Star Phoenix Mining Co. v. Hecla Mining Co.

939 P.2d 542, 130 Idaho 223, 1997 Ida. LEXIS 40
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedApril 2, 1997
Docket21487
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 939 P.2d 542 (Star Phoenix Mining Co. v. Hecla Mining Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Star Phoenix Mining Co. v. Hecla Mining Co., 939 P.2d 542, 130 Idaho 223, 1997 Ida. LEXIS 40 (Idaho 1997).

Opinions

JOHNSON, Justice.

This is a breach of contract case concerning a mining lease. We conclude that there are no implied terms of the lease that were breached by the lessor. Therefore, we reverse the judgment against the lessor and remand the case to the trial court with directions to enter judgment in favor of the lessor, including attorney fees pursuant to I.C. § 12-120(3). We also conclude that the trial court correctly ruled that some documents sought from the lessor in discovery were privileged but direct the trial court on remand to consider an award of sanctions against the lessor for discovery violations.

I.

THE BACKGROUND AND PRIOR PROCEEDINGS

Hecla Mining Company (Hecla) and Bunker Limited Partnership (Bunker) each owned an undivided one-half interest in the Star Unit Area (the unit), which included the Star-Morning Mine (the mine). Under a 1961 agreement, Hecla agreed to pay all operating costs and Bunker agreed to reimburse Hecla for its one-half share of those costs. Hecla acted as manager of the unit. By 1988, Hecla claimed Bunker owed it $1,800,000 for its share of unit costs.

In 1984, Hecla leased the mine to Star-Morning Mining Company (Star). Star subsequently defaulted on its obligations under this lease. Hecla proposed to sell its share of the unit to Bunker, but Star claimed to have a continuing lease interest in the mine, despite its earlier default. Star’s claims were an obstacle to Bunker’s plans to finance the purchase, and negotiations between Hec-la and Bunker were unsuccessful. Hecla converted the transaction to a lease-purchase option in favor of Star Phoenix Mining Company (Star Phoenix), an entity formed by the president of Bunker’s general partner and two other parties.

On July 6, 1989, Hecla, Bunker and Star Phoenix entered into a lease agreement (the lease), by which Bunker and Hecla, as co-tenants, leased the mine to Star Phoenix. In separate agreements Hecla and Bunker each gave Star Phoenix options (the purchase [225]*225agreements) to purchase their respective interests in the mine. Star Phoenix was obligated to exercise its purchase option within ninety days of the successful resolution of pending litigation between Hecla and Bunker, as lessors, and Star, as lessee. This litigation was resolved in favor of Hecla and Bunker in Hecla Mining Co. v. Star-Morning Mining Co., 122 Idaho 778, 839 P.2d 1192 (1992).

Star Phoenix agreed in the lease that it would “not allow hens to remain on or encumbrances to attach to the property, which arise out of any act or omission upon the part of Star Phoenix.” The lease also contained a section entitled “Defaults — Forfeiture” (Article 17):

Bunker and Hecla shall have the right in their sole discretion, individually and separately, to terminate this Agreement for default by Star Phoenix. In the event that Bunker or Hecla claims that a default has occurred or is occurring in Star Phoenix’s performance of any obligation or obligations under the terms of this Agreement, Bunker or Hecla may serve written notice upon Star Phoenix that Star Phoenix is, or is claimed to be, in default, stating in such notice the particulars of the alleged default and requesting correction thereof. Upon receipt of any such notice, Star Phoenix shall have thirty (30) days from and after receipt of such notice within which to begin the correction of any and all actually existing defaults specified in such notice and shall diligently prosecute such correction until such default or defaults have been remedied.... If any actually existing default or defaults which have been specified in any such notice are not remedied in the manner specified in this Article 17, then Bunker or Hecla may, at their sole option and by written notice, declare this Agreement terminated. If any controversy or dispute arises between the parties as to whether any claimed default or defaults have actually occurred or are actually occurring, Bunker’s or Hecla’s notice of termination for default notwithstanding, such controversy or dispute shall be submitted to judicial determination, and no action with respect to any such alleged default need be taken by Star Phoenix unless and until final judicial proceedings have determined that such alleged default or defaults actually occurred or were actually occurring, and Star Phoenix’s time within which to remedy or begin remedying such default or defaults shall not begin to run until final judicial proceedings have so determined.

In a separate agreement, Bunker and Hec-la agreed to terminate their previous agreement concerning the unit and to settle all their financial claims concerning the unit in return for Bunker’s payment of $891,450 to Hecla upon Star Phoenix’s purchase of the property and Bunker’s conveyance to Hecla of its interest in four claims within the unit.

As part of its efforts to rehabilitate and commence operation of the mine, Star Phoenix entered into a loan agreement (the loan agreement) with Comineo, Ltd. (Comineo), a Canadian corporation, which loaned Star Phoenix $1,000,000. The loan agreement referred to the lease and provided that Comin-eo could terminate its loan obligation to Star Phoenix and accelerate all amounts owed upon the occurrence of a default. Events of default included the cessation of mining operations by Star Phoenix.

Star Phoenix, Hecla, Bunker and Comineo entered into an agreement and assignment of lease and asset purchase agreements (the assignment agreement), by which Star Phoenix pledged its interest in the lease and the purchase agreements as security for the Comineo loan. The assignment agreement required either Hecla or Bunker, or both, to send notice of any default or termination of the lease to Comineo at the same time the notice was sent to Star Phoenix and stipulated that, “nothing herein shall be construed to prevent or limit Hecla’s or Bunker Limited’s rights to declare a default or to terminate the Lessee’s or any successor’s interest therein upon default.”

Comineo later agreed to loan Star Phoenix an additional $1,000,000. Star Phoenix and Comineo added to the loan agreement two additional reasons for which Comineo could declare a default: (1) if Star Phoenix was in default under the terms of the lease, and (2) [226]*226if the rights of Star Phoenix became subject to termination within a succeeding period of not more than thirty days. Bunker and Hee-la consented to these additions.

In June 1990, a bank (the bank) agreed to provide a $750,000 line of credit to Star Phoenix. Star Phoenix used this line of credit and the Comineo loans to finance approximately $3,600,000 in pre-production costs at the mine.

Also in June 1990, Hecla learned that a supplier (the supplier) of materials to Star Phoenix had recorded a $164,393.18 material-men’s lien (the lien) against the mine for preproduction materials. In a letter dated June 26, 1990, Hecla advised Star Phoenix that it considered the lien to be a violation of the lease, but it did not formally notify Star Phoenix of a default at that time due to assurances Hecla received from the supplier and Star Phoenix that the matter was being resolved.

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Star Phoenix Mining Co. v. Hecla Mining Co.
939 P.2d 542 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
939 P.2d 542, 130 Idaho 223, 1997 Ida. LEXIS 40, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/star-phoenix-mining-co-v-hecla-mining-co-idaho-1997.