Moore v. Georgeson

679 P.2d 1099, 1983 Colo. App. LEXIS 1149
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 20, 1983
Docket81CA0164
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 679 P.2d 1099 (Moore v. Georgeson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moore v. Georgeson, 679 P.2d 1099, 1983 Colo. App. LEXIS 1149 (Colo. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

TURSI, Judge.

Arlie 0. Moore (Moore) appeals from the trial court’s disposition of his claims for relief in favor of the Pikes Peak National Bank and Earl J. Georgeson, one of its directors (Bank). We affirm.

In a transaction spanning December 1973 through March 1974, Moore, by a purchasing agreement, acquired 60% of the Bank’s stock. In addition, Moore, in his individual capacity, entered into an agreement to purchase the bank premises. As a result of the latter transaction, Moore became the owner-lessor of the bank premises.

On closing day of the stock purchase, the Bank’s board of directors held a meeting for the purpose of replacing retiring board members. At that meeting, Moore was elected president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board. On that same day, the board approved both an amendment to the Bank’s lease agreement and a five-year employment contract for Moore. Both documents had been prepared by Moore’s attorney.

The employment agreement executed in favor of Moore contained the following:

“8. Disability. If Moore is unable to perform his services by reason of illness or incapacity for a period of more than ninety (90) consecutive days, the board of directors of the Bank may remove Moore as president and chief executive officer, but he shall be compensated as follows:
(a) For a period one (1) year from date of such illness or incapacity, Moore shall receive the full amount of his base salary in effect at the commencement of such period.
(b) For a period five (5) years thereafter (six (6) years from the date of such illness or incapacity) or until Moore attains the age of 65, whichever event shall first occur, Moore shall receive fifty percent (50%) of the full amount of his base salary in effect at the commencement of such illness or incapacity.
13. Entire Agreement. This instrument contains the entire agreement of the parties. It may not be changed orally but only by an agreement in writing signed by the party against whom enforcement of any waiver, chánge, modification, extension, or discharge is sought.”

The lease agreement, as amended, granted the Bank an option to purchase the leased premises valid through February 1, 1980. Ninety days written notice to the lessor was required in order to exercise the option. The lease states:

“If the option is exercised, the Lessor shall fix a closing date for the sale and purchase of the Demised Premises, which date shall be within fifteen (15) days after the expiration of the option notice. Lessor shall notify Lessee in *1101 writing of the closing date and the method of payment ... which the Lessor has selected not less than then (10) days prior to the closing date.”

Although he suffered a heart attack in 1975 and underwent heart by-pass surgery in 1977, Moore remained in his status with the Bank until he tendered his resignation as president in August 1978. In his resignation letter to the Bank’s board of directors, Moore stated that he was required to resign his position as president because of the progression of his heart condition and his physician’s concern with employment stress. The Bank accepted the resignation with regret.

Thereafter, Moore sought disability compensation from the Bank pursuant to the above-quoted disability provision. The Bank declined to make the disability payments, and instead continued to forward Moore his salary checks. The Bank acted on the advice of the counsel, who, subsequent to the preparation of the employment contract, had been engaged by Moore as counsel for the Bank. Moore returned the salary checks as he received them. Further, the Bank notified the insurance company covering disability that Moore remained in its employ, thus preventing him from receiving the disability payments.

In a letter dated March 13, 1979, the Bank notified Moore of its intent to exercise its option to purchase the bank premises. Moore rejected the option notice as ineffective because it failed to state its own expiration date. In addition, Moore claimed that the lease amendment and the employment contract were intended by the parties to constitute a single agreement, and that refusal to pay disability benefits constituted a breach of the entire agreement, thus relieving him from any obligation under the lease option provision.

In the trial court, Moore sought a judgment declaring that the employment contract and the amended lease constitute a single agreement between the Bank and himself. Prior to trial, on the Bank’s motion for summary judgment, the trial court held, as a matter of law, that the employment contract and the lease are independent agreements, and granted the motion.

At the close of Moore’s evidence, the Bank moved for, and was granted a directed verdict, on Moore’s claim for disability compensation.

Moore also claimed that the Bank had failed to exercise properly the option to purchase the bank premises. The Bank counterclaimed for specific performance of the option contract. On Moore’s motion for summary judgment concerning this issue, the trial court denied Moore’s motion and granted summary judgment for the Bank. Although the Bank did not expressly move for summary judgment, the trial court held that its order was justified by the Bank’s counterclaim for specific performance.

Moore’s final allegation, outrageous conduct by the Bank because it refused to pay disability compensation, was disposed of by directed verdict in favor of the Bank. The trial court found the evidence insufficient to support the claim and therefore dismissed for lack of evidence.

Moore contends that the granting of summary judgment in favor of the Bank as to his first claim was improper as he was not afforded the opportunity to introduce facts showing the parties intended that the employment contract and the amended lease constitute a single agreement. We disagree.

Extrinsic evidence is admissible to prove intent only if there is an ambiguity in the terms of the written agreement. Construction of unambiguous written documents is resolved as a matter of law. Radiology Professional Corp. v. Trinidad Area Health Ass’n, Inc., 195 Colo. 253, 577 P.2d 748 (1978). Where, as here, a contract is unambiguous, and contains an integration clause stating that the writing constitutes the entire agreement of the parties, it must be enforced according to its terms. We agree with the trial court’s conclusion that, as a matter of law, the employment contract and the amended lease aré independent agreements.

*1102 Thus, summary judgment was properly entered on this issue. In granting the Bank a directed verdict on the disability compensation claim, the trial court found it was uncontradicted that Moore was at no time absent for a period of more than ninety consecutive days, and that he was not removed, but had resigned from his position as president of the Bank.

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Bluebook (online)
679 P.2d 1099, 1983 Colo. App. LEXIS 1149, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moore-v-georgeson-coloctapp-1983.