Opinion ID: 1888053
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Reserves Files Suits in Superior Court and Court of Chancery

Text: In December 2005, Reserves filed an action for damages against Crystal and Bella Via in Superior Court alleging breach of contract and misrepresentation. Reserves contemporaneously sought equitable relief against Severn Savings Bank in the Court of Chancery. [5] A Vice Chancellor found that Reserves had established its claims of unjust enrichment and equitable estoppel and directed Severn to disburse $316,941.87 to Reserves for Bella Via's share of the infrastructure costs. In the Superior Court action, the trial judge adopted the Vice Chancellor's previous Findings of Fact 1 through 20, to which the parties stipulated, and awarded Reserves $603,959.12. [6] The trial judge used the $2,835,810.70 figure Reserves claimed it spent developing the community as a base figure and then made several adjustments: (i) $95,880 reduction for non-conforming pond, (ii) $750,000 reduction for the overvalue of lots used in the land-swap agreement, (iii) $103,000 reduction for remedial work on roads, (iv) $128,311 reduction for failure to adequately prove damages associated with a mulch fire, (v) $310,000 [7] reduction for failure to provide a central water source, and (vi) $5,461.37 reduction for unapproved landscape and architectural services. With respect to Reserves' misrepresentation claim, the trial judge found that the members of Bella Via did have the financial ability and capacity to develop the property and did not commit fraud. [8] Reserves appealed the damages award and the misrepresentation determination. We remanded the case for further findings of fact regarding Bella Via's alleged misrepresentation.