Piroschak v. Whelan

2005 WY 26, 106 P.3d 887, 2005 Wyo. LEXIS 29, 2005 WL 467166
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 1, 2005
Docket04-51
StatusPublished
Cited by50 cases

This text of 2005 WY 26 (Piroschak v. Whelan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Piroschak v. Whelan, 2005 WY 26, 106 P.3d 887, 2005 Wyo. LEXIS 29, 2005 WL 467166 (Wyo. 2005).

Opinion

GOLDEN, Justice.

[T1] In this appeal, Appellant Richard S. Piroschak, the buyer of real estate from Ap-pellee William T. Whelan, appeals from a judgment in favor of Whelan finding that Piroschak had breached the contract to purchase real estate and denying his claims of fraud and deceit. That judgment ordered Piroschak to pay over $170,000 in damages and attorney fees and, now on appeal, Pirose-hak contends that neither the breach nor damages were proved at trial by adequate evidence.

[T2] We reverse and remand for new trial.

ISSUES

[T3] Piroschak presents the following issues on appeal:

1. Whether the language of the contract and the evidence presented at trial supported the trial court's legal conclusion that the appellant breached the Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate?
2. If there were a breach of contract by the appellant, did the appellee prove its damages with competent testimony and reasonable certainty, both with regard to the type and value of the damages?

Whelan responds with this statement of the issues:

A. Whether Appellant’s issues regarding waiver and exeuse of performance should be dismissed because they were raised [for the] first time on appeal.
B. Whether Appellant's issues regarding waiver and excuse of performance should be affirmed in Appellee's favor due to a lack of cited pertinent authority as required by W.R.A.P. 7.01.
C. Whether the District Court's finding that Appellant materially breached the contract for the purchase of real property was inconsistent with the evidence, clearly erroneous, or.contrary to the great weight of the evidence, and contrary to the law of Wyoming.
D. Whether the District Court’s determination of damages as a result of Appellant's breach of contract and injury to Ap-pellee's property was inconsistent with the evidence, clearly erroneous, or contrary to the great weight of the evidence, and contrary to the law of Wyoming.

FACTS

[T4] The parties entered into the contract in April of 1997 for Piroschak to buy property from Whelan. Whelan had previously operated the property as a bed and breakfast business in Alta, Wyoming, but had not done so in the previous fifteen months and was selling the property as a residence. Some limited financial information was made available to Piroschak; however, the purchase contract specifically provided that Whelan neither warranted nor guaranteed any potential income. The parties agreed to a sales price of $447,500, and Piroschak paid a nonrefundable deposit of $15,000. Under *890 the contract, Piroschak had until May 18, 1999, to obtain financing. In the interim, Piroschak was required to pay $3,000 monthly as rent, with 10% of the rent being credited toward the purchase price.

[T5] Piroschak operated the property as a bed and breakfast and struggled to make it financially successful. The contract did not indicate when rent was due, and about half of his rent payments were not paid by the first of each month; however, Whelan never threatened Piroschak with default or evietion. In April of 1999, after a Jackson, Wyoming, bank indicated it was not interested in providing financing, Piroschak's accountant sent Whelan a letter indicating Piroschak was unable to obtain financing. Under the terms of the contract Piroschak was to apply for financing with a lender and, if financing was unavailable, could provide Whelan with a lender declination letter and void the sale. Around the same time, Piroschak personally informed Whelan that he (Piroschak) would be unable to complete the purchase arid requested that Whelan lower the purchase price. Whelan instead told Piroschak to vacate the premises. When Whelan reentered the property, the home was in disrepair. Whelan cleaned the place and made various repairs. In December of 1999, Whelan sold the bed and breakfast to another buyer for $325,000. '

[16] This case began in federal district court, where Piroschak sued Whelan for fraud and deceit. After the federal suit was dismissed, Whelan brought suit in Teton County district court and sought an order to compel arbitration. Piroschak counterclaimed for fraud and deceit, basically claiming that Whelan had misrepresented the earning potential of the bed and breakfast. The motion to compel arbitration was denied, and Whelan eventually filed an amended complaint alleging breach of contract. After a bench trial, the district court denied Pirose-hak's fraud claim, a finding that is not challenged in this appeal. The court also found that Piroschak had breached the contract by repeatedly paying the rent late and by failing to pay rent in April and May of 1999. The court assessed damages against Piroschak at $143,500, consisting of (1) $122,500-the difference between the contract sale price and the amount for which Whelan later re-sold the property; (2) $6,000 for missed rent payments in April and May of 1999; (8) $10,000 for materials to make repairs; and (4) $5,000 for labor for repairs. The court also later assessed attorney's fees against Piroschak, making for a total judgment of $170,291.67. This appeal followed.

DISCUSSION

Standard of Review

[¥7]) "When a trial court in a bench trial makes express findings of fact and conclusions of law, we review the factual determinations under a clearly erroneous standard and the legal conclusions de novo." Hansuld v. Lariat Diesel Corp., 2008 WY 165, 118, 81 P.8d 215, { 13 (Wyo.2008) (citing Rennard v. Vollmar, 977 P.2d 1277, 1279 (Wyo.1999)). When reviewing the factual findings of a district court following a bench trial, we apply the following standards:

The factual findings of a judge are not entitled to the limited review afforded a jury verdict. While the findings are presumptively correct, the appellate court may examine all of the properly admissible evidence in the record. Due regard is given to the opportunity of the trial judge to assess the credibility of the witnesses, and our review does not entail re-weighing disputed evidence. Findings of fact will not be set aside unless they are clearly erroneous. A finding is clearly erroneous when, although there is evidence to support it, the reviewing court on the entire evidence is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.

Harber v. Jensen, 2004 WY 104, T7, 97 P.3d 57, 17 (Wyo.2004) (quoting Life Care Centers of America, Inc. v. Dexter, 2008 WY 38, 17, 65 P.3d 385, 17 (Wyo.2008)). Findings may not be set aside because we would have reached a different result. Harber, T7 (citing Double Eagle Petroleum & Mining Corp. v. Questar Exploration & Production Co., 2003 WY 139, 16, 78 P.3d 679, 16 (Wyo. 2008)). Also, in reviewing a trial court's findings of fact,

*891 we assume that the evidence of the prevailing party below is true and give that party every reasonable inference that can fairly and reasonably be drawn from it. We do not substitute ourselves for the trial court as a finder of facts; instead, we defer to those findings unless they are unsupported by the record or erroneous as a matter of law.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2005 WY 26, 106 P.3d 887, 2005 Wyo. LEXIS 29, 2005 WL 467166, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/piroschak-v-whelan-wyo-2005.