Court Opinion

ID: 9711163
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 04:25:27.461593+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:02.552163
License: Public Domain

Mr. JUSTICE GREEN, concurring in part and dissenting in part: I agree that under the unusual circumstances alleged, IN A should have been granted leave to. intervene for the reasons stated by the majority. I concur in the reversal of the judgment denying them leave to do so. The question of whether NAAC should have been granted leave to intervene is less clear. No cases are cited to show how it would be adversely affected by a judgment against Cape either by way of res judicata or on a theory that they would be required to indemnify Cape for a judgment obtained against it. However, as the law is not clear, it is a party who may be bound by judgment against Cape. However, rather than to unduly burden plaintiff with the addition of NAAC as a party, I would reverse the order of the trial court denying them leave to intervene and remand with directions to the trial court to permit them intervention unless plaintiff will stipulate that (1) they will not claim any judgment against Cape to be res judicata as to any claim they have against Cape, and (2) they will not claim any rights against NAAC arising from any duty of NAAC to indemnify Cape. I do not agree that the declaratory judgment action necessarily need be decided before any further proceedings in the personal injury action. It may well be that if the default judgment is set aside and a new trial is required, that trial should not occur before the declaratory judgment action is decided at least at the trial court level. But at present it is not even apparent as to what pleadings the intervening parties will file. There is no reason why those parties might not at least be required to plead, as their motions to intervene would constitute general appearances. I would phrase the mandate in such a way that the trial court would be directed to proceed at its discretion in the personal injury action, balancing, as the majority indicates, the rights of the plaintiffs with those of the intervenors.