Opinion ID: 889580
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Issue Three: Did the District Court err in denying New Outlook's claim for breach of contract against Weaver Gravel?

Text: ¶ 43 New Outlook's claim for breach of contract against Weaver Gravel was based on the prospect that it might have to pay JTL an amount in excess of the $21,665.57 that New Outlook conceded it owed. Having determined that New Outlook did not owe anything over and above this amount, the District Court denied the breach of contract claim. New Outlook claims this was error, complaining that it now owes attorney fees and prejudgment interest in excess of $157,000 as a result of Weaver Gravel's breach of contract. New Outlook argues that the District Court's decision should be reversed so that the breach of contract claims can now go forward. ¶ 44 JTL urges us to affirm. JTL notes that New Outlook made it abundantly clear in the pretrial order that the basis of its breach of contract claim was the prospect that it might have to pay JTL some amount in excess of what it conceded it owed to Weaver Gravel. Since the District Court found that it did not owe an amount in excess of this figure, it properly dismissed the breach of contract claim. JTL contends that the additional amounts now owed by New Outlook for attorney fees and prejudgment interest are not relevant to the breach of contract claim it posited at trial. ¶ 45 We agree with JTL and affirm the District Court. The additional amounts now owed by New Outlook are based on attorney fees and prejudgment interest and are not relevant to the breach of contract claims it presented at trial. The District Court did not err in rejecting those claims once it determined that New Outlook did not owe Weaver Gravel an amount in excess of $21,665.57.