Madrid v. Roth

10 P.3d 751, 134 Idaho 802, 2000 Ida. App. LEXIS 61
CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 1, 2000
DocketNo. 25450
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 10 P.3d 751 (Madrid v. Roth) 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
Madrid v. Roth, 10 P.3d 751, 134 Idaho 802, 2000 Ida. App. LEXIS 61 (Idaho Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

SCHWARTZMAN, Judge.

Jose and Mary Madrid (the Madrids) appeal from the denial of their motion for summary judgment and the grant, of summary judgment to First Federal Savings Bank of Twin Falls (First Federal).

I.

FACTS AND PROCEDURE

The Madrids sought to build a home in Gooding County. They obtained financing from First Federal and, as a part of the parties’ agreement, the Madrids were required to execute a “construction loan agreement” (CLA), which was entered into on May 15, 1996. The Madrids selected Jack Roth, d/b/a/ Jack Roth Construction, to be their contractor, and the selection of subcontractors was left to the Madrids and Roth. Pursuant to the CLA, First Federal periodically disbursed funds from the loan during construction to pay for materials and completed labor. The disbursed checks were made payable to both the Madrids and Roth.

Several months after the home was finished, in January of 1997, the Madrids received notice that four liens were filed against their new home because several subcontractors had not been paid for materials or labor put into the home. The Madrids filed suit against Roth in February of 1997 for breach of the CLA; Roth fled Idaho. On June 26, the lienholders filed suit against the Madrids and First Federal to foreclose them liens. One month later, in their answer and cross-claim against First Federal, the Madrids alleged breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. First Federal answered the Madrids’ cross-claim and cross-claimed against Roth. First Federal declined to pay the subcontractors’ liens and denied any breach of the CLA on its part. The lien foreclosure case and the contract actions were consolidated and on the same day, the district court entered a default judgment against Roth in favor of the Madrids. However, one month later, a stipulated judgment was entered against the Madrids as to the lienholders’ suit against them. The Madrids paid all amounts then owing to the subcontractors, an amount close to $20,000.

Thereafter, the Madrids moved for summary judgment concerning them breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claims against First Federal; the bank then filed its erossmotion for summary judgment. After a hearing, the district court denied the Madrids’ motion for summary judgment and granted First Federal’s cross-motion. On December 22, the Madrids filed a motion for reconsideration and clarification. After another healing, the district court denied this motion. The Madrids appeal.

II.

NO FIDUCIARY DUTIES WERE CREATED BETWEEN FIRST FEDERAL AND THE MADRIDS BY THE CLA

A. Standard of Review

The Madrids contend that First Federal’s conduct and the CLA created a fiduciary duty. When assessing a motion for summary judgment, all disputed facts are to be liberally construed in favor of the party opposing the motion. Furthermore, the trial court must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the same party. Sanders v. Kuna Joint School Dist., 125 Idaho 872, 874, 876 P.2d 154, 156 (Ct.App.1994). On appeal, courts exercise free review in determining whether a genuine issue of material fact exists and whether the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Edwards v. Conchemco, Inc., 111 Idaho 851, 852, 727 P.2d 1279, 1280 (Ct.App.1986).

B. Analysis

Generally, the relationship between a borrower and lender is a debtor-creditor relationship, not a fiduciary relationship. Idaho First National Bank v. Bliss Valley [805]*805Foods, Inc., 121 Idaho 266, 277, 824 P.2d 841, 852 (1991). However, fiduciary duties may arise between lenders and borrowers in limited circumstances where there is “an agreement creating a duty, or if the lender exercises complete control over the disbursement of funds.” Wooden v. First Security Bank of Idaho, N.A., 121 Idaho 98, 100, 822 P.2d 995, 997 (1991).

The Madrids claim that First Federal expressly retained exclusive control over disbursement of the construction funds because “no one had authority to make disbursements other than First Federal.” The Madrids assert that First Federal had absolute control over the money, thus a fiduciary duty was owed by First Federal to them.

In Laight v. Idaho First National Bank, 108 Idaho 211, 214, 697 P.2d 1225, 1228 (Ct.App.1985), we rejected a similar claim by a homeowner, finding that:

the Laights did control disbursement to a significant degree ... [because] the funds were periodically disbursed to the Laights ... only at their request, in the form of checks made payable jointly to them and their builder____ If the subcontractors were not being paid, the Laights could have simply refused to endorse the checks until they were. The Laights thus had sufficient control to protect their interest against the possibility that the subcontractors were not being paid.

The Madrids had similar control over disbursement of them loan funds. The proceeds were distributed in four separate installments and only at the Madrids’ request. Much as in Laight, the checks were issued jointly to the Madrids and Roth, thus giving the Madrids control over ultimate disbursement to Roth and thereby, to the subcontractors.

Similar to Wooden, supra, the CLA does not expressly create any fiduciary duties owed by the lender to the borrower. Moreover, First Federal did not retain exclusive control over the construction funds. Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of First Federal on the Madrids’ claim for breach of fiduciary duty.

III.

INTERPRETATION OF COEXISTING CONTRACT TERMS: AMBIGUITY

The Madrids next contend that the CLA created a contractual duty in First Federal to protect them by obtaining lien waivers or lien releases before it disbursed their money. Whether a contract is ambiguous is a question of law subject to free review. Bilow v. Preco, Inc. 132 Idaho 23, 28, 966 P.2d 23, 28 (1998). Only when interpretation of ambiguous terms of a contract is required are questions of fact presented for determination. On the other hand, where a contract is clear and unambiguous, not involving any absurdities or contradictions, it is the best evidence of the intent of the parties and hence a determination of its meaning and its legal effect are a question of law. Minidoka County for Use and Benefit of Detweiler Bros., Inc. v. Krieger, 88 Idaho 395, 416, 399 P.2d 962, 975 (1964).

B. Paragraph 3(b) of the CLA, Read in Conjunction with Paragraph 7, Does Not Impose a Contractual Duty Upon First Federal to Secure Lien Waivers for the Madrids’ Protection

First Federal made a total of four loan disbursements over the course of the construction of the Madrids’ home.

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10 P.3d 751, 134 Idaho 802, 2000 Ida. App. LEXIS 61, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/madrid-v-roth-idahoctapp-2000.