Opinion ID: 2633287
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Misrepresentations about Christine's share of the Totem Inn

Text: Finally, Christine argues that equitable estoppel applies because of alleged misrepresentations made by Mike and Connie that she would be given an equal share of the Totem Inn if she worked for an unspecified time in the business. The superior court found that the statements by Mike and Connie that they would give Christine an equal share of the Totem Inn if she worked for a substantial period of time were true and therefore not misrepresentations. This finding is supported by the record. Christine acknowledges that she worked at the Totem Inn intermittently, with no continuous period of employment of more than eight months. Mike and Connie did give Haze, the fourth sibling, an equal share of the Totem Inn after he had worked there for several years. And from her own testimony, it is clear that Christine understood that the promise that she would receive shares if she worked at the Inn represented Mike and Connie's attempt to implement their father's last wishes as orally communicated to them, not a legal arrangement arising from a will or other document. Christine also alleges that Mike and Connie did not inform her that there was a time limit on when she could work at the Totem Inn and redeem her shares, and she claims to have been under the impression that this option would always be open to her. To the extent that Christine's claim can be viewed as a breach of contract action based on the oral promise, that claim is time-barred. She was informed in 1998 by Mike, Connie, and Haze that it was too late for her to expect to receive shares if she worked at the Inn. The statute of limitations for contract actions accruing on or after August 7, 1997 is three years. [16] Any contract claim in Christine's 2003 complaint based on Mike and Connie's breach of their promise in 1998 is untimely. We therefore hold that the superior court did not err in concluding that equitable estoppel does not apply to toll the statute of limitations for Christine's claims.