United States Tenth Circuit

In a dispute between rival water providers, district court correctly extended 7 U.S.C. section 1926(b) protection, finding that one water company's outstanding indebtedness and continuing service to the area prohibited encroachment by another company; however, that encroachment was not "state action" to warrant attorney's fees under 42 U.S.C. section 1988(b).

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/03/2002
• Published 06/03/2002

Judges

• JOHN C. PORFILIO, Circuit Judge., Before HENRY and PORFILIO, Circuit Judges, and SAM , District Judge.

Court

• United States Tenth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• William A. Walker, Jr. (Leonard J. Piazza, of Sandenaw, Carrillo & Piazza, P.C., Kyle W. Gesswein, Las Cruces, NM, on appellant's opening brief), for Plaintiff-Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Michael D. Davis (Steven M. Harris of Doyle Harris Davis & Haughey, Tulsa, OK;  Matthew P. Holt of Holt & Babington, P.C., Las Cruces, NM, with him on the brief), of Doyle Harris Davis & Haughey, Tulsa, OK, for Defendant-Appellee.