Court Opinion

ID: 9558485
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 17:10:31.440751+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:09:19.944570
License: Public Domain

THOMAS, Justice,
concurring, with whom GUTHRIE, Chief Justice, joins.
I agree that the majority opinion in this case correctly disposes of the issues posed in the appeal. I am concerned, and I believe others on the Court are concerned, with a situation in which property concededly owned by the Appellee is, as a matter of law, made available for use by the Appellant in a business venture which potentially is a profitable one. I am persuaded that under the circumstances a constructive lease does exist.
In the district court the Appellee, plaintiff there, sought alternative relief in the form of reasonable rental value of the casing. That alternative relief was not afforded by the district court because it held in favor of the Appellee on his conversion theory. I would understand that the effect of this reversal must be that the case is remanded to the district court which then should proceed to make disposition of any other claims for relief presented by the Appellee as it would have, had it, instead of *731this Court, ruled against the Appellee on his conversion theory. While concededly the issue of a reasonable rental value presents significant difficulty, it apparently has been successfully disposed of in other situations by other courts, and the interests of justice have been well served by such an approach.