Court Opinion

ID: 9883338
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-06 01:40:34.550959+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:48:22.658486
License: Public Domain

POPOVICH, Chief Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. This appeal should be dismissed in its entirety. Although two appeals are involved in this matter, appellant has yet to file an appeal from an appealable order. An order to amend the property division provisions of a dissolution decree is not appealable. Angelos v. Angelos, 367 N.W.2d 518 (Minn.1985); see Kirby v. Kirby, 348 N.W.2d 392, 393-94 (Minn.Ct.App.1984); Minn.R.Civ. App.P. 103.03. The denial of a motion for amended findings regarding property division is not an appealable order. Angelos, 367 N.W.2d at 520; see Martensen v. Johnson, 350 N.W.2d 467, 469 (Minn.Ct.App.1984); Minn.R.Civ.App.P. 103.03.
In Kirby, this court faced a similar situation and granted discretionary review “in the interests of judicial economy.” Kirby, 348 N.W.2d at 394. Kirby was decided by this court in May 1984, and the factors leading to our granting of discretionary review in Kirby do not exist in this matter. Both appeals in this matter were filed long after the new Minnesota Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure became effective in August 1983. Moreover, these appeals were both filed after Kirby was decided.
Granting discretionary review in this matter does not promote judicial economy. Review of this matter encourages further appeals from nonappealable orders and causes uncertainty in the law. Appeals from nonappealable orders and multiple appeals are encouraged when this court routinely grants discretionary review. Uncertainty in the law is created because discretionary review, by its very nature, is granted based on a combination of tangible and intangible factors.
The majority’s decision is illustrative of the problems created when a low thresh-hold is used to grant discretionary review. The majority in this matter grants discretionary review for the May 21, 1984 order but denies discretionary review of the November 15, 1984 order. This approach is inconsistent and unpredictable.
I believe discretionary review under Minn.R.Civ.App.P. 105 should be reserved for matters of exigency and not used to relieve parties of their failure to follow the rules. A firm adherence to the basic rules of civil appellate procedure benefits the public interest by ensuring a consistent, timely appellate decision-making process. While this court certainly will not apply the rules to place form over substance, enforcement of rudimentary appellate procedure is necessary. I would dismiss this appeal in its entirety.