Opinion ID: 2023214
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Tortious Interference With Prospective Business Advantage.

Text: The Trust claims the City's final plat conditions tortiously interfered with its prospective contractual relationships with future purchasers of lots in Quail Park Vista. The elements of this tort are as follows: 1. A prospective contractual or business relationship; 2. the defendant knew of the prospective relationship; 3. the defendant intentionally and improperly interfered with the relationship; 4. the defendant's interference caused the relationship to fail to materialize; and 5. the amount of resulting damages. Iowa Coal Mining II, 555 N.W.2d at 438. The district court ruled against the Trust on this claim, finding that the Trust had not proved the City intentionally and improperly interfered with prospective sales, or that any activity of the City caused prospective sales to fall through. We find it sufficient for purposes of our review to limit our discussion to the third elementintentional and improper interference. This element requires proof that the [City] intended to financially injure or destroy the [Trust]. Id. The court found that the purpose of the City in placing conditions on the Trust's plat approval was to provide for needed city streets in the area of the development. There was substantial evidence in the record to support this finding. We think there was also substantial evidence to support the trial court's statement that there was no credible evidence any city official was in any way prompted by hatred, ill will or other improper motive in any action under consideration in this case. Accordingly, we affirm the district court's dismissal of the Trust's tort claim.