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Heartland Co-Op
v.
Ronald Nelson
Appellee
Heartland Co-Op
Appellant
Ronald Nelson
Attorney for the Appellee
Benjamin P. Roach and Thomas C. Goodhue
Attorney for the Appellant
Peter C. Riley
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Crawford County, Tod Deck, Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Potterfield, P.J., and Tabor and Bower, JJ. Opinion by Potterfield, P.J. (16 pages)
Ronald Nelson appeals from the judgment entered against him following a jury trial, where the jury determined he was the successor-in-interest and mere continuation of Broken Wing Farms, Inc., against which Heartland Co-op had obtained a judgment in 2014 for $810,021.95 with 3.25% interest. On appeal, Nelson argues he was wrongly prevented from challenging Broken Wing’s debt to Heartland and that the district court erred by allowing the arbitration award against Broken Wing to have preclusive effect on the successor-liability claim against him personally. He also disputes the district court’s rulings on two jury instructions and maintains the court should have granted his motion for directed verdict because there was insufficient evidence to submit the question of his successor liability to the jury. OPINION HOLDS: Having reviewed each of Nelson’s claims and finding no reversible error, we affirm.