Corder v. Idaho Farmway, Inc.

986 P.2d 1019, 133 Idaho 353, 1999 Ida. App. LEXIS 58
CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 16, 1999
Docket24484
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 986 P.2d 1019 (Corder v. Idaho Farmway, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Corder v. Idaho Farmway, Inc., 986 P.2d 1019, 133 Idaho 353, 1999 Ida. App. LEXIS 58 (Idaho Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

PERRY, Chief Judge.

Dan Weitz and Idaho Farmway, Inc., appeal from the district court’s judgment, following a bench trial, finding Idaho Farmway liable to Tim Corder and LaVonne Corder, d/b/a T & LC Farms (collectively “Corder”), for breach of contract and both Weitz and *356 Idaho Farmway liable for filing a false labor hen. The district court awarded Corder $10,875.51 on the breach of contract claim and $28,699.97 on the false labor lien claim. In addition, the district court awarded Cord-er $37,980.22 for costs and attorney fees. For the reasons stated below, we affirm.

I.

PROCEDURE AND FACTS

Corder filed suit on November 15, 1995, claiming that Idaho Farmway breached their agreement to lease farm ground, was unjustly enriched by Corder’s work on the property, and that Weitz and Idaho Farmway filed a false labor hen. Weitz and Idaho Farmway made a special appearance challenging venue in Elmore County. The district court denied the motion challenging venue, finding that the cause of action arose in Elmore County. Weitz and Idaho Farmway filed an interlocutory appeal which was dismissed by the Idaho Supreme Court.

Corder filed a motion for partial summary judgment on the false labor hen claim. The district court granted the motion, awarding Corder damages and attorney fees. However, Corder requested that the district court amend its order because of other damages incurred and not included in the partial summary judgment decision. The district court ordered that the false labor hen issue be presented at trial and vacated its prior order awarding partial summary judgment.

A bench trial was held. Athough the district court did not issue written findings of fact and conclusions of law, it orally pronounced the following extensive findings of fact.

Corder has been a farmer for approximately twenty-five years and began farming in the Mountain Home area in 1978. He has primarily been a sugar beet farmer, but has grown a number of different crops during these years. Corder typically farms about 1,500 acres, of which he owns about 500 acres and leases the rest.

At the time concerned in this action Weitz was acting as de facto president of Idaho Farmway, and as its agent. Weitz had managed Idaho Farmway, Inc. since approximately 1976, but stopped acting in that capacity in 1996 because of a restructuring of the corporation.

The property in dispute is 720 acres which was owned by Idaho Farmway and situated near Mountain Home in Elmore County. Corder and Weitz began discussing a lease agreement for the property in August 1994. The parties eventually reached an agreement to lease the property. Corder agreed, as lessee, to pay a base price of $71,500 a year for the lease, to be divided into two payments. The first payment was due in January 1995. Corder was also to pay for the cost of water assessments, electricity to lift the water from the wells, and property taxes. The lease term was five years. The 720 acres was irrigated land. Idaho Farmway was to provide wells, pumps and lines necessary to get water to the land. Weitz, as Idaho Farm way’s agent, made specific representations to Corder that well number one would be repaired and that the pump would be put back in the well. In addition, if well number one provided an inadequate supply of water, Weitz agreed that well number two would be made serviceable. Weitz told Corder that well number one produced 2,700 gallons of water per minute and well number two produced 2,000 gallons of water per minute.

Handlines (sprinkler systems) were also necessary to irrigate the property. Weitz agreed Idaho Farmway would provide forty handlines for the property, with the parts necessary for the handlines to work properly. Corder agreed to provide the labor necessary to effectuate a conversion of the handlines from end risers to center risers.

Corder commenced his fall work in September 1994. Corder attempted to use well number one, but encountered aeration problems in the water. Weitz agreed that the pump in well number one needed to be repaired and contacted a corporation about doing the repairs. In continued conversations, Weitz assured Corder he would take care of the water problem. However, by May 1995 Weitz had not completed the repairs. Cord-er needed the water to avoid damage to his crops, so Corder hired the corporation Weitz *357 had previously contacted to make the necessary repairs to pump number one. The repairs cost $12,863.

Even with the repairs, the water from well number one was insufficient and well number two was needed. Weitz again failed to make the necessary repairs, so Corder hired a different corporation to repair the pump in well number two. Corder paid $16,946 for these services.

Although Weitz had promised Idaho Farm-way would provide the necessary parts to convert the end line risers to center line risers, it failed to do so. Therefore, Corder purchased those parts in order to avoid damage to his crops. The parts cost $6,400.

Weitz and Idaho Farmway failed in their obligations in numerous other ways. They did not insure that the pump stations were operable, per the agreement. Corder was forced to hire an electrical company to make repairs to the pump stations and paid $3,321.41. Pump station number three also needed repairs, and Corder hired a second electrical company. These expenses totaled $674.76.

On May 23, 1995, Corder sent Weitz a letter notifying him that Corder intended to deduct his incurred expenses from the amounts due for rent. Corder had already made his first payment of $36,000, and owed $35,500 plus the obligation to pay for electricity and property taxes. 1 Weitz did not respond to Corder’s letter. In addition, Weitz never made a demand for the additional payment.

Corder believed at this time that Weitz agreed to deduct the expenses incurred by Corder from the amount owed on the lease. Therefore, Corder began his preparations for the fall, which cost him $8,806.50.

On September 26, 1995, Weitz and Idaho Faimway filed a farm labor lien with the Secretary of State. The lien was filed against Corder’s crops, specifically including sugar beets, potatoes and wheat. Weitz and Idaho Farmway filed this lien knowing that the claim was false. As a result of this farm labor lien, two companies to which Corder sold crops issued joint payee checks to Idaho Farmway, Farm Credit Services and Corder, rather than just to Corder. The total sum of these checks was for $305,736.11. Weitz, acting on behalf of Idaho Farmway, refused to release its claim to the funds, resulting in additional damages to Corder. Corder suffered from an increase in the interest on his farm operating loan in the amount of $14,-042.97. Corder was also forced to pay additional self-employment taxes for the year 1996 in the amount of $14,657 due to the lien which delayed Corder’s receipt of farm income from 1995 to 1996. Corder would not have incurred these additional costs but for the false labor lien filing.

As a result of these findings of fact, the district court determined that Idaho Farm-way breached the lease agreement between the parties and held it liable for $10,875.71. The district court further held Weitz and Idaho Farmway liable on the false labor lien claim and awarded Corder $28,699.97 in damages.

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Bluebook (online)
986 P.2d 1019, 133 Idaho 353, 1999 Ida. App. LEXIS 58, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/corder-v-idaho-farmway-inc-idahoctapp-1999.