Matter of Emelia Hirsch Trust , 2022 ND 224 ( 2022 )


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  •                                                                                FILED
    IN THE OFFICE OF THE
    CLERK OF SUPREME COURT
    DECEMBER 8, 2022
    STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA
    IN THE SUPREME COURT
    STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA
    
    2022 ND 224
    In the Matter of Emelia Hirsch Trust, June 9, 1994, Irrevocable Trust
    Timothy Betz,                                                     Respondent
    v.
    Emelia A. Hirsch, aka Emelia Hirsch, aka
    Emilia Hirsch, Carolyn Twite and Duane Hirsch,      Petitioners and Appellees
    and
    Marlene Betz,                                                Interested Party
    and
    Allen Betz,                                    Interested Party and Appellant
    No. 20220194
    Appeal from the District Court of Burleigh County, South Central Judicial
    District, the Honorable Bruce A. Romanick, Judge.
    AFFIRMED.
    Per Curiam.
    Sheldon A. Smith and Tyler J. Malm, Bismarck, ND, for petitioners and
    appellees Carolyn Twite and Duane Hirsch; submitted on brief.
    Allen Betz, self-represented, Burnsville, MN, interested party and appellant.
    Matter of Emelia Hirsch Trust
    No. 20220194
    Per Curiam.
    [¶1] Allen Betz appeals from a district court order finding him to be a
    vexatious litigant and requiring him to obtain leave of the court prior to filing
    documents in any new or existing litigation. He claims the required procedure
    for issuing the vexatious litigant pre-filing order was not followed and the court
    erred in issuing a July 16, 2008 order reforming the Emelia Hirsch June 9,
    1994, Irrevocable Trust.
    [¶2] The issues Allen Betz raises related to the July 16, 2008 order are not
    properly before this Court. See In re Emelia Hirsch Trust, 
    2022 ND 89
    , ¶ 7, 
    973 N.W.2d 427
     (holding issues related to July 16, 2008 order would not be
    addressed on appeal because order was not appealed and any attempted appeal
    was untimely). Furthermore, we affirmed the reformation order in In re Emelia
    Hirsch Trust, 
    2009 ND 135
    , 
    770 N.W.2d 225
    . Several other attempts to have
    the reformation order revisited have been unsuccessful. See In re Emelia
    Hirsch Trust, 
    2022 ND 89
    ; In re Emelia Hirsch Trust, 
    2021 ND 142
    , 
    963 N.W.2d 259
    ; In re Emelia Hirsch Trust, 
    2020 ND 129
    , 
    944 N.W.2d 334
    ; In re
    Emelia Hirsch Trust, 
    2019 ND 264
    , 
    935 N.W.2d 255
    ; In re Emelia Hirsch Trust,
    
    2017 ND 291
    , 
    904 N.W.2d 740
    ; In re Emelia Hirsch Trust, 
    2016 ND 217
    , 
    888 N.W.2d 205
    ; In re Emelia Hirsch Trust, 
    2014 ND 135
    , 
    848 N.W.2d 719
    ; In re
    Emelia Hirsch Trust, 
    2013 ND 63
    , 
    832 N.W.2d 334
    .
    [¶3] “This Court reviews pre-filing orders issued under N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin.
    R. 58 for an abuse of discretion.” In re Emelia Hirsch Trust, 
    2022 ND 89
    , ¶ 10.
    We conclude the district court did not abuse its discretion by finding Allen Betz
    is a vexatious litigant and issuing the pre-filing order. We affirm the vexatious
    litigant pre-filing order under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(4). We order Allen Betz to
    pay double costs under N.D.R.App.P. 38.
    1
    [¶4] Daniel J. Crothers, Acting C.J.
    Gerald W. VandeWalle
    Lisa Fair McEvers
    Jerod E. Tufte
    Daniel D. Narum, D.J.
    [¶5] The Honorable Daniel D. Narum, D.J., sitting in place of Jensen, C.J.,
    disqualified.
    2