Appellate Court Upholds Contract Requirement For Arbitration of Disputes
Gemstone Builders, Inc. v. Stutz, 261 P.3d 64 (Or. Ct. App. 2011)
Contractor sued homeowners, who had hired contractor to build a home for them. Contractor sued for breach of contract, unjust enrichment and fraud. The parties disagreed regarding the interpretation of their contract as it pertained to arbitration. The contractor argued that the terms were irreconcilably contradictory, making the arbitration provisions unenforceable. The homeowner sought to compel arbitration. Addressing the issue, the trial court denied defendants’ petition to compel arbitration and defendants appealed.