Opinion ID: 2174163
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: prior history and proceedings

Text: The record reflects that in Omaha, PIGOMA owned the commercial warehouse with attached office space which is involved in this appeal. On January 1, 1984, PIGOMA leased the warehouse to a corporation known at the time as JBA, Inc. (Old JBA), for a term of 15 years. In April 1984, with the consent of PIGOMA, Old JBA assigned its interest in the lease to EFT, Inc., which assumed the rights and responsibilities of Old JBA under the lease. EFT, Inc., began occupying the warehouse property April 3, 1984, and subsequently changed its name of EFT, Inc., to JBA, Inc. On October 27, 1987, JBA, Inc., gave notice to PIGOMA that it had decided to cease all of its operations and that JBA, Inc., intended to abandon the warehouse property at the end of the month, and it attempted to surrender the leasehold premises to PIGOMA. JBA, Inc., also advised PIGOMA that it intended to have JBA, Inc.'s name removed from all utility services to the warehouse property. PIGOMA refused to accept the abandonment, rejected any surrender of the leasehold, and gave JBA, Inc., notice that it intended to relet the premises to a new tenant and hold JBA, Inc., liable for resulting deficiencies in rents and losses arising from utilities, taxes, insurance, and each and every other obligation assumed by JBA, Inc., under the lease. JBA, Inc., stopped paying rent as of November 1987. On January 7, 1988, PIGOMA filed a petition in the trial court in which it alleged that JBA, Inc., had breached the lease with PIGOMA. The district court was requested by PIGOMA to enter a declaratory judgment finding JBA, Inc., liable under the lease for unpaid rent, interest, taxes, and utilities; breach of the lease's occupancy covenant; and other expenses and obligations JBA, Inc., had assumed under the lease as they might accrue. PIGOMA also requested that the trial court retain jurisdiction of the case following entry of judgment to ascertain and enter as a judgment the amount of PIGOMA's continuing damages. Such procedure is permissible under Neb.Rev.Stat. § 25-21, 156 (Reissue 1989) and First Nat. Bank v. Omaha Nat. Bank, 191 Neb. 249, 214 N.W.2d 483 (1974). See, also, S.N. Mart, Ltd. v. Maurices Inc., 234 Neb. 343, 451 N.W.2d 259 (1990). Following a hearing, the district court on August 25, 1988, entered a declaratory judgment finding that JBA, Inc., was in breach of its lease with PIGOMA. The court retained jurisdiction over the matter to ascertain and award damages and such other relief as it deemed proper. On December 20, 1988, the court entered an order awarding damages which it found had accrued through September 30, 1988, as a result of JBA, Inc.'s breach of the lease. The court again retained jurisdiction to enter future awards for damages which might accrue as a result JBA, Inc.'s continued breach of the lease. Neither the record nor the files of this court indicate that an appeal was taken from either of these two orders, each of which affected the substantial rights of each of the parties. As a result, each of the two orders has become final. An order is final and appealable when the substantial rights of the parties to the action are determined, even though the cause is retained for the determination of matters incidental thereto. Sarpy County v. City of Springfield, 241 Neb. 978, 492 N.W.2d 566 (1992).