Bitterroot Inter. Sys. v. West. Star Trucks

• Decision Date: 21 February 2007
• Docket Number: No. 05-426.,05-426.
• Citation: 336 Mont. 145,153 P.3d 627,2007 MT 48
• Parties: BITTERROOT INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS, LTD., Plaintiff and Respondent, v. WESTERN STAR TRUCKS, INC., Defendant and Appellant.
• Court: Montana Supreme Court

153 P.3d 627

2007 MT 48

336 Mont. 145

BITTERROOT INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS, LTD., Plaintiff and Respondent, v. WESTERN STAR TRUCKS, INC., Defendant and Appellant.

No. 05-426.

Supreme Court of Montana.

Submitted on Briefs November 22, 2006.

Decided February 21, 2007.

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED

For Appellant: Robert J. Phillips and Amy O. Duerk, Phillips & Bohyer, P.C., Missoula, Montana.

For Respondent: Patrick G. Frank, Worden Thane, P.C., Missoula, Montana.

Justice BRIAN MORRIS delivered the Opinion of the Court.

¶ 1 Plaintiff Bitterroot International Systems, LTD (Bitterroot) brought an action against Western Star Trucks, Inc. (Western) in the Fourth Judicial District Court, Missoula County, alleging breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The jury returned a verdict in Bitterroot's favor on all claims. It awarded Bitterroot $2,311,575 in damages. Western appeals.

¶ 2 We review the following issues on appeal:

¶ 3 Was the District Court's decision to exercise personal jurisdiction over Western Star Trucks, Inc. correct?

¶ 4 Did the District Court correctly determine that a five-year, written contract existed between the parties?

¶ 5 Did the District Court abuse its discretion by denying Western Star Trucks, Inc. leave to amend its answer to assert the statute of frauds defense?

¶ 6 Did the District Court abuse its discretion by instructing the jury regarding the "lost volume seller" theory of damages?

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 7 Bitterroot provides freight hauling services between the United States and Canada. Bitterroot is a Canadian corporation based in Missoula, and registered to conduct business in Montana. Western manufactures custom-built trucks and truck parts with its principal place of business in Kelowna, British Columbia. Western also is a Canadian corporation, but it is not registered to conduct business in Montana. Western contracted with Bitterroot, starting in the mid-1980s and continuing through the mid-1990s, to deliver freight from various locations around the United States to Western's headquarters in Kelowna, Canada.

¶ 8 Bitterroot proposed to Western in 1995 that Bitterroot perform transportation logistics services in addition to the freight hauling services that it previously had provided to Western. Bitterroot alleges that it submitted a written "Transportation Logistics Proposal" to Western that contained, among other things, a proposed contract term of five years, a plan to place a Bitterroot logistics employee at Western's headquarters, proposed hauling rates, and a performance evaluation method called a "report card."

¶ 9 Western and Bitterroot signed a letter that had been written by Western, dated April 25, 1996 (April 25 letter). Bitterroot alleges that the letter represented a contract between Western and Bitterroot to perform the logistics services that Bitterroot had proposed to Western in the 1995 "Transportation Logistics Proposal." The April 25 letter referenced Bitterroot's "Transportation Logistics Proposal," but also contained a number of terms not contained in Bitterroot's original logistics proposal. One of the new terms included a provision that allowed for either party to terminate the "agreement" with 120-days notice.

¶ 10 Bitterroot began to implement the "Transportation Logistics Proposal" pursuant to the terms of the April 25 letter, while both parties continued to negotiate the "details" of the agreement. Bitterroot's actions in reliance on the April 25 letter included hiring, training, and placing a logistics employee at Western Star's facility in Canada and also installing computer equipment, telephone lines and a "data line," in order to provide Western with logistics services.

¶ 11 Western started to have second thoughts about its agreement with Bitterroot sometime around June of 1996. Western began to discuss logistics services with Logistics, Inc. (Logix), a competitor of Western. Logix, after reviewing Bitterroot's "proposal," "strongly recommend[ed to Western] that no further action be taken on [Bitterroot's proposal]." Western signed a formal agreement with Logix on April 13, 1997, for Logix to provide Western's logistics services.

¶ 12 Logix immediately sent a letter to Bitterroot stating that "effective 4/15/1997 Logix has contracted with Western . . . to manage all transportation and logistics issues." Bitterroot in turn notified Logix on April 21, 1997, that Western and Bitterroot were operating under a "binding letter of intent" and that "[a]ny arrangement that Logix has with Western Star will have to encompass this agreement."

¶ 13 Western then sent a letter to Bitterroot on June 11, 1997, stating that Bitterroot and Western "have been unable to conclude the details" referenced in the April 25 letter, and "[t]herefore Western Star is exercising the 120 day notice of termination, pursuant to the [April 25 letter], to terminate the relationship between Bitterroot and Western Star effective on October 17, 1997."

¶ 14 Bitterroot objected in writing to Western's June 11, 1997 letter, requesting that "Western Star reconsider its position taken in your June 11, 1997 correspondence and recognized the obligations . . . that arose at the time the April 25, 1996 letter of understanding was entered into." Western continued to communicate with Bitterroot in order to "finalize the details prior to the October 17, 1997[t]ermination date."

¶ 15 Bitterroot and Western negotiated past the October 17, 1997, termination date. Bitterroot's and Western's negotiations halted completely, however, on January 14, 1998, when Western informed Bitterroot that all of Western's logistics service would be handled exclusively by Logix, including the decision of whether Western would continue to use Bitterroot as a carrier. Bitterroot notified Western in February of 1998 that it was "terminat[ing] all of its ongoing services to Western Star effective February 24, 1998 . . . in light of Western Star's refusal to honor its contractual obligations to Bitterroot. . . ."

¶ 16 Bitterroot filed a complaint against Western in district court on March 13, 1998, alleging breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Western filed a motion to dismiss on April 20, 1998, pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 12(b)(2) and (6), respectively. Western alleged that the court did not have personal jurisdiction over Western and that Bitterroot had failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. The court ruled on September 2, 1999, that "the facts averred in the record indicate that both parties are transacting business in Montana." The court also noted, however, that Bitterroot was not registered to do business in Montana. The court ordered that Bitterroot could not maintain a proceeding in the courts of Montana pursuant to § 35-1-1027, MCA. The court stayed the action until Bitterroot filed proof of a certificate of authority to do business in Montana.

¶ 17 Bitterroot filed proof that it was properly registered to conduct business in Montana. The court then denied Western's motion to dismiss. The court cited the "contacts outlined in" its September 2, 1999, order that had stayed the proceedings pending proof of Bitterroot's registration to conduct business in Montana.

¶ 18 Bitterroot amended its complaint on June 8, 2000, to include a claim against Logix for tortious interference with business relations. Bitterroot and Logix settled the claim, and the matter proceeded on Bitterroot's claims against Western.

¶ 19 Western moved for summary judgment on September 25, 2001, arguing that Bitterroot's claims must fail because no binding contract existed between the parties. The court denied the motion on the grounds that the evidence showed that "an agreement existed." The court concluded that "[a]s Western Star Trucks' actions as well as its internal documents confirm the existence of an agreement between the parties for freight hauling at a set rate per mile over a five-year term, this Court finds sufficient evidence of an agreement between the parties, and a dispute as to material facts which prevents granting summary judgment to Western Star Trucks."

¶ 20 The District Court held a trial from May 20 through May 25, 2005. The court instructed the jury that "a contract was formed between the parties on April 25, 1996." The court submitted issues of breach and damages to the jury. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Bitterroot. The jury found that Western had breached the contract and the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The jury awarded Bitterroot $2,311,575 in damages. This appeal followed.

DISCUSSION

ISSUE ONE

¶ 21 Was the District Court's decision to exercise personal jurisdiction over Western Star Trucks, Inc. correct?

¶ 22 The District Court determined that it had specific personal jurisdiction over Western based on the fact that Western was "transacting business within Montana." Western argues that the District Court had no basis to exercise specific personal jurisdiction over Western because Western is "a Canadian corporation which lacks sufficient minimum contacts with Montana."

¶ 23 We review a district court's conclusion of law regarding personal jurisdiction to determine if it is correct. Gulf Ins. Co. v. Clark, 2003 MT 87, ¶ 11, 315 Mont. 121, ¶ 11, 68 P.3d 673, ¶ 11. We review related findings of fact to determine whether the findings are clearly erroneous. Gulf Ins. Co., ¶ 11.

¶ 24 We conduct a two-step inquiry in order to determine whether a court can exercise personal jurisdiction over a non-resident defendant. Boyd v. United Die and Manufacturing Co., 2004 MT 286, ¶ 16, 323 Mont. 308, ¶ 16, 100 P.3d 127, ¶ 16. We determine first whether personal jurisdiction exists pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 4(B)(1). Boyd, ¶ 16. We determine second whether jurisdiction conforms with the traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice embodied in the Due Process Clause of the ...