Opinion ID: 901553
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The DOT-Tveidt Contract

Text: [¶8.] Tveidt claims that pursuant to the DOT-Tveidt Contract, the excess embankment material hauled on the property to be stored and screened became the personal property of Tveidt entitling the Estate to payment. As support, Tveidt cites to the absence of language in the DOT-Tveidt Contract suggesting that ownership of the excess embankment material would remain with DOT, and the absence of language that suggests that DOT would have the right to screen riprap from the excess embankment material. Tveidt claims that the contract only allowed DOT and its agents to have a right of ingress and egress for the purpose of depositing but not removing excess embankment materials. [¶9.] Zandstra, on the other hand, argues that DOT only contracted with Tveidt for storage and waste of the excess embankment material. In support of its argument, Zandstra points to the absence of any language that suggests that the excess embankment material would become the property of Tveidt. Zandstra argues that the language of the contract implies that any excess waste material would not become property of Tveidt until the area was graded to specification, reseeded and re-fenced. [¶10.] In order to resolve the issue of ownership, we look at the language of both the DOT-Tveidt Contract and the Zandstra-Tveidt Contract, as both parties suggest. The DOT-Tveidt Contract is a five page document detailing the rights and responsibilities of DOT in regards to its use of Tveidt's property. Among other things, the contract granted DOT a right of ingress and egress for the purpose of depositing excess embankment material and allowed for DOT's continued use of Tveidt' property until the Boulder Canyon Project was complete. The contract also required DOT to restore the property to its original condition after the project was completed. [¶11.] The DOT-Tveidt Contract noted that the purpose of the contract was for depositing approximately 300,000 cubic yards of excess embankment materials. For depositing the excess embankment material, DOT agreed to pay Tveidt a total compensatory sum of $90,000.00 plus an additional amount of $2,500.00 for loss of trees bring[ing] the total compensatory amount to $92,500.00 for the placement of waste material. The contract provided additional compensation [i]f the quantity of excess embankment material exceed[ed] 300,000 cubic yards, . . . at a rate of $0.25 per cubic yard of rock/dirt in excess of 300,000 cubic yards. The contract specified that [t]he method of measurement to determine the actual quantity of waste material will be by cross sections taken before and after on the roadway project.