Jay Turner and June Turner v. Lavern

In 1962 Jay Turner and June Turner, plaintiffs and appellants, leased 240 acres of farm land in Caribou County from LaVern Mendenhall and Vonda Mendenhall, then husband and wife. Although the initial term of the lease was five years, the lease's renewal provision was used to extend the lease for an extra five years until December 31, 1972. Respondents obtained a Utah divorce which resulted in the wife, Vonda Mendenhall, receiving an undivided one-third of the 240 acres of Idaho farm land here in question, and the husband, LaVern Mendenhall, receiving an undivided two-thirds of the Idaho property. In August of 1968 an action was filed against the former wife, Vonda Caine, (now remarried) by LaVern Mendenhall and his daughter seeking enforcement of the Utah decree by partition or sale of the premises and the apportionment of the proceeds. The Idaho district court ruled in July of 1970 that the interests of the parties were the same as decided by the Utah decree, and ordered a sale of the property and division of the proceeds. During the progress of the above mentioned divorce and decree enforcement proceedings, certain negotiations were occurring between the lessors (Mendenhalls) and the lessees (Turners). The lease of the 240 acres in Caribou County contained a provision providing that the Turners would have the right of meeting any offer that the Mendenhalls might have for the sale of the leased land.[Footnote 1] In March of 1968, the Turners received an alleged offer in writing[Footnote 2] from Vonda Mendenhall Caine and her new husband to sell their interest in the leased land for $22,000. This was before the Idaho district court had ruled on the percentage of interest owned by each respondent. The $22,000 represented $20,000 for 160 acres claimed at the time as totally hers by Vonda Mendenhall Caine and $2,000 for her interest in the remaining 80 acres. LaVern Mendenhall gave Jay Turner, several days later, an alleged written offer[Footnote 3] to sell his interest in the leased land for a percentage of a total purchase price of $20,000. In November of 1968, Mr. Turner received a letter from Mr. Mendenhall's attorney, Wallace M. Transtrum, which stated that Vonda Mendenhall Caine denied any option to sell with Turner. On April 15, 1969, appellant Turner allegedly accepted in writing the above alleged offers.[Footnote 4]