Opinion ID: 1407821
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: claims for breach of contract and promissory estoppel

Text: The dispositive issue on appellants' claims based on contract is whether they complied with the notice requirements mandated by the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act, Wyo.Stat. §§ 1-39-103(a)(vii) and 1-39-104(a) (1988 & Cum.Supp.1996). Wyo.Stat. § 1-39-113(a) (Cum.Supp.1996) sets forth the mandatory notice requirements which are a prerequisite for bringing suit based on tort or contract against a governmental entity: (a) No action shall be brought under this act against a governmental entity unless the claim upon which the action is based is presented to the entity as an itemized statement in writing within two (2) years of the date of the alleged act   . Failure to comply with this provision is an absolute bar to appellants' claims. Vigil v. Ruettgers, 887 P.2d 521, 524 (Wyo.1994); Duran v. Board of County Com'rs of Sweetwater County, 787 P.2d 971, 972 (Wyo.1990). Appellants have not met the notice requirement. The Board denied appellants' applications for early retirement benefits on April 27, 1992. Appellant Peterson admitted to the district court she had not complied with the notice requirement on April 28, 1994, over two years after the Board had denied her early retirement benefits. It is undisputed that the Board did not receive notice of appellant Peterson's claim until May 4, 1994, and the Gieres' notice was received on May 13, 1994. Notwithstanding this record, appellants state that their notice was timely because their contracts with the School District are based on the school year. Appellants contend that their claims did not accrue until the contractual period expired in June 1992. We disagree. Wyo.Stat. § 1-39-113(a) expressly states that a claim accrues on the date of the alleged act. There is an exception, however, when contractual terms creating a condition precedent must be exhausted prior to seeking redress with the court. Weston County Hosp. Joint Powers Board v. Westates Const. Co., 841 P.2d 841, 848-49 (Wyo.1992). In Weston, we held that a contractual provision which required the parties to submit all claims to arbitration created a condition precedent which must be exhausted before the claim accrued. Id. at 848-49. Weston does not save appellants' claims in this case. Unlike the situation in Weston, the Board's denial of appellants' applications was a final decision which triggered appellants' right to claim on the contract. Appellants presented no contractual term which created an impediment to their access to the court. Therefore, appellants claim accrued on April 27, 1992, the date the Board denied their applications for early retirement benefits. Because appellants did not submit a written claim to the Board within two years of the Board's alleged act, the district court lacked jurisdiction and these claims must be dismissed.