J. JONES, Justice.
The Bank of Commerce ("Bank") instituted this action to foreclose two mortgages against the Pocatello real estate development of Jefferson Enterprises, LLC ("Jefferson"). Jefferson counterclaimed on a variety of grounds. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the Bank, ordering foreclosure of the mortgages. We affirm.
In late 2005 and early 2006, Jefferson was engaged in the development of a large subdivision known as the Southern Hills Project (the "Project") in the City of Pocatello. At that time, a Jefferson entity owned an eighty acre parcel of land (the "Eighty Acre Parcel"), which was encumbered by a mortgage held by D.L. Evans Bank ("D.L. Evans"). Another Jefferson entity held an option to purchase an adjacent parcel of property known as the "Wood Parcel." The option on the Wood Parcel was set to expire on May 10, 2006, and the owners were unwilling to extend it. Jefferson considered the Wood Parcel to be critical to the success of the Project and began seeking financing for its acquisition in the final days of 2005.
Jefferson, acting through its managing member Dustin Morrison, initially sought financing through D.L. Evans, which held the mortgage on the Eighty Acre Parcel. Morrison proposed a loan of $2.8 million, which D.L. Evans declined although indicating a willingness to lend $2.2 million. On April 21, 2006, Morrison approached Steve Worton, a loan officer with the Bank, seeking a loan in the amount of $2.8 million. Morrison contends he submitted an application for funding in that amount, which proposed that the Bank take a first priority mortgage on the Wood Parcel and a second priority mortgage (behind D.L. Evans) on the Eighty Acre Parcel.
Faced with the imminent expiration of the option to purchase the Wood Parcel, Morrison contacted D.L. Evans in an attempt to negotiate a subordination of its mortgage on the Eighty Acre Parcel. D.L. Evans would not agree to subordinate. Thus, in order to place the Bank in first position per the conditions of the loan, Jefferson had to pay off the existing mortgage before it could close on the Bank's loan. The loan closed on May 10, 2006. The initial note is in the principal amount of $2,223,805, dated May 9, 2006, and secured by a mortgage recorded on May 10, 2006. The following year, Jefferson gave the Bank an additional note, representing accrued interest on the first note. The second note is in the amount of $400,000,
When Jefferson defaulted on the notes, the Bank filed this action to foreclose on its mortgages. Jefferson counterclaimed on a number of grounds. The Bank subsequently moved for summary judgment. The district court issued a memorandum decision and order on January 17, 2012, dismissing Jefferson's counterclaims and ordering the foreclosure of the Bank's mortgages. That same day, the district court issued a judgment that essentially summarized what it had done in the order and required that each party pay its own attorney fees and costs. The Bank timely moved for an award of attorney fees and costs, while Jefferson moved for reconsideration. On April 19, 2012, the district court entered: decisions denying the motion to reconsider and granting the request for attorney fees and costs; a decree of foreclosure ordering the sale of the mortgaged properties; and a judgment granting attorney fees and costs.
This Court employs the same standard as the district court in reviewing a grant of summary judgment. Buku Properties, LLC v. Clark, 153 Idaho 828, 832, 291 P.3d 1027, 1031 (2012). Summary judgment is proper 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. 56(c). "If the evidence reveals no disputed issues of material fact, then only a question of law remains, over which this Court exercises free review." Conway v. Sonntag, 141 Idaho 144, 146, 106 P.3d 470, 472 (2005).
Jefferson contends that the Bank agreed to take a second position security interest in the Eighty Acre Parcel and subsequently breached the agreement by requiring that it satisfy and discharge the D.L. Evans mortgage as a condition of obtaining the loan. It proffers two theories in support of this contention. Jefferson first alleges that the initial mortgage, which it signed on May 10, 2006 (the "Mortgage"), explicitly stated such an agreement. Alternatively, Jefferson contends that the parties reached some sort of pre-commitment oral agreement to that same effect.
Jefferson argues on appeal that "[t]he Mortgage provided that encumbrances of record, such as the [D.L. Evans mortgage], would have priority over the lien of the Bank's Mortgage." This contention is based on the following language in the Mortgage:
In essence, Jefferson's argument is that since these two provisions make reference to existing encumbrances, the Bank's Mortgage was subject to any existing encumbrance, including the D.L. Evans mortgage.
The Bank counters that this argument was not raised in district court and should not be considered on appeal. The Bank presents a series of other counterarguments in the alternative — that the Mortgage does not say what Jefferson claims it does; that there were no existing encumbrances to be subordinate to at the time the Mortgage was executed; and that the Mortgage was not subscribed by the Bank and thus is barred by the Statute of Frauds.
This Court has repeatedly held: "To properly raise an issue on appeal there must either be an adverse ruling by the court below or the issue must have been raised in the court below, an issue cannot be raised for the first time on appeal." Garner v. Bartschi, 139 Idaho 430, 436, 80 P.3d 1031, 1037 (2003) (quoting McPheters v. Maile, 138 Idaho 391, 397, 64 P.3d 317, 323 (2003)). Thus, since this argument was not presented to the
For summary judgment purposes, the district court assumed:
In other words, the court accepted Jefferson's contention that the Bank made a pre-commitment promise to lend and take a second priority position on the Eighty Acre Parcel.
Jefferson argues on appeal that the Mortgage was the written document reflecting the pre-commitment, which would thus satisfy the Statute of Frauds. It then argues that if the Statute of Frauds bars anything, it bars the Bank's statements that it "would require the subordination of the 80 Acre mortgage or that it would have to be in a first security position on the property." Alternatively, Jefferson contends that the Statute of Frauds, to the extent it applies, would only bar the actual promise to loan money, as opposed to the part of the agreement establishing the Bank's priority position.
The Bank responds in agreement with the district court. It argues that the Statute of Frauds requires any promise or commitment to loan $50,000, or more, to be in writing, whatever it is called. Because any alleged pre-commitment was oral, the Bank contends that it is barred by the Statute of Frauds.
Idaho's Statute of Frauds is set forth at I.C. § 9-505. It provides in relevant part that:
I.C. § 9-505. In applying this statute to a case with similar facts, this Court held an oral agreement to lend $50,000 or more to be "invalid because it clearly violates I.C. § 9-505(5)." Lettunich v. Key Bank Nat. Ass'n, 141 Idaho 362, 367, 109 P.3d 1104, 1109 (2005).
The transaction at issue in Lettunich was quite similar to this one. Id. at 365, 109 P.3d at 1107. There, the borrower, Lettunich, approached the defendant bank to negotiate a loan for the purpose of buying out his partner's interest in a cattle operation. Id.
Id. at 367, 109 P.3d at 1109. Even though Lettunich presented a more compelling case for relief than Jefferson has, he was unable to avoid the Statute of Frauds bar without a sufficient writing.
The Statute of Frauds bars any breach of contract claim here. Assuming, as the district court did, that there was in fact a pre-commitment to loan money and that the Bank agreed to take a second position on the Eighty Acre Parcel, no one claims that such an agreement was in writing. Indeed, Morrison stated repeatedly throughout his deposition that the alleged pre-commitment was not in writing:
As in Lettunich, any pre-commitment from the Bank to lend Jefferson $2.8 million
With regard to Jefferson's contention that the Statute of Frauds only bars enforcement of a promise to loan money, but not an agreement as to the priority to a security interest, we note two insurmountable hurtles. First, in a mortgage lending
In sum, there are no disputed material facts that show the Bank made a loan pre-commitment or other oral agreement that complied with the Statute of Frauds. We thus hold that the Bank did not breach any agreement and affirm the district court's conclusion in that regard.
Jefferson alleges that the Bank breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing by "changing its position and requiring Jefferson to pay off the existing loan on the 80 Acre parcel." The district court did not directly address this issue, nor did the Bank. But, because the Bank acted in accordance with the parties' agreement, we hold that the Bank did not breach the implied covenant.
Idaho law "implies a covenant of good faith and fair dealing when doing so is consistent with the express terms of an agreement between contracting parties." Noak v. Idaho Dep't of Correction, 152 Idaho 305, 309, 271 P.3d 703, 707 (2012). "When it is implied, `[t]he covenant requires that the parties perform, in good faith, the obligations imposed by their agreement.'" Id. (quoting Idaho Power Co. v. Cogeneration, Inc., 134 Idaho 738, 750, 9 P.3d 1204, 1214 (2000)). Such a claim may only be asserted by parties to a contract. Id. "Even then, one can maintain a claim for breach of the covenant only when he or she `is denied the right to the benefits of the agreement [the parties] entered into.'" Id.
Jefferson simply cannot show that it was denied the benefit of any valid contract provision. As discussed above, the Bank did not agree that it would take second position on the Eighty Acre Parcel, nor did it agree that it would never change its position during the course of negotiations. As for the Bank "requiring" Jefferson to pay off the existing loan, the choice to do so was ultimately Jefferson's:
Morrison's admissions show that Jefferson was not in fact required to pay off the D.L. Evans mortgage. Had he wished not to, he should have simply not taken the loan. His decision to take the loan does not itself create a material issue of fact that the Bank acted in bad faith. We thus affirm the district court's holding that the Bank did not breach the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
The district court found that the Bank did not "intentionally propose ... a loan that
A plaintiff seeking to establish a claim for intentional interference with a prospective economic advantage "must show (1) the existence of a valid economic expectancy, (2) knowledge of the expectancy on the part of the interferer, (3) intentional interference inducing termination of the expectancy, (4) the interference was wrongful by some measure beyond the fact of the interference itself, and (5) resulting damage to the plaintiff whose expectancy has been disrupted." Cantwell v. City of Boise, 146 Idaho 127, 137-38, 191 P.3d 205, 215-16 (2008); see also Highland Enter., Inc. v. Barker, 133 Idaho 330, 338, 986 P.2d 996, 1004 (1999). With respect to the third element, intentional interference, this Court has held that "the plaintiff may show that the interference `with the other's prospective contractual relation is intentional if the actor desires to bring it about or if he knows that the interference is certain or substantially certain to occur as a result of his action.'" Highland, 133 Idaho at 340, 986 P.2d at 1006. We further clarified that "[i]ntent can be shown even if the interference is incidental to the actor's intended purpose and desire `but known to him to be a necessary consequence of his action.'" Id. Because "[w]hat motivates a person to act seldom is susceptible of direct proof," culpable intent may be inferred from conduct substantially certain to interfere with the prospective economic relationship. Id.
The Highland Court applied these rules in examining an environmental group that engaged in "direct action" activism — "non-violent protest of road building and timber harvesting such as burying people in the road, erecting tripods in the road and sitting in the tripod, and chaining people to equipment and gates in order to block work." Id. at 335, 986 P.2d at 1001. The Court noted that the defendants were not directly targeting the plaintiff with these actions, and the defendants indeed testified that "the intention was not to deprive Highland of, you know, a major portion of their economic activities." Id. at 340, 986 P.2d at 1006. Even so, the defendants realized that their "activities also affected Highland even though Highland was not the direct target." Id. We concluded that:
Id. at 340-41, 986 P.2d at 1006-07. This Court thus held that substantial evidence supported a conclusion that the Highland defendants intended to terminate Highland's prospective economic advantage. Id.
Here, the Bank did not intentionally interfere with Jefferson's prospective economic advantage because, as the district court concluded, the intent element is missing.
The Bank's purported interference was not an act of sabotage or mischief as in Highland, but an insistence on a certain set of loan terms, and this insistence alone would not imply that Jefferson would "suffer financially" as a necessary consequence. For all the Bank knew, Jefferson could have simply declined the Bank's offer and found financing elsewhere. Or, it could reasonably have assumed that Jefferson was not foolish enough to take a loan that Morrison knew his company could not possibly repay. Jefferson's argument appears to boil down to a contention that the Bank acted in bad faith simply because it did not vigorously try to discourage the company from taking a loan that Morrison realized was risky from the start — that is, that the Bank should have saved Jefferson from itself. In any case, simply because the Bank presented Jefferson with financing terms it preferred — which Jefferson accepted, and which ultimately did not work out in its favor — does not lead to an inference that the Bank knew that Jefferson would suffer financially. Indeed, the terms offered by the Bank, and accepted by Jefferson, are essentially the same as had been extended by D.L. Evans — a $2.2 million loan where D.L. Evans already held first position on one parcel and would obtain it on the other. There is no indication that either bank had some nefarious intent to cause injury to Jefferson or to cause its Project to fail by extending or proposing such terms. Jefferson has proposed no motive on the part of the Bank for wishing to cause Jefferson's Project to fail — a result which would require the Bank to pursue extended litigation to foreclose upon its mortgages. Therefore, we hold that there was no intentional interference on the part of the Bank and accordingly affirm the district court's determination of this claim.
The district court found that the Bank did not commit fraud because there was no evidence of a false statement, or reliance on the part of Jefferson, regarding: 1) the Bank taking a second position on the Eighty Acre Parcel; or 2) an alleged promise to provide further financing. Jefferson argues to the contrary, claiming the Bank and its officers "made the materially false representation that the Bank had agreed to accept a second lien position on the 80 Acre parcel allowing Jefferson to profit ... from the existing favorable financing arrangement and to preserve its ability to use its liquid assets." It contends that there is "abundant circumstantial evidence" of fraudulent intent, but unhelpfully, does not provide citations to the record to back up this claim. The Bank responds that the district court correctly found no evidence of several of the required elements of fraud.
For a fraud claim to succeed a plaintiff must "establish nine elements with particularity: (1) a statement or a representation of fact; (2) its falsity; (3) its materiality; (4) the speaker's knowledge of its falsity; (5) the speaker's intent that there be reliance; (6) the hearer's ignorance of the falsity of the statement; (7) reliance by the hearer; (8) justifiable reliance; and (9) resultant injury." Chavez v. Barrus, 146 Idaho 212, 223, 192 P.3d 1036, 1047 (2008) (citing Lettunich, 141 Idaho at 368, 109 P.3d at 1110). In Chavez, the plaintiff failed to establish that a title company made a false statement, that she was aware of any statement, that she relied on it, or that she suffered an injury as a result. Id. Accordingly, we concluded that the lower court did not err in dismissing her fraud claim. Id.
Similarly, Jefferson has not shown a genuine issue of material fact regarding its fraud claim. In particular, we find no evidence here that the Bank made an intentional misstatement of material fact. Jefferson states, with no citation to the record, that "[t]he Bank and its officers made the materially false representation that the Bank had agreed to accept a second lien position on the 80 Acre parcel," and that "the Bank intentionally or negligently concealed the fact that it would or could change its position" thereafter. The record provides no factual support
(Emphasis added.) At best, this shows that Worton told Morrison that he had a "hunch" that the Bank would "consider" Jefferson's loss if he came back for additional funds — but Morrison testified that even this minimal commitment was not Worton's "exact words." Assuming Worton said something close to Morrison's approximation, he was prognosticating at best and not promising to never change position, or promising to extend future financing. What Worton's exact words were are anyone's guess, but the undisputed evidence shows the Bank made no representations that it would not change its position, or that it would extend further funding. Rather, Morrison was relying on something he simply "thought would happen." Without evidence of a material misstatement of fact, the Bank could not have committed fraud. Thus, we affirm the district court's finding that no fraud occurred.
The district court found that Jefferson's promissory estoppel claim failed for the same reason its breach claim failed: "no [loan] pre-commitment" was in writing. Because "there was no written pre-commitment agreement," there was also "no valid or definite agreement". Thus, the court found, Jefferson could not recover based on estoppel. Jefferson makes a convoluted argument on appeal, arguing again that the Mortgage terms were incorporated into the loan agreement, and offering conclusory statements,
Promissory estoppel, generally speaking, means that "[a] promise which the promisor should reasonably expect to induce action or forebearance on the part of the promisee or a third person and which does induce such action or forebearance is binding if injustice can be avoided only by enforcement of the promise." Smith v. Boise Kenworth Sales, Inc., 102 Idaho 63, 67-68, 625 P.2d 417, 421-22 (1981) (quoting RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF CONTRACTS § 90(1) (1973)). This Court has further found that:
Id. (quoting Mohr v. Shultz, 86 Idaho 531, 540, 388 P.2d 1002, 1008 (1964)).
In the Lettunich case, the plaintiff attempted to invoke the promissory estoppel doctrine under similar facts. There, a bank argued that, due to the Statute of Frauds, an alleged oral promise to lend could not be enforced. Lettunich, 141 Idaho at 366, 109 P.3d at 1108. Lettunich responded that, "promissory estoppel should be used in this case to prevent KeyBank from denying the enforceability of an oral promise." Id. at 367, 109 P.3d at 1109. This Court noted that because the promise did not comply with the Statute of Frauds, "there was no complete promise ... to be enforced." Id. We further explained that "[p]romissory estoppel is simply a substitute for consideration, not a substitute for an agreement between parties." Id. Accordingly, though Lettunich "clearly suffered a detriment when he purchased cattle without a way to pay for them," the "doctrine of promissory estoppel [was] of no consequence ... because there [was] evidence of adequate consideration." Id. at 368, 109 P.3d at 1110. We reiterated that what was "lacking [was] a sufficiently definite agreement" and without such an agreement, estoppel was not appropriate. Id.
The Lettunich holding disposes of Jefferson's claim here. As noted above, any alleged oral pre-commitment from the Bank would not be valid for failure to comply with the Statute of Frauds. And just as promissory estoppel would not substitute for an invalid agreement in Lettunich, it will not do so here. Because there is "no complete promise ... to be enforced" here, Jefferson is unable to avail itself of promissory estoppel. We thus affirm the district court's decision on this claim.
In ruling on the Bank's motion for summary judgment, the district court found that a series of novations "changed the terms of the original loan application by Jefferson." However, it concluded that "ultimately Jefferson entered into a loan agreement with the Bank which extinguished all other pre-loan agreements that may have been contemplated by the parties." Jefferson disputes this on appeal arguing that "[i]ssues of fact arising from the circumstances of this case raise the issue of whether or not the elements necessary to find novation are present," without explaining those circumstances in detail or bothering to cite to the record. The Bank responds that even if a valid pre-loan commitment existed, "any such agreement was subsequently extinguished and substituted by the written $2.2 million agreement."
This Court has held that "novation is a species of accord and satisfaction," and one that "results when an accord and satisfaction is reached by substitution of a new agreement or performance in place of the performance or compromise of the original obligation." Harris v. Wildcat Corp., 97 Idaho 884, 886, 556 P.2d 67, 69 (1976). Logically, for a novation to exist, there must first be a valid agreement to be substituted for.
In its final issue presented on appeal, Jefferson claims: "The District Court erred in determining that the Bank's Mortgage should be foreclosed in that there are disputed materials [sic] of fact that would have precluded the entry of summary judgment allowing the foreclosure." Jefferson presents no argument specifically in support of this issue, apparently assuming that it would necessarily follow if the Court were to reverse the judgment of the district court. Since we affirm, there are simply no grounds to find that the district court erred in ordering foreclosure of the mortgages.
The Bank claims entitlement to attorney fees on appeal, pointing out that in both of the notes and mortgages at issue here, Jefferson agreed to pay "all costs and expenses incurred by [the Bank] in enforcing or protecting [its] rights and remedies," including attorney fees and costs. "Where a valid contract between the parties contains a provision for an award of attorney fees, the terms of the contract establish a right to attorney fees." Lamprecht v. Jordan, LLC, 139 Idaho 182, 186, 75 P.3d 743, 747 (2003). Since the notes and mortgages provide that Jefferson must pay the Bank's attorney fees and costs, we award the Bank its fees and costs on appeal.
We affirm the decree of foreclosure and judgment and award the Bank its attorney fees and costs on appeal.
Chief Justice BURDICK, and Justices EISMANN, W. JONES and HORTON concur.