Jackson v. Wood

859 P.2d 378, 124 Idaho 342, 1993 Ida. App. LEXIS 145
CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 7, 1993
DocketNo. 19541
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 859 P.2d 378 (Jackson v. Wood) 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
Jackson v. Wood, 859 P.2d 378, 124 Idaho 342, 1993 Ida. App. LEXIS 145 (Idaho Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

SWANSTROM, Judge, Pro Tem.

This is an appeal from the district court’s memorandum decision and judgment finding for John Jackson, dba Jackson Oil Wholesale, on his claim to collect the balance due on an open account for the sale of fuel. John and Kathy Wood, whose presentation of affirmative defenses did not persuade the district court, likewise did not prevail on their counterclaims so as to obtain any set-offs to the amount due and owing to Jackson, except for an award of $500 damages for an Idaho Consumer Protection Act (ICPA) violation by Jackson. The Woods appeal claiming that a number of the trial court’s particularized findings are erroneous and should be overturned with the result that Jackson should receive nothing on his complaint. On cross-appeal, Jackson argues that the $500 statutory damage award to the Woods was error [343]*343because the court found that the Woods had not proved any ascertainable loss as required by the ICPA. For the reasons stated below, we vacate the $500 damage award made to the Woods, but otherwise affirm the judgment.

In 1982, the Woods leased from Jackson a gasoline service station in Boise known as Westgate Texaco. The written lease agreement provided for a monthly rental payment from the Woods to Jackson. The lease also provided for Jackson to pay the Woods a commission on their sales of gasoline which was owned by Jackson and in the station’s tanks. The term of the lease was from October 15, 1982, to October 15, 1983; however, beginning February 1, 1983, the arrangement as to gasoline sales changed. From that point, Jackson sold and delivered gasoline to the Woods who were free to set the retail price and target a certain profit margin, as opposed to earning the commission figures fixed by the lease. No new lease was signed at the expiration of the one-year term, but the Woods continued to operate the station until July, 1986, paying rent on a monthly basis and charging their gasoline on an open account with Jackson. The lease terminated on July 31, 1986, by mutual agreement of the parties.

Jackson filed suit against the Woods to recover the amount allegedly due on the open account for fuel, plus interest from August, 1986. The Woods counterclaimed, alleging anti-competitive conduct under I.C. § 48-101 et seq., unlawful price discrimination under I.C. § 48-201 et seq., unfair and deceptive trade practices in violation of the ICPA, I.C. § 48-601 et seq., as well as other statutory violations by Jackson which the district court held did not afford relief in the form of damages.1 The Woods asserted that these violations, which were primarily related to the sale of non-Texaco gas as a Texaco product, constituted a breach of the lease agreement between the parties, and that Jackson otherwise had breached what the Woods described as a franchisor/franchisee relationship, under the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2801 et seq.

After trial, the district judge concluded that the Woods had failed to prove any ascertainable loss arising from Jackson’s deceptive trade practices in selling non-Texaco gas to the Woods because they were able to resell the gasoline for a profit. The court found that Jackson’s pricing scheme was not discriminatory and that $21,648 remained due and owing to Jackson for fuel delivered to the Woods. The court offset against this amount $500 statutory damages assessed against Jackson for a violation of the ICPA. Finally, the court held that no franchise relationship existed between the parties and pointed out that jurisdiction lies in the federal district court for claims allegedly arising from any franchise relationship. This appeal and cross-appeal followed.

“Where the trial court’s findings of fact are clearly erroneous and against the weight of the evidence, those findings will be set aside on review.” State ex rel. Kidwell v. Master Distributors, Inc., 101 Idaho 447, 453, 615 P.2d 116, 122 (1980). The trial court’s findings of fact will be liberally construed in favor of the judgment entered, in view of the trier of fact’s role of weighing the conflicting evidence and judging the credibility of the witnesses. See Sun Valley Shamrock Resources, Inc., v. Travelers Leasing Corp., 118 Idaho 116, 118, 794 P.2d 1389, 1391 (1990). If there is substantial evidence to support the findings and the conclusions follow therefrom, and if correct legal principles have been applied, the appellate court will uphold the decision of the lower court. Pass v. Kenny, 118 Idaho 445, 448, 797 P.2d 153, 156 (Ct.App.1990).

The Woods challenge the district court’s finding that they suffered no ascertainable loss by Jackson’s conduct in selling them non-Texaco gas. Jackson admitted that he had delivered non-Texaco gas in order to maintain a source of supply to the Woods [344]*344when Texaco gasoline was not available. The Woods contend that, by deceiving them as to the product, Jackson denied them any opportunity to either reject the gas or negotiate an adjustment in the price of the gas. They assert, without supporting authority, that Jackson should be stripped of the profit of $9,252.80 which he made on the non-Texaco deliveries. In the alternative, they argue that each non-Texaco delivery entitled them to $500 statutory damages, as opposed to the single $500 awarded by the district court as a set-off against the amount owing to Jackson. If the Woods succeed with this argument, the multiple damage awards would more than off-set the amount claimed due on the Woods’ open account for fuel. It is this award that is the subject of Jackson’s cross-appeal, wherein Jackson disputes that any award was proper in light of the court’s finding of no ascertainable loss.

An individual action may be brought by “any person who purchases and leases goods or services and thereby suffers any ascertainable loss of money or property, real or personal, as a result of the use or employment by another person of a method, act or practice declared unlawful by [the ICPA].” I.C. § 48-608. The action may be brought to recover actual damages or five hundred dollars, whichever is the greater. Id. The evidence adduced at the trial in this case, however, indicates that from February 1, 1983, when the Woods began purchasing gas from Jackson, they resold the gas at a retail price which they themselves set to earn a desirable margin of profit and to remain competitive. The Woods admit that they never suffered a disruption in the delivery of gasoline, which would have created significant losses, although it is agreed that, unknown to them at the time, Jackson frequently delivered non-Texaco gasoline to the Woods.

Where it could be held that Jackson sold non-Texaco gas to the Woods in violation of I.C. §§ 48-603 to -608, recovery therefor must be preceded by a finding of ascertainable loss. Shurtliff v. Northwest Pools, Inc., 120 Idaho 263, 266, 815 P.2d 461, 464 (Ct.App.1991), citing Yellowpine Water User’s Assoc. v. Imel, 105 Idaho 349, 670 P.2d 54 (1983).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Litster Frost v. Idaho Injury Law Group
518 P.3d 1 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2022)
In re Gen. Motors LLC
339 F. Supp. 3d 262 (S.D. Illinois, 2018)
Idaho v. Edwards (In Re Edwards)
233 B.R. 461 (D. Idaho, 1999)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
859 P.2d 378, 124 Idaho 342, 1993 Ida. App. LEXIS 145, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jackson-v-wood-idahoctapp-1993.