(b) Incapacitated Person or Adult in Need of Protection. If the court has reasonable grounds to believe that a party has become an incapacitated person or an adult in need of protection, and that party does not have a guardian or conservator, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem as prescribed in Rule 17.1. If a court of competent jurisdiction has appointed a conservator or guardian for a party, the action may be continued by or against the conservator or guardian on behalf of the incapacitated person or adult in need of protection.

(c) Transfer of Interest. If a party's interest is transferred, the action may be continued by or against that party, unless the court--on motion or on stipulation of the parties and the transferee--orders the transferee to be substituted in the action or joined with the original party. Anyone filing such a motion must serve the motion on the parties as provided in Rule 5(c) and on the transferee--if a nonparty--in the same manner that a summons and pleading are served under Rule 4, 4.1, or 4.2, as applicable.

(d) Public Officers; Death or Separation from Office. An action does not abate when a public officer who is a party in an official capacity dies, resigns, or otherwise ceases to hold office while the action is pending. The officer's successor is automatically substituted as a party. The public officer's counsel must file a notice of the substitution, and later proceedings should be in the substituted party's name, but any misnomer not affecting the parties' substantial rights must be disregarded. The court may order substitution at any time, but the absence of such an order does not affect the substitution.