WESTERN MORTGAGE REALTY COMPANY v. KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (2017)

MEMORANDUM **

Western Mortgage & Realty Co. appeals the district court's order granting summary judgment to KeyBank National Association and KeyCorp Capital, Inc. (collectively, “KeyBank”). We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we affirm.

On May 23, 2007, Western Mortgage entered into a contract for the purchase of certain debts believed to be owned by KeyBank. On August 3, 2010, the parties agreed to amend the purchase price for the contract. Western Mortgage filed this action on April 9, 2013, alleging that KeyBank failed to transfer good title to one of the debts enumerated in the original contract.

The district court correctly ruled that Western Mortgage's breach of contract and breach of warranties claims are barred by Idaho's five year statute of limitations. See Idaho Code § 5-216. The relevant warranties were agreed to in a contract that closed on May 23, 2007, which started the statute of limitations. Western Mortgage did not file its complaint until nearly six years later. The statute of limitations was not restarted when the parties amended the purchase price of the contract because that amendment concerned a discrete matter independent of the warranties. The statute of limitations also was not restarted by Idaho Code § 5-238 because that section is inapplicable to the facts here, where a debtor did not promise to pay a debt. See Mahas v. Kasiska, 47 Idaho 179, 276 P. 315, 317 (1928).

The district court correctly dismissed Western Mortgage's fraud claims. The district court properly concluded that Western Mortgage could have discovered the alleged fraud by reasonable diligence before April 9, 2010. Thus, Western Mortgage's claim is barred by Idaho's three year statute of limitations for fraud. See Idaho Code § 5-218(4). An email sent by KeyBank's Vice President did not constitute fraud because, in context, the email was one of opinion and not of fact. See Nelson v. Hoff, 70 Idaho 354, 218 P.2d 345, 349 (1950).

AFFIRMED.