Opinion ID: 2221873
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Whether District Court Should Have Submitted Claim of Negligent Misrepresentation Based on Texas Law.

Text: The district court dismissed Norman's claim of negligent misrepresentation based on the ground that EFCO was not in the business of supplying information. That ruling was in accordance with Iowa law. Norman urges that Texas law should govern the transaction and that under Texas jurisprudence to support a claim for negligent misrepresentation it is only necessary to show that the actor had a pecuniary interest in the transaction. The parties did not stipulate concerning the applicable Texas law. Although the district court referred to Texas decisional law, it found that Iowa law was applicable in any event. Given this state of the record, even if Texas law is dispositive of the rights of the parties, which we do not decide, Norman has failed to provide the necessary pleading and proof that is required for consideration of foreign law. Iowa Code section 622.61 (1997) sets forth the method for proving foreign decisional law as a fact. It is not a matter of which an Iowa court may take judicial notice. In re Allen's Estate, 239 N.W.2d 163, 168-69 (Iowa 1976). As a result of Norman's failure to prove Texas law in accordance with the established procedures, it is presumed that the foreign law is the same as the Iowa law. Id. at 169; Zeman v. Canton State Bank, 211 N.W.2d 346, 349 (Iowa 1973). Norman does not dispute that under Iowa law it must be shown that the actor was in the business of supplying information. Norman's claim of error in not applying Texas law may not be made the basis for reversing the judgment.