Court Opinion

ID: 9654492
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 18:23:12.981479+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:09.922328
License: Public Domain

TERNUS, Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur in all but Division V(A) of the majority opinion. I disagree with the court’s conclusion that the facts do not generate a jury question with respect to the relatedness of the predicate acts. A relationship is shown if the acts “have the same or similar purposes.” H.J. Inc. v. Northwestern Bell Tel. Co., 492 U.S. 229, 240, 109 S.Ct. 2893, 2901, 106 L.Ed.2d 195, 208 (1989). I submit a fact finder could conclude that the alleged misrepresentations to FmHA and the attempted application of FmHA loan proceeds to pre-existing debt had the “same or similar purpose,” namely, to reduce Northway’s indebtedness to Midwest. To achieve this purpose, it was necessary for Northway to obtain an FmHA loan and for Midwest to apply the loan proceeds to Northway’s loan balance at Midwest. Thus, the alleged predicate acts could be found to be two steps toward the ultimate goal of reducing Northway’s debt to the bank.