Agrisource, Inc. v. Johnson

332 P.3d 815, 156 Idaho 903, 2014 WL 4057145, 2014 Ida. LEXIS 220
Idaho Supreme Court·Decided August 18, 2014·No. No. 40340·Published·Cited by 20 cases

Opinion

BURDICK, Chief Justice.

Robert Johnson (“Johnson”) appeals the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Agrisource, Inc. (“Agrisource”) on Agrisource’s breach of contract claim. The Bonneville County district court held that there was no genuine disputed issue of material fact as to Johnson’s lack of disclosure of [906] his agency and alleged principal. Johnson argues on appeal that Agrisource had notice that Johnson was the principal’s agent because Agrisource should have known Johnson was an agent and disputed issues of fact existed. Johnson also appeals the district court’s denial of his third motion for reconsideration and alternate motion for relief. We affirm in part, vacate in part, and remand.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

This case arises from Agrisouree’s breach of contract claim against Robert Johnson. Johnson argued that he was not liable on the contract because he was an agent for a disclosed principal named “Johnson Grain Inc.” which was owned by Neil Brown. Agrisource is an Idaho corporation that deals in agricultural commodities. Agrisource leased a grain elevator in Ririe, Idaho from Johnson’s father, Wydell Johnson. For several years prior to 2006, Johnson was Agrisource’s employee and managed the elevator. Agrisource terminated its elevator lease in summer 2006, and Johnson was then unemployed. Brown purchased the grain elevator in August 2006 from Wydell Johnson. After the purchase, Johnson went to work managing the elevator.

In August 2006, Brown owned Ririe Grower Supply & Service, Inc., and changed that corporation’s name to “Johnson Grain Inc.” Brown was Johnson Grain Inc.’s majority shareholder from August 2006 through December 2007. Johnson and Brown opened a business cheeking account under Johnson Grain Inc.’s name with both men as signatories. In September 2006, Brown applied with the Idaho Department of Agriculture for a commodity dealer license and a seed buyer license under Johnson Grain Inc.’s name.

After Johnson Grain Inc. received its commodity license, Johnson entered into two contracts to sell durum wheat to Agrisource. One contract was dated December 13, 2006, and the other was January 12, 2007. Both contracts were on Agrisource’s commodity purchase form contracts. These forms listed “Johnson Grain” as the purchasing party. Johnson filled in “Johnson Grain” on the contract’s seller line and signed his name below. Agrisource received the December contract’s wheat. Agrisource paid for the delivered wheat with checks made out to “Johnson Grain,” which were endorsed indicating deposit into an account for “Johnson Grain Inc.” However, Agrisource did not receive 15,527.87 bushels of wheat promised in the January contract. Agrisource contacted both Johnson and Brown for two years about the undelivered wheat. Neither party delivered the wheat, so in March 2009 Agrisource purchased wheat elsewhere. This resulted in $51,241.97 in damages.

In February 2010, Agrisource filed a claim alleging breach of the January 2007 contract against Brown, Brown’s wife, and Neil Brown, Inc. (collectively “the Browns”).1 Agrisource later filed an amended complaint adding Johnson, Johnson’s wife, and Johnson’s corporation as defendants. Agrisource alleged that Johnson was an individual doing business as Johnson Grain when he entered into the January 2007 contract.

Johnson filed his motion for summary judgment against Agrisouree on February 1, 2012. Johnson argued that he was not personally liable because in January 2007 he was an agent for a disclosed principal. He submitted his own affidavit, testifying that Agrisource had notice that Brown planned to purchase the grain elevator. He also stated that he managed the elevator as Johnson Grain Inc.’s employee, and never as Johnson Grain or an individual.

Agrisouree then moved for summary judgment, arguing that Johnson d/b/a Johnson Grain entered into the January 2007 contract with Agrisouree. Agrisouree supported its motion with affidavits from its employee and its President. The Agrisouree employee stated that he was Agrisouree’s representative for contracts with Johnson Grain and that Johnson never notified him that Johnson Grain was a corporation or that Johnson was its agent.

The district court granted Agrisouree summary judgment against Johnson on April 6, [907]*9072012. The district court held that there was no disputed issue of fact as to Johnson’s lack of disclosure of Johnson Grain Inc. as a principal and that Agrisource had no notice of an agency relationship. Based on these conclusions, the eourt held Johnson was liable on the contract whether or not he later established an agency relationship with Johnson Grain Inc. The district court entered its judgment on April 17, 2012.

Johnson moved to reconsider on April 18, 2012, and submitted his second affidavit. He testified that he told Agrisource that Brown purchased the elevator, Johnson operated it for Brown, and the company had not yet received its commodity license. Johnson also stated that he told Agrisource to make the checks out to Brown’s company, Johnson Grain, but he did not recall whether he specifically gave Johnson Grain Inc.’s full name. The district court denied the motion, holding that the record did not support a claim that Johnson adequately disclosed his principal. The court reasoned that Johnson’s obligation to disclose agency included specificity as to his principal that he did not provide. The eourt held that at best Johnson’s affidavits showed he disclosed that he was acting on behalf of Brown or Brown’s company and not on Johnson Grain Inc.’s behalf. On June 14, 2012, the court entered a judgment with an I.R.C.P. 54(b) certificate. Johnson submitted his second motion for reconsideration on June 18, 2012, with an affidavit from Wydell Johnson. The district court denied that motion at an August 14, 2012 hearing.

The district court entered its amended judgment on August 21, 2012, adding costs and fees. On August 29, 2012, Johnson filed a third motion to reconsider and requested I.R.C.P. 60(b) relief. He amended that motion on September 10, 2012. He supported the motion with his own affidavit and an affidavit from Jeanne Harris, one of Brown’s employees. The district court denied the third motion to reconsider under I.R.C.P. 11(a)(2) because the court had already entered a final judgment against Johnson and thus could not consider new evidence. The district court denied Johnson I.R.C.P. 60(b) relief because Harris’s testimony was previously discoverable and Johnson did not show unique and compelling circumstances. Johnson timely filed his amended notice of appeal.

II.ISSUES ON APPEAL

1. Whether the district eourt erred in granting summary judgment.
2. Whether the district court abused its discretion in denying Johnson’s third motion to reconsider and alternate motion for relief.
3. Whether either party is entitled to attorney fees on appeal.

III.ANALYSIS

A. The district court properly granted summary judgment to Agrisource.

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Agrisource, Inc. v. Johnson, 332 P.3d 815, 156 Idaho 903, 2014 WL 4057145, 2014 Ida. LEXIS 220 (Idaho 2014).

332 P.3d 815 (Agrisource, Inc. v. Johnson) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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