Opinion ID: 2507705
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: There was evidence Farm Air tortiously interfered with contract.

Text: Farm Air asserts that there was insufficient evidence to support jury instructions on the issues of tortious interference with contract and tortious interference with prospective economic advantage. In this case, the damages for the separate torts are the same; therefore, because we hold there was tortious interference with contract, the damages stand and it is unnecessary to address tortious interference with prospective economic advantage. Tortious interference with contract has four elements: (1) the existence of a contract; (2) knowledge of the contract on the part of the defendant; (3) intentional interference causing a breach of the contract; and (4) injury to the plaintiff resulting from the breach. Idaho First Nat'l Bank v. Bliss Valley Foods, Inc., 121 Idaho 266, 283-84, 824 P.2d 841, 858-59 (1991) (citing Barlow v. Int'l Harvester Co., 95 Idaho 881, 893, 522 P.2d 1102, 1114 (1974)). Farm Air argues that because it did not lure Isaac away from Bybee Air Service, there was no evidence it intentionally interfered with the contract. The intent of the intentional interference requirement can be inferred by the jury from evidence of conduct substantially certain to interfere with the [contract]. Highland Enters., Inc. v. Barker, 133 Idaho 330, 340, 986 P.2d 996, 1006 (1999). In a case involving a non-compete covenant in an employment contract, this Court held there was support to find lack of intentional interference when the subsequent employer told the former employee not to contact certain customers and further advised the employee not to breach the agreement. Ins. Assocs. Corp. v. Hansen, 116 Idaho 948, 952, 782 P.2d 1230, 1234 (1989). In this case, there was evidence from which the jury could have inferred Farm Air engaged in conduct substantially certain to interfere with the non-compete agreement. Jon Eason, the owner of Farm Air, knew of the covenant, hired Isaac directly after she quit working for Bybee Air, and testified that he did not ask Isaac to refrain from contact with customers of Bybee Air before or after he hired her nor put any limitations on her ability to contact customers. Additionally, there was evidence supporting the remaining three elements of intentional interference with contract. There was testimony showing Isaac entered into a contract, that Eason knew about the contract and knew Nyssa Air Service became Bybee Air, Inc., and there was testimony showing Bybee Air was injured by Isaac's breach of the contract. Thus, we hold there was sufficient evidence to support the jury instruction on intentional interference with contract, and we find it unnecessary to address Farm Air's arguments on tortious interference with prospective economic advantage.