Court Opinion

ID: 9691263
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 20:19:47.012509+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:19:14.375691
License: Public Domain

LEVINE, Justice,
specially concurring.
I write specially in order to supplement the rationale for reversing the trial court’s order dismissing the complaint.
In the Cass action, the Bagges attempted to join Dardis as a codefendant with defendant Norwest Bank. I assume the Bagges proceeded under Rules 15 (Amended and Supplemental Pleadings), and 20 (Permissive Joinder of Parties), N.D.R.Civ.P., both of which rest upon the discretion of the court. I further assume that the trial court, in exercising its discretion in denying Bagges’ motion to amend the complaint to join Dardis as a party, concluded that the delay and prejudice the joinder would have had on Norwest Bank outweighed its benefit of avoiding multiplicity of suits. Norwest won that battle but may have lost the war.
The Cass action order simply denied Bagges the right to sue Dardis in the pending Cass action against Norwest. It did not preclude Dardis from being sued in a separate action. It follows then that the initiation of a separate action by Bagges against Dardis does not constitute a collateral attack on the Cass action order.