Opinions

Mattern v. Frank J. Mattern Estate 2015 ND 155
Docket No.: 20140296
Filing Date: 6/11/2015
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Other
Author: Sandstrom, Dale

Highlight: If property claimed as a homestead exceeds the value of the homestead exemption, the homestead must be set off in such form as to exclude the excess, unless the homestead cannot be divided without material harm.
If the homestead cannot be divided without material injury, the family home must be preserved intact as against heirs even though the homestead exceeds the homestead exemption amount.

Wacht v. State 2015 ND 154
Docket No.: 20140418
Filing Date: 6/11/2015
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: Claims raised on direct appeal cannot be raised again in a postconviction application.
Summary dismissal of an application for postconviction relief is appropriate if there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

Baker v. Sabinash, et al. 2015 ND 153
Docket No.: 20140230
Filing Date: 6/11/2015
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Real Property
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: Where the State is given a mortgage lien upon real property, and thereafter taxes are levied against said real estate and become due after the mortgage lien is created, the tax lien and the mortgage lien are not of equal rank.
The question of priority of liens against the same real estate held by the State is determined by the time of the creation of the liens, unless otherwise provided by statute, and taxes on the real estate becoming due after the mortgage lien of the State is created are subordinate to the lien of the mortgage.

Estate of Grengs 2015 ND 152
Docket No.: 20140220
Filing Date: 6/11/2015
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Probate, Wills, Trusts
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: Orders in a supervised probate proceeding are not final and appealable before approval of distribution of the estate and discharge of the personal representative.
A provision of a will is ambiguous if it is susceptible to more than one reasonable interpretation.
Whether an ambiguity exists in a will is a question of law, but resolution of the ambiguity is a finding of fact.

Ihli v. Lazzaretto 2015 ND 151
Docket No.: 20140415
Filing Date: 6/11/2015
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Torts (Negligence, Liab., Nuis.)
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: When evidence relevant to a lawsuit is destroyed, the district court may sanction, and a court's decision to sanction will be reversed on appeal only if there was an abuse of discretion.
A district court has broad discretion in deciding whether to allow a party to amend the pleadings after the time for amendments has passed.

The Pifer Group, Inc. v. Liebelt, et al. 2015 ND 150
Docket No.: 20140442
Filing Date: 6/11/2015
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Contracts
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A corporation cannot be a licensed auctioneer.
A land auction sale agreement is not a contract for the sale of real property.
A court must give effect to each provision of a contract if possible, and if there is a conflict between written and printed parts of a contract, the written part controls.

Everett v. State 2015 ND 149
Docket No.: 20140288
Filing Date: 6/11/2015
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: McEvers, Lisa K. Fair

Highlight: An applicant for post-conviction relief has the burden of establishing grounds for relief.
To prevail on a post-conviction relief claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, an applicant must show counsel's representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness and there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's claimed unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different.
A court may allow an applicant for post-conviction relief to withdraw a guilty plea to correct a manifest injustice.

Sweeney v. Kirby (cross-reference w/20120339 & 20130152) 2015 ND 148
Docket No.: 20140309
Filing Date: 6/11/2015
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: A motion to modify primary residential responsibility made within two years of disposition of an earlier motion to modify primary residential responsibility is reviewed under stricter requirements.
A correct result will not be set aside merely because the district court applied an incorrect, more relaxed standard if the result is the same under the correct law and reasoning.

Estate of Bartelson (cross-ref. w/20110114 & 20130022) 2015 ND 147
Docket No.: 20140244
Filing Date: 6/11/2015
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Probate, Wills, Trusts
Author: Sandstrom, Dale

Highlight: A decision on a petition to remove a personal representative lies within the discretion of the district court.
When a confidential relationship or fiduciary duty exists, the person in whom the confidence is reposed is deemed to be a trustee. All transactions between a trustee and a beneficiary are presumed to be without sufficient consideration and under undue influence.
A presumption substitutes for evidence of the presumed fact until the trier of fact finds from credible evidence that the presumed fact does not exist.

State v. Leavitt 2015 ND 146
Docket No.: 20140404
Filing Date: 6/11/2015
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: Whether probable cause exists to issue a search warrant is a question of law.
Probable cause exists when the facts and circumstances relied upon by the judge who issues the warrant would lead a person of reasonable caution to believe the evidence sought probably will be found in the place to be searched.
The admission and use of photographs in criminal trials is largely within the trial court's discretion.