First National Bank of Layton v. Palmer

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The Supreme Court dismissed Appellant’s appeal from the district court’s denial of Appellant’s motion to amend his counterclaim and to join a party, holding that it lacked appellate jurisdiction because the district court’s order did not offer sufficient findings and conclusions to understand the court’s reasoning and because the district court did not enter findings supporting the conclusion that the certified order was final.The parties presented this case as an appeal from a final order pursuant to Utah R. Civ. P. 54(b), but the district court’s rule 54(b) certification did not make the requisite express determination that there was no just reason for delay. Further, the district court failed to offer the necessary rational under Utah R. Civ. P. 52(a), which functioned as a practical bar to the Supreme Court’s appellate jurisdiction. Therefore, the district court did not enter any final order in this case, and no exception to the final judgment rule existed conferring appellate jurisdiction on the Supreme Court. View "First National Bank of Layton v. Palmer" on Justia Law