists v. Bullock, 743 P.2d 1166, 1170-77 (Utah 1987); Terracor v. Utah Bd. of State Lands, 716 P.2d 796, 798-99 (Utah 1986); Jenkins v. Swan, 675 P.2d 1145, 1148-49 (Utah 1983); Stromquist v. Cokayne, 646 P.2d 746, 747 (Utah 1982); Jenkins v. State, 585 P.2d 442, 443 (Utah 1978), acting as an individual, he is a separate entity from Richard L. Hunt, a personal representative. In light of his resignation as personal representative, Hunt has no authority to prosecute this appeal as personal representative, and Hunt, as an individual, filed no notice of appeal in this action. Therefore, Hunt has no standing to pursue this appeal.1
The majority relies on rule 61 of the civil rules as a ground for treating as surplus-age Hunt’s designation of his status as “personal representative” in the notice of appeal. See Utah R.Civ.P. 61. This is a plain misuse of the rule. The capacity in which one consciously takes an appeal is hardly “surplusage.” And as the majority candidly notes, as a personal representative, Hunt almost certainly lacked standing. Standing, of course, is an issue that is never waived and can be raised by any party or by the court at any time. See Terracor, 716 P.2d at 798; Stromquist, 646 P.2d at 747; Wade v. Burke, 800 P.2d 1106, 1108 (Utah Ct.App.1990); Blodgett v. Zions First Nat’l Bank, 752 P.2d 901, 904 (Utah Ct.App.1988).
If I were to reach the merits, however, I would affirm.

. I agree with the majority that even if Hunt had not resigned as personal representative, he would have had difficulty establishing standing to bring an appeal acting in that capacity. A personal representative is barred from appealing where the issue on appeal concerns a dispute between the decedent's heirs and the distribution requested does not benefit the estate. See In re Yonk’s Estate, 115 Utah 292, 302, 204 P.2d 452, 458 (1949). See generally P.G. Guthrie, Annotation, Right of Executor or Administrator to Appeal from Order Granting or Denying Distribution, 16 A.L.R.3d 1274, 1276-1300 (1967 & Supp.1992).