Masters

53.01 Appointment (a) Authority for Appointment. Unless a statute provides otherwise, a court may appoint a master only to: (1) perform duties consented to by the parties; (2) hold trial proceedings and make or recommend findings of fact on issues to be decided by the court without a jury if appointment is warranted by (A) some exceptional condition, or (B) the need to perform an accounting or resolve a difficult computation of damages; or (3) address pretrial and post-trial matters that cannot be addressed effectively and timely by an available district judge. (b) Disqualification. A master must not have a relationship to the parties, counsel, action, or court that would require disqualification of a judge, unless the parties consent with the court's approval to appointment of a particular person after disclosure of any potential grounds for disqualification. (c) Expense. In appointing a master, the court must consider the fairness of imposing the likely expenses on the parties and must protect against unreasonable expense or delay. (Amended effective January 1, 2006.) 53.02 Order Appointing Master (a) Notice. The court must give the parties notice and an opportunity to be heard before appointing a master. A party may suggest candidates for appointment. (b) Contents. The order appointing a master must direct the master to proceed with all reasonable diligence and must state: (1) the master's duties, including any investigation or enforcement duties, and any limits on the master's authority under Rule 53.03; (2) the circumstances - if any - in which the master may communicate ex parte with the court or a party; Published by the Revisor of Statutes under Minnesota Statutes, section 3C.08, subdivision 1. CIVIL PROCEDURE 116 MINNESOTA COURT RULES (3) the nature of the materials to be preserved and filed as the record of the master's activities; (4) the time limits, method of filing the record, other procedures, and standards for reviewing the master's orders, findings, and recommendations; (5) the basis, terms, and procedure for fixing the master's compensation under Rule 53.08; and (6) the extent to which, if at all, the parties and the master must use the court's E-Filing System in the proceedings before the master. (c) Entry of Order. The court may enter the order appointing a master only after the master has filed an affidavit disclosing whether there is any ground for disqualification and, if a ground for disqualification is disclosed, after the parties have consented with the court's approval to waive the disqualification. (d) Amendment. The order appointing a master may be amended at any time after notice to the parties and an opportunity to be heard. (Amended effective January 1, 2006; amended effective July 1, 2015.) 53.03 Master's Authority Unless the appointing order expressly directs otherwise, a master has authority to regulate all proceedings and take all appropriate measures to perform fairly and efficiently the assigned duties. The master may by order impose upon a party any noncontempt sanction provided by Rule 37 or 45, and may recommend a contempt sanction against a party and sanctions against a nonparty. (Amended effective January 1, 2006.) 53.04 Evidentiary Hearings Unless the appointing order expressly directs otherwise, a master conducting an evidentiary hearing may exercise the power of the appointing court to compel, take, and record evidence. (Amended effective January 1, 2006.) 53.05 Master's Orders A master who makes an order must file the order and promptly serve a copy on each party. The court administrator must enter the order on the docket. (Amended effective January 1, 2006.) 53.06 Master's Reports A master must report to the court as required by the order of appointment. The master must file the report and promptly serve a copy of the report on each party unless the court directs otherwise. (Added effective January 1, 2006.) 53.07 Action on Master's Order, Report, or Recommendations (a) Action. In acting on a master's order, report, or recommendations, the court must afford an opportunity to be heard and may receive evidence, and may: adopt or affirm; modify; wholly or partly reject or reverse; or resubmit to the master with instructions. Published by the Revisor of Statutes under Minnesota Statutes, section 3C.08, subdivision 1. 117 CIVIL PROCEDURE MINNESOTA COURT RULES (b) Time to Object or Move. A party may file objections to - or a motion to adopt or modify - the master's order, report, or recommendations no later than 21 days from the time the master's order, report, or recommendations are served, unless the court sets a different time. (c) Fact Findings. The court must decide de novo all objections to findings of fact made or recommended by a master unless the parties stipulate with the court's consent that: (1) the master's findings will be reviewed for clear error, or (2) the findings of a master appointed under Rule 53.01(a)(1) or (3) will be final. (d) Legal Conclusions. The court must decide de novo all objections to conclusions of law made or recommended by a master. (e) Procedural Matters. Unless the order of appointment establishes a different standard of review, the court may set aside a master's ruling on a procedural matter only for an abuse of discretion. (Added effective January 1, 2006; amended effective January 1, 2020.) Advisory Committee Comment - 2019 Amendments Rule 53.07(b) is amended as part of the extensive amendments made to the timing provisions of the rules. These amendments implement the adoption of a standard "day" for counting deadlines under the rules - counting all days regardless of the length of the period and standardizing the time periods, where practicable, to a 7-, 14-, 21- or 28-day schedule. The only change to this rule changes the 20-day period to file a response to a master's decision to 21 days. This change affects only the time limit, and is not intended to have any other effect. 53.08 Compensation (a) Fixing Compensation. The court must fix the master's compensation before or after judgment on the basis and terms stated in the order of appointment, but the court may set a new basis and terms after notice and an opportunity to be heard. (b) Payment. The compensation fixed under Rule 53.08(a) must be paid either: (1) by a party or parties; or (2) from a fund or subject matter of the action within the court's control. (c) Allocation. The court must allocate payment of the master's compensation among the parties after considering the nature and amount of the controversy, the means of the parties, and the extent to which any party is more responsible than other parties for the reference to a master. An interim allocation may be amended to reflect a decision on the merits. (Added effective January 1, 2006.) 53.09 Appointment of Statutory Referee A statutory referee employed in the judicial branch is subject to this rule only when the order referring a matter to the statutory referee expressly provides that the reference is made under this rule. (Added effective January 1, 2006.) Published by the Revisor of Statutes under Minnesota Statutes, section 3C.08, subdivision 1. CIVIL PROCEDURE 118 MINNESOTA COURT RULES Advisory Committee Comment - 2006 Amendment