§20.5 Purpose and Procedure

• Jurisdiction: Washington

§20.5 PURPOSE AND PROCEDURE

CR 20 serves a number of purposes. First, it avoids the burden of multiple trials that was caused by the more restrictive joinder rules of common-law and code pleading. Adams v. Allstate Ins. Co.,58 Wn.2d 659,364 P.2d 804 (1961). For example, RPPP 2 required that all parties had to be affected by every cause of action before joinder would be permitted. Bank of Cal. v. Am. Fruit Growers,4 Wn.2d 186,190-91,103 P.2d 27 (1940). RPPP 20(a) was adopted as an initial effort to loosen these inefficient restrictions on joinder. See Williams v. Maslan,192 Wash. 616, 619-21, 74 P.2d 217 (1937).

Second, CR 20...