TITLE 25. CIVIL PROCEDURE

CHAPTER 23. MONTANA JUSTICE AND CITY COURT RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE

Part 1. Rules

Naming Of Parties To Action

Rule 10. Naming of parties to action.

A. PARTIES.

(1) Actions must be prosecuted or defended in the name of the person who benefits from or is responsible for the satisfaction of any judgment rendered in justice or city court. That person is considered the real party in interest.

(2) A personal representative, administrator, guardian, conservator, fiduciary, bailee, trustee of an express trust, party with whom or in whose name a contract has been made for the benefit of another, or party authorized by statute may be named as a party to an action. In such a case, the pleadings must contain information concerning the circumstances or statute that enables the person to appear in the party's name and not in the name of the person for whose benefit the action is prosecuted or defended.

B. AMENDMENT -- DISMISSAL. Upon motion of the opposing party or upon the court's own motion, the court must require an amendment of the pleadings to name the real party in interest. If the real party in interest is not named within 5 days, the action will be dismissed without prejudice.

History: En. Sup. Ct. Ord. February 9, 1990, eff. June 1, 1990; amd. Sup. Ct. Ord. June 24, 1997, eff. Oct. 1, 1997.