Opinion ID: 2832664
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Counterclaims and Cross-Claim

Text: [¶14] The Other Owners counterclaimed against Pew and Cooke, asking the court to declare, inter alia, that (1) the right of first refusal contained in the deeds waived the owners’ partition rights, (2) Pew had breached the AOP by seeking partition without complying with the right of first refusal, and (3) Pew and Cooke had breached the AOP by refusing to pay their share of the caretaker’s salary without first obtaining a two-thirds majority to terminate him in accordance with the AOP. [¶15] Cooke joined Pew’s action to partition Mouse Island and cross-claimed against the Other Owners, asking the court to (1) partition Gray House by ordering that, through a bidding process, either Cooke buy out the Hinckses’ interest or they buy out Cooke’s interest; (2) further partition the island if Cooke bought out the Hinckses’ interest and Pew’s request for partition was granted, resulting in three lots: one owned by Pew, one owned by Cooke, and the remaining lot owned by the Nickleses and Saylers; and (3) declare prior agreements null and void. 8 [¶16] The Other Owners moved to dismiss the cross-claim and counterclaimed against Cooke, alleging unjust enrichment arising from Cooke’s continued receipt of the benefit of the caretaker’s services without paying for that benefit.