Lucas v. Pioneer, Inc.

Decision Date25 May 1977
Docket NumberNo. 2-57084,2-57084
PartiesDaniel Webster LUCAS et al., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. PIONEER, INC., et al., Defendants-Appellees.
CourtIowa Supreme Court

Verne Lawyer of Lawyer, Lawyer, Dunn & Jackson, Des Moines, Dick R. Schlegel of Barnes, Schlegel & Walter, Ottumwa, and Edward J. Gallagher, Jr., of Keith, Gallagher, Lybbert, Martin & Burk, Waterloo, for appellants.

Paul F. Ahlers of Ahlers, Cooney, Dorweiler, Haynie & Smith, Des Moines, for appellees De Kalb Agricultural Ass'n, Inc. and De Kalb Agresearch, Inc.

Alexander, Speckman & Staples, Chicago, Ill., for appellee Pfister Hybrid Corn Co.

Alfred A. Beardmore, Charles City, for appellees Sar Seed Farms, Eno Seed Farm and Epley Brothers Hybrids.

M. Gene Blackburn of Mitchell, Murray, Blackburn & Coleman, P. C., Fort Dodge, for appellee Blackburn Hybrid Seed Corn.

Thomas N. Bolton, Des Moines, for appellees Piittman Seed Co., Malone Seed Co., Inc., Wespott Hybrid Seed Coop, Jacobsen Hybrid Corn Co., Inc. and Plumb Hybrid Corn Co.

M. H. Bordewick of Tobin, Bordewick, Fischer & Fischer, Vinton, for appellee Vinton Hybrid Corn Co.

Claus H. Bunz of Hansen, Bunz & Mugan, Manning, for appellees Renze Hybrids and Gruhn Hybrid Corn Co.

Gary L. Cameron of Parkin & Cameron, Fairfield, for appellee Middlekoop Seed Corn, Inc.

Casterline & Hamiel, Tipton, for appellee Holden's Hybrid Seed Farms.

Robert L. Claypool of Claypool & Claypool, Williamsburg, for appellee Holden's Foundation Seeds, Inc.

H. M. Coggeshall of Bradshaw, Fowler, Proctor & Fairgrave, Des Moines, for appellees Farmers Regional Cooperative, Farmland Industries, Inc., Lowe Seed Co. and Supergene Seeds, Inc.

Owen Cunningham, Des Moines, and A. C. Sidner of Sidner, Svoboda, Schilke, Wiseman & Thomsen, Fremont, Neb., for appellee Hoegemeyer Hybrids, Inc.

John W. Davison, River Falls, Wis., for appellee Jacques Seed Company, Inc.

William M. Deep of King, Deep & Branaman, Henderson, Ky., for appellee Stull Brothers, Inc.

Dorsey, Marquart, Windhorst, West & Halladay, Minneapolis, Minn., for appellees Northrup, King & Co. and Pride Corn, Inc.

Duncan, Jones, Riley & Finley, Des Moines, for appellees Asgrow Seed Co., Henry Field Seed & Nursery Co., and Blaney Farms, Inc.

James F. Fisch of Pryor, Riley, Jones & Walsh, Burlington, for appellee Merschman Seed & Fertilizer, Inc.

Robert T. Fleming of Fleming, Messman, Lapan & O'Connor, Bloomington, Ill., for appellee Gildersleeve Seed Co.

Gamble, Riepe, Webster & Fletcher, Des Moines, for appellee Tekseed Hybrid Co.

Rex B. Gilchrist, Ames, for appellee Ames Seed Farms, Inc.

Alan F. Glover of Denholm, Glover & Aho, Brookings, S.D., for appellee Sokota Hybrid Producers.

Marion Hirschburg, Ames, for appellees Pfister Hybrid Corn Co., Hobart Hybrid Seed Co., Mike Brayton Seeds, Inc., Burrus Brothers and Associate Growers, W. F. Renk & Sons Company, Inc., Curry Hybrid Seed Co. and Clyde Black & Sons, Inc. Holleran, Shaw, Murphy & Stoutner, Clinton, for appellee Naeve Hybrid corn co.

John H. Holley of Holley & Nelson, Shell Rock, for appellee Epley Brothers Hybrids.

Alfred J. Hoffman, Columbia, Mo., for appellee MFA Seed Division (Missouri Farmers Ass'n, Inc.).

W. C. Hoffmann of Jones, Hoffmann & Davison, Des Moines, for appellees Trojan Seed Co., W. R. Grace & Co. and Jacques Seed Co.

Hopkins, Bump & Huebner, Des Moines, for appellees W. O. McCurdy & Sons, McCurdy Seed & Supply, McAllister Seed Farms and Edward J. Funk & Sons, Inc.

Clark C. King, Jr., of Lord, Bissell & Brook, Chicago, Ill., for appellees Anderson, Clayton & Co., Clyde Black & Son, Inc., Funk Bros. Seed Co., W. R. Grace & Co., The Moews Companies, J. C. Robinson Seed Co. and L. Teweles Seed Co.

Richard G. Langdon and Herschel G. Langdon of Herrick, Langdon, Belin, Harris, Langdon & Helmick, Des Moines, for appellees Crow's Hybrid Corn Co., Pfister Hybrid Corn Co., Gildersleeve Seed Co., Heneke Hybrid Corn Co., Cornelius Seed Corn Co., Anderson, Clayton & Co., Clyde Black & Son, Inc., Funk Bros. Seed Co., W. R. Grace & Co., The Moews Companies, J. C. Robinson Seed Co., L. Teweles Seed Co., Hobart Brothers Hybrid Seed Corn Co., Vinton Hybrid Corn Co., Naeve Hybrid Corn Co., Farmers Union Hybrids, Herman's Hybrids, Kussmaul Seed Co., Burrus Brothers & Associate Growers, W. F. Renk & Sons Co., Curry Hybrid Seed Co., Stull Brothers, Inc. and Wilson Hybrids, Inc.

Thomas A. Lawler of Klinkenborg, Lawler & Pepples, Parkersburg, for appellee O's Gold Seed Co.

Fred Louis, Jr., of Louis, Moore & Kohorst, Harlan, for appellee Wilson Hybrids, Inc.

Rande A. McAllister, Mount Pleasant, for appellees Merschman Seed & Fertilizer, Inc., Iowa-Missouri Hybrid Seed Corn Co., Isenhart Seed Co., Tweedy Hybrids and McAllister Seed Farms.

John A. McClintock of Hansen, Wheatcraft & McClintock, Des Moines, for appellees G. E. Hulting & Son, Inc., C. D. Ford & Sons, Inc., Sieben Hybrids and Edward J. Funk & Sons, Inc.

James M. McNally of McNally & George, LeMars, for appellee Joslin Seed Farm and William Joslin.

Clark D. Mantz of White & Mantz, Audubon, for appellee Clover Hill Hybrids.

Thomas H. Mohr, Des Moines, Jack W. Rogers and Clyde Putnam, Jr., Putnam, Putnam & Putnam, Des Moines, and Robert R. Dunlap of Dunlap, Keith, Collins, Towey, Finseth & Berndt, Rochester, Minn., for appellee Mallard Seed Co., Inc.

William Q. Norelius of Norelius & Norelius, Denison, for appellee Schoeppner Hybrids.

Waldine H. Olson of Schmid, Ford, Mooney, Frederick & Caporale, Omaha, Neb., for appellee Tekseed Hybrid Co.

Morgan J. Ordman of McBride, Baker, Wienke & Schlosser, Chicago, Ill., for appellee L. Teweles Seed Co.

Dale L. Porter of Hurlburt, Blanchard, Cless & Porter, Des Moines, for appellees Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. and Pioneer Hi-Bred, Inc.

Frank N. Rasmussen of Rasmussen & Nelson, Exira, for appellee Littlefield Hybrids.

John E. Sebat of Sebat, Swanson, Banks, Lessen & Garman, Danville, Ill., for appellee Crow's Hybrid Corn Co.

Ross H. Sidney of Grefe & Sidney, Des Moines, for appellees W. Atlee Burpee Co., Farmers Hybrid Companies, Inc. and Cargill, Inc.

Joel E. Swanson, Lake City, for appellee Hobart Brothers Hybrid Seed Corn Co.

Thoma, Schoenthal, Davis, Hockenberg & Wine, Des Moines, for appellees Northrup, King & Co., Garst and Thomas Hybrid Seed Corn Co., May Seed & Nursery Co. and Pride Corn, Inc.

Thomasek & Vogel, Grinnell, for appellee Heneke Hybrid Corn Co. L. R. Voigts of Nyemaster, Goode, McLaughlin, Emery & O'Brien, Des Moines, for appellees Coppock's Quality Hybrids and Iowa State Hybrid Corn Co.

William L. Welp of Mote, Wilson & Welp, Marshalltown, for appellee Lynk Bros. & Baird, Inc.

Ivan D. Wilson of Wilson & Irvin, Shenandoah, for appellee May Seed & Nursery Co.

En Banc.

REYNOLDSON, Justice.

This appeal arises out of a class action commenced by 19 farmers (now reduced to 18 in number) against 116 seed corn producers for damages caused by allegedly defective seed corn furnished by defendants in the 1970 crop year. Defendants' motion to drop parties because plaintiffs' complaints could not properly be maintained as a class action was sustained by trial court. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand with directions.

Plaintiffs' amended and substituted petition, filed March 5, 1973, was brought in their own behalf and as representatives of a class they designated "Farmers of Iowa," defined as owners or operators, or both, of Iowa farmland in the 1970 crop year who sustained losses from corn blight and other diseases as a result of the use of T-hybrid or T-cytoplasm seed corn. Three theories of recovery grounded in tort were pled in separate divisions.

Division One was based on strict liability in tort. Plaintiffs alleged defendants developed seed corn through a process utilizing the Texas male sterile corn plant selected because it "developed no pollen in its tassel and as a consequence, (it) could be used as a breeding plant without the necessity of detasseling." Plaintiffs alleged such hybrid seed corn was highly susceptible to disease, as defendants knew or in the exercise of reasonable care should have known. They asserted such seed was unreasonably dangerous to property of its users, they purchased the susceptible seed from defendants, the resulting corn was attacked by corn blight and other related diseases, and they suffered high crop losses.

In Division Two plaintiffs sought to recover on a negligence theory. They alleged defendants were negligent in failing to follow known procedures in production of disease-resistant hybrid seed corn, in relying almost exclusively on the susceptible seed, in failing to warn plaintiffs of the hazard, and in failing to instruct plaintiffs of practices which might mitigate the risk.

Division Three of plaintiffs' petition was based on strict liability in warranty, asserting the necessary allegations concerning defendants' knowledge of plaintiffs' intended uses and purposes for which the seed was purchased, defendants' holding out as possessing special skills, plaintiffs' reliance, an implied warranty of fitness, and defendants' breach of that warranty by selling seed corn which, in containing latent defects, was unfit for its intended use.

Service of original notices was followed by a blizzard of papers separately filed by defendants. Among these papers were a number of motions to drop parties. September 24, 1973, trial court ordered "all motions to drop parties on file shall come on for hearing as matters of law, and not evidentiary hearings, on the 15th day of November, 1973 at 9:00 A. M."

On the date this motion was argued, plaintiffs filed an amendment, allowed over defendants' objections, which identified the defendants from whom each named plaintiff purchased allegedly defective seed. The list made apparent there were a number of defendants who had made no sale to any of the named plaintiffs.

Trial court's November 28, 1973 ruling, relying on Bennett v. Eldon Miller, Inc.,...

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