Opinion ID: 30193
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Building Code of 2004

Text: 17 The district court also found that the potential controversy surrounding Venator's obligation to rebuild the alley was premature for a second reason. The district court found that the extent of Venator's obligation to rebuild the alleyway cannot be assessed until January 2004, as that provision of the lease is to be construed in accord with the applicable building codes of January 2004. Thus, the district court found that Venator's claims with respect to the impossibility, impracticality and illegality of constructing the alley to be speculative. 4 18 We find, however, that the district court erred in holding that the fact that the lease provisions are expressly limited by the law of January 2004 defeats the district court's jurisdiction to evaluate claims under the lease. Generally, all contracts and leases must be construed in accord with applicable laws. Consequently, in any instance in which a party requests an ex ante declaration of rights under a contract, those rights must be ascertained in advance of the time contemplated by the contract, and consequently a theoretically different set of applicable laws may be in place. However, were this situation sufficient to render a party's claims speculative, it would be difficult to imagine how ex ante relief could ever be provided in a contract dispute. We find, therefore, that the district court erred in concluding the fact that the alleyway provision is to be resolved in accord with the law in place at the time the lease term ends renders the controversy unjusticiable.