Opinion ID: 2611835
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: issues

Text: A brief paragraph introducing the parties is necessary. Connie Linn Leavell is sister to Bennie L. Linn, Peter V. Linn, and Eugene A. Linn (Linn brothers). Harold Leavell is Connie's husband. Mary Pat Linn, Trudy Linn, and Ellen W. Linn are the spouses of the Linn brothers. Connie Leavell and her brothers owned a ranch in Teton County as tenants in common. The Leavells initiated this litigation, seeking to establish that the relationship between Connie Leavell and her brothers, as it related to ownership of the ranch, was a partnership. Her goal was to dissolve the partnership and/or to partition the ranch property. The Linn brothers viewed her action as a breach of the provision of the agreement they had jointly executed which waived partition of the ranch for a period of forty years. Based on that alleged breach of contract, the Linn brothers sought to recover attorney's fees incurred in the defense of this lawsuit. As appellants in Case No. 93-189, the Leavells ask that this court reverse the district court's conclusion that no partnership was formed and remand the case to the district court for supervision of the dissolution and winding up process under the Uniform Partnership Act, Wyo.Stat. §§ 17-13-101 (1989) et seq. The Linn brothers respond that the district court did not commit reversible error in holding that no partnership existed between the cotenants of the Linn Ranch. As appellants in Case No. 93-190, the Linn brothers state this issue: Did the district court err in failing to grant them attorney's fees because the Leavells initiated an action for partition even though their agreement prohibited such action. The Leavells contend they did not breach the non-partition provision of the agreement and, therefore, the Linn brothers are not entitled to recover attorney's fees.