Opinion ID: 1192700
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Assignment Regarding Summary Judgment

Text: Regarding the summary judgment of November 19, 1970, in which the trial court decreed that the leases were valid as executed and that no withdrawals or deletions could be made by the defendants, we are of the opinion that this summary judgment must be reversed because the record discloses material issues of fact in dispute which prohibit the granting of summary judgment. Recently this Court in Straley v. Idaho Nuclear Corp., 94 Idaho 917, 500 P.2d 218 (1972), reiterated the pertinent general principles governing summary judgments and the guidelines to be followed in determining the propriety of an order granting summary judgment issued by a district court. In Straley we said: Summary judgment is properly granted when `the pleadings, depositions, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.' I.R.C.P. Rule 56(c). E.g. Bryan & Co. v. Kieckbusch, 94 Idaho 116, 482 P.2d 91, (1971). In determining whether any issue of material fact is in dispute, it is well settled that the facts should be liberally construed in favor of the party against whom summary judgment is sought. E.g. Jack v. Fillmore, 85 Idaho 36, 375 P.2d 321 (1962); Crane v. Banner, 93 Idaho 69, 455 P.2d 313 (1969). 94 Idaho at 918, 500 P.2d at 219. In the case at bar there are material facts at issue which prohibited the trial court from entering summary judgment in favor of plaintiffs. The major issue of fact in dispute revolves around the language in paragraph 18 of the lease which provides that the Lessee also agrees to take this lease subject to any outstanding leases or contracts of sale by the State of Idaho of any kind whatsoever. The record discloses that there was such an agreement with the federal government, but the record is not clear whether it was finally consummated prior to or after the execution of the leases. There is no question but what the negotiations between the State of Idaho and the federal government preceded the leases, and that certain tentative understandings were entered into regarding property exchanges in relation to Dworshak Dam prior to the execution of the leases in question. From the record before us we cannot determine whether or not these negotiations between the State of Idaho and the United States Government had progressed to the point where they became outstanding contracts of sale by the State of Idaho of any kind whatsoever at the time the leases in question were entered into. This issue of fact must be resolved by a trial. Another issue of fact revolves around whether or not there was an agreement between the plaintiffs and the defendants to delete the Dworshak Pool area from the leases at the time that the leases were negotiated, and whether or not one William Weaver was an agent of the plaintiffs and authorized by the plaintiffs to negotiate said deletions with defendants. The numerous affidavits and depositions disclose sufficient facts which raise this issue and also the issue of whether or not the plaintiffs should be equitably estopped from denying the right of defendants to make the deletions under the leases. Also, there appear to be factual issues regarding whether or not plaintiffs are in default under the leases for failure to timely pay the rentals due under the leases, and further whether or not the plaintiffs are in default under paragraph 3 of the leases for failure to commence actual mining operations within the 24 months of the execution of the lease. We make no comment regarding any of these issues of fact, other than that from our view of the record genuine issues of material fact do exist which prevent the entry of summary judgment as was done by the trial court. Straley v. Idaho Nuclear Corporation, supra ; Bryan & Co. v. Kieckbusch, 94 Idaho 116, 482 P.2d 91 (1971).