When a company secures a contract with another business in Tampa, the hope typically is that such an agreement will remain in place for a good deal of time. Yet most might assume that contracts like these have an expected shelf life of no more than a few years.
Yet what about contracts that continue on for decades. Potential complications between the contracted parties may eventually arise given that those who originally negotiated the agreement are no longer around to provide true context to its initial terms. Still, that fact may not give one the right to simply modify a business agreement based solely on is own shifting interpretations.
Court approves continuation of class action lawsuit against state
That, however, is exactly what a group of county officials are claiming the state of Oregon has done in a class action lawsuit recently filed in a local circuit court. The disputed contract in question began in 1941, when county representatives claim that officials promised the local authorities in place at the time that the state Department of Forestry would maintain the lands found within each county’s borders with the goal of maximizing the revenue made by the use of the land for those counties. However, the details of the lawsuit now say that recent state initiatives caused that focus to shift elsewhere, leading to each county in the class to suffer revenue losses from decreased taxes. Per the Albany Democrat-Herald, the judge hearing the case recently cleared the path for it to go forward by approving the fees set by the firm representing the class.
Assistance in enforcing contracts
Business executives are often not versed in the subtle nuances of contract law, which could lead to situations like the one mentioned above. It is for this reason why having an experienced partner familiar with business law may be so valuable.
