R.J. Meyers Company v. Reinke Manufacturing Company, Inc., and Hook's Point Irrigation

885 N.W.2d 429, 89 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 391, 2016 Iowa App. LEXIS 310, 2016 WL 1358604
CourtCourt of Appeals of Iowa
DecidedApril 6, 2016
Docket15-0311
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 885 N.W.2d 429 (R.J. Meyers Company v. Reinke Manufacturing Company, Inc., and Hook's Point Irrigation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
R.J. Meyers Company v. Reinke Manufacturing Company, Inc., and Hook's Point Irrigation, 885 N.W.2d 429, 89 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 391, 2016 Iowa App. LEXIS 310, 2016 WL 1358604 (iowactapp 2016).

Opinion

McDONALD, Judge.

This case comes before the court on appeal following the grant of summary judgment in favor of defendants Reinke Manufacturing Company, Inc., and Hook’s Point Irrigation and adverse to plaintiff R.J. Meyers Company. The legal dispute arises out of an allegedly defective irrigation system Hook’s Point sold to Meyers.

I. •

Jim Meyers, age sixty five, is the sole proprietor of R.J. Meyers Company. Meyers is in the sodding and turf business. Meyers started the.company in 2010, but he has more than four decades of experience in the industry. Reinke is a manufacturer. of irrigation systems. Hook’s Point is in the business of selling and servicing irrigation systems, and it is a non-exclusive dealer of Reinke products.

In January 2011, Meyers had coffee with Mark Stumpenhorst to discuss his need for an irrigation system. Stumpenhorst was a representative of Hook’s Point.

In July of 2011, Hook’s Point sent an irrigation system proposal to Meyers. The proposal contained an acknowledg *432 ment that “Purchase of the system described above will be subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Irrigation System Purchase Agreement between the Dealer and the Customer, including but not limited to the Reinke Irrigation Systems Warranty.”

In August or September of 2011, Meyers purchased an irrigation system from Hook’s Point for Meyers’ 154-acre sod farm. The purchase agreement was solely between Meyers and Hook’s Point. Reinke was the manufacturer of the irrigation system sold by Hook’s Point to Meyers. Meyers admitted he signed the purchase agreement, but the parties were not able to find the signed copy during discovery in this matter. An unsigned copy of the purchase agreement was sent to Meyers via email in September 2011. There is no genuine dispute the unsigned purchase agreement attached to the September email is an accurate copy of the parties’ purchase agreement. The purchase agreement contained an acknowledgment the “dealer has provided me with a copy of the Reinke Irrigation Systems Warranty.” The form also provided, “I acknowledge receipt of the Warranty and have read the terms contained in the Warranty.”

The purchase agreement included a copy of Reinke’s Certificate of Warranty and the full warranty. Meyers signed a warranty certification on October 9, 2011, stating the dealer explained the warranty to him. The Certificate of Warranty provided the unaltered irrigation system “will be free from defects in materials and workmanship” and identified several particulars. The Certificate of Warranty provided any defective components “within the coverage of this Limited Warranty,” “shall be repaired or replaced, at Reinke’s sole option.” The terms and conditions of the warranty provided:

REINKE IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY REPRESENTATIONS MADE BY ANY DEALER THAT EXCEED THE TERMS OF THIS WRITTEN LIMITED WARRANTY. Neither Reinke nor the Dealer shall be liable for actual or consequential damages due to any delays or defaults in making delivery occasioned by any cause. Delivery of the components of the Irrigation System by an approximate date is subject to the availability of such components. It is understood that any date specified is an estimated and projected delivery date between the Dealer and Purchaser. THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM COVERED BY THIS WARRANTY IS SOLD SUBJECT TO THE MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY ONLY. THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM MANUFACTURED BY REINKE SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH HEREIN, WHICH THE DEALER ADOPTS AND EXTENDS TO THE PURCHASER.
D. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY
REINKE AND PURCHASER AGREE THAT, IN CONSIDERATION OF THE LIMITED WARRANTY EXPRESSED HEREIN, ALL OTHER WARRANTIES OTHER THAN TITLE, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WHETHER ARISING UNDER LAW OR IN EQUITY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE EXCLUDED.
REINKE AND PURCHASER AGREE THAT THE PURCHASER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR ANY DEFECTS IN THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM DELIVERED HEREUNDER SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT *433 (IN REINKE’S SOLE DISCRETION) OF DEFECTIVE PARTS AS SPECIFIED IN THIS LIMITED WARRANTY. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY SHALL NOT APPLY WITH RESPECT TO ANY CLAIMED DEFECT IN THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM WHICH IN REINKE’S JUDGMENT HAS ARISEN FROM REPAIR NOT AUTHORIZED OR PERFORMED BY REINKE OR THE DEALER, FROM ALTERATIONS OR MODIFICATIONS IN THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM, OR FROM PURCHASER’S MISUSE, NEGLIGENCE OR ACCIDENT.
NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS LIMITED WARRANTY, IN NO EVENT SHALL REINKE OR ITS DEALERS BE LIABLE, WHETHER ARISING UNDER CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, FOR LOSS OF USE OF THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM; ANTICIPATED BUSINESS OR PROFITS (INCLUDING ANTICIPATED LEASE PAYMENTS); CROP DAMAGES; TRANSPORTATION, TOWING OR RELATED EXPENSES DUE TO REPAIRS, NON-OPERATION, REDUCED OPERATION OR INCREASED EXPENSE OF OPERATION; COST OF PURCHASED OR LEASED REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT; COSTS DUE TO DELAYS OR DEFAULTS IN MAKING DELIVERY OR INSTALLATION OF THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM, REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT OR ANY COMPONENT THEREOF; COST OF MONEY; LOSS OF USE OF CAPITAL OR REVENUE; LOSS OF PURCHASER’S TIME; OR FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY NATURE ARISING AT ANY TIME OR FROM ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM OR THE USE THEREOF OR ARISING OUT OF A BREACH OF THE PURCHASE CONTRACT OR ANY WARRANTIES ARISING THEREFROM OR FOR SPECIAL OR GENERAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY ACTS OF NEGLIGENCE OF REINKE OR DEALER, WHETHER SUCH CLAIMS ARE MADE BY PURCHASER OR ANY SUBSEQUENT OWNER, PURCHASER, LESSOR OR LESSEE OF THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM, OR ANY RELATED SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST THERETO. MANUFACTURER DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY FOR ANY MODIFICATIONS MADE TO THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM FROM THE TIME IT LEAVES MANUFACTURER’S CUSTODY. NO CLAIM BY PURCHASER OF ANY KIND SHALL BE GREATER IN AMOUNT THAN THE NET PURCHASE PRICE OF THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM.

Hook’s Point started installation of the Reinke-manufactured irrigation system in September 2011. Hook’s Point completed installation of the irrigation system on October 21. Meyers alleges the system “has never suitably performed for Meyers’ sod farm.” Meyers claims the irrigation system has suffered numerous, system-wide problems. Some of the identified problems include leaks, automatic shutdown due to malfunction, operation at pressure levels that exceed the system’s limits, uneven watering resulting in crop loss, excessive rutting, the failure to start, and uncontrolled automated spraying. Meyers’ expert, Jerry Hall, opined the irrigation system was inappropriately designed for *434 the sod farm and was defective. The defendants claim Meyers modified the irrigation system and caused many of the problems. Without regard to who or what caused problems with the irrigation system, it is not disputed that Hook’s Point responded to numerous service calls regarding problems with the irrigation system from the time of installation going forward. ' Stumpenhorst stated, “I have never made this many service calls to one person in this amount of time.” The first day of operation of the irrigation system was on October 21, 2011.

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885 N.W.2d 429, 89 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 391, 2016 Iowa App. LEXIS 310, 2016 WL 1358604, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rj-meyers-company-v-reinke-manufacturing-company-inc-and-hooks-point-iowactapp-2016.