Cheryl Albaugh v. The Reserve
Cheryl Albaugh v. The Reserve
Dissenting Opinion
I. Introduction.
I respectfully dissent. In my view, the majority errs in its resolution of Cheryl Albaugh's claim under the Iowa Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Iowa Code chapter 562A (IURLTA).
Iowa Code chapter 523D (retirement facilities statute) and the IURLTA address, at least in part, the same subject matter. This is a common occurrence in Iowa law. The legislature, as well as our own caselaw, direct that when statutes govern the same subject matter, we should strive to reconcile potential conflicts through harmonizing the statutes.
The harmonizing of statutes "constrain[s] judicial discretion in the interpretation of laws." Astoria Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass'n v. Solimino ,
Further, aside from our efforts to avoid the shoals of conflict, we do not find that statutes conflict unless they meet the extraordinary standard of "positive repugnancy." State v. Perry ,
But the statutes here are easily harmonized through a modest effort at reconciliation. Simply put, a facility can impose an entrance fee under Iowa Code section 523D.1(4) as long as that entrance fee is not used as an illegal rental deposit under Iowa Code section 562A.6(12) and .12(1). The majority through an expansive interpretation concludes that the retirement facilities statute allows an entrance fee in an amount and with a purpose that would be prohibited by the IURLTA. This approach is hardly avoiding the shoals of conflict. Are the statutes positively repugnant after our best efforts to reconcile them through statutory interpretation designed to further the ends of both statutes? No. Under *689the statutes, a retirement facility can charge an entrance of any amount over $5000 so long as the purpose is not to secure performance of the rental agreement.
The legislature is presumed to know the contents of prior law. Mulhern v. Catholic Health Initiatives ,
But there is more. Even if the statutes were irreconcilable and positively repugnant notwithstanding a conscientious effort to interpret them in harmony, the broadly worded savings clause in Iowa Code section 523D.7(5) provides a legislative directive that liabilities under "any other statute" remain in effect as if the retirement facilities statute "were not in effect." The legislature has thus expressly stated what happens if the provisions of the retirement facilities statute are found, after determined harmonization efforts, to be irreconcilable with another statute. In cases of irreconcilable conflict, the legislature has declared that liabilities in other sections of the Code survive, period.
Rather than apply the savings clause in a straightforward manner, the majority twists the statute by inferring exclusivity in the definition of an entrance fee. On what basis? There is no provision of exclusivity in the statute, and as recognized by the majority, the retirement facilities statute does not preempt the IURLTA. Well, the majority points out, the IURLTA would otherwise limit the scope of allowable entrance fees. But that does not imply exclusivity. Does the retirement facilities statute also trump the statutory prohibitions on discrimination in rental agreements, since antidiscrimination provisions would otherwise limit the scope of allowable entrance fees? Of course not. Taken to its logical conclusion, the majority's rationale suggests that any statutory prohibition potentially conflicting with the retirement facilities statute must be obliterated. Of course, that comes at the expense of the legislative directions to harmonize statutes and to choose statutory liability under other statutes where harmonization is not possible.
We have repeatedly declared, with blaring legal bugles, that it is not our province to rewrite statutes. See State v. Doe ,
In the end, the majority inexorably bulldozes to its result by declining to interpret the statutes to avoid conflict and by remodeling the statutory savings clause. What gives? The result today chooses a disclosure approach over the substantive regulation of security deposits in the IURLTA. But in doing so, the majority avoids our caselaw and the choices actually made by the legislature through a novel mechanism of judicial override that departs from our traditional approach.
II. Discussion.
A. The Statutes Are Easily Harmonized.
1. Potentially conflicting statutes are harmonized unless irreconcilable . The legislature *690has instructed us to harmonize potentially conflicting statutes. "If a general provision conflicts with a special or local provision, they shall be construed, if possible, so that effect is given to both."
The demanding standards are a result of the presumption that the legislature is aware of existing law when it enacts new statutes. See Mulhern ,
Harmonizing two apparently conflicting statutes "constrain[s] judicial discretion in the interpretation of the laws." Astoria Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass'n ,
It is only when the very high bar of irreconcilability is met that a specific statutory provision will prevail over a general provision. To demonstrate irreconcilability, "[i]t is not enough to show that the two statutes produce differing results when applied to the same factual situation. The legislative intent to repeal must be manifest in the 'positive repugnancy between the provisions.' " Perry ,
This "demanding" standard exists because "[t]he legislature is presumed to know the existing state of the law when the new statute is enacted," and "[i]n the absence of any express repeal, the new provision is presumed to accord with the legislative policy embodied in prior statutes." Freeman ,
2. The retirement facilities statute and the IURLTA can be easily harmonized. The retirement facilities statute "applies to a provider who executes a contract to provide continuing care or senior adult congregate living services in a facility ... if the contract requires or permits the payment of an entrance fee to a person."
*691Iowa Code § 523D.2. " 'Continuing care' means housing together with supportive services, nursing services, medical services, or other health related services, furnished to a resident ... in consideration of an entrance fee."
The IURLTA allows certain rental deposits and prohibits others. A rental deposit is "a deposit of money to secure performance of a residential rental agreement, other than a deposit which is exclusively in advance payment of rent."
Is there an irreconcilable conflict here? No. The fact that the retirement facilities statute allows entrance fees for housing and acceptance into the facility does not create "positive repugnancy between the provisions" in the retirement facilities statute and the IURLTA. Perry ,
When confronted with two Acts of Congress allegedly touching on the same topic, this Court is not at "liberty to pick and choose among congressional enactments" and must instead strive "to give effect to both." A party seeking to suggest that two statutes cannot be harmonized, and that one displaces the other, bears the heavy burden of showing "a clearly expressed congressional intention" that such a result should follow. The intention must be "clear and manifest." And in approaching a claimed conflict, we come armed with the "stron[g] presum[ption]" that repeals by implication are "disfavored" and that "Congress will specifically address" preexisting law when it wishes to suspend its normal operations in a later statute.
These rules exist for good reasons. Respect for Congress as drafter counsels against too easily finding irreconcilable conflicts in its work. More than that, respect for the separation of powers counsels restraint. Allowing judges to pick and choose between statutes risks transforming them from expounders of what the law is into policymakers choosing what the law should be. Our rules aiming for harmony over conflict in statutory interpretation grow from an appreciation that it's the job of Congress by legislation, not this Court by supposition, both to write the laws and to repeal them.
Epic Sys. Corp. v. Lewis , 584 U.S. ----, ----,
At most, the ambiguous nature of "housing" and "acceptance ... in a facility" requires us to harmonize those provisions with the limitations on rental deposits in the IURLTA. See
Another approach is to carefully observe the limitations of the retirement facilities statute. An entrance fee is defined as a payment for "acceptance of a specified individual in a facility" that exceeds certain amounts.
Some concrete examples illustrate the ease with which the provisions are harmonized. An entrance fee can be charged for certain "housing together with supportive services, nursing services, medical services, or other health related services,"
3. Application . In this case, the entrance fee was designed to secure the position of The Reserve (Reserve) in the event of a default, not as consideration for acceptance into the facility or for continuing care services. Specifically, the rental agreement provided,
Should Applicant default under the terms of the Covenants of Occupancy, which default is not cured in a manner deemed satisfactory by the Corporation, Applicant's Residential Membership shall be terminated and all of Applicant's right, title and interest in and to such Entrance Fee, [and] such Supplemental Amount ... shall be forfeited by Applicant and become the sole and separate property of the Corporation ....
*693In short, the Reserve used the entrance fee and supplemental amount in the manner of a rental deposit, namely, to secure performance of the rental agreement. See Iowa Code § 562A.6(12). And the entrance fee and supplemental amount were each far in excess of two months' rent, the maximum allowable amount for a rental deposit. See
The problem here, as Albaugh points out, is not irreconcilability of statutory provisions. Rather, the problem only arises because the Reserve structured its entrance fee and supplemental amount as rental deposits. The Reserve can charge $120,000 or more as an entrance fee and supplemental amount; it just cannot charge that amount as a rental deposit.
Consequently, Albaugh was entitled to summary judgment on the IURLTA claim.
B. Exclusivity. The provisions in the retirement facilities statute concerning entrance fees do not constitute the exclusive statutory regulation of monies collected and labeled as an entrance fee.
Can a provider regulated under the retirement facilities statute discriminate in charging entrance fees by, for example, charging a woman twice the fee as a man? The Iowa Civil Rights Act, of course, says no. See
Further, there is no exclusivity provision in the retirement facilities statute. By contrast, numerous other parts of the Code contain exclusivity provisions. See, e.g. , Iowa Code § 17A.23(1) (Iowa Administrative Procedure Act);
At the same time, the legislature has included a broad savings clause in the retirement facilities statute. See Iowa Code § 523D.7(5). It says, "This chapter does not limit a liability which may exist by virtue of any other statute or under common law if this chapter were not in effect."
Finally, there are a number of cases supporting the view that the retirement facilities statute does not exclusively regulate monies collected and labeled an entrance fee. Two decisions from Massachusetts hold statutory provisions regulating security deposits in the state landlord-tenant law apply to "community fees" collected by a senior living facility. Hennessy v. Brookdale Senior Living Cmtys., Inc. , No. 1784CV04215BLS2,
makes clear that [the state statute regulating senior living facilities] is not intended to be an exhaustive regulatory scheme that governs all aspects of assisted living operations. And it also makes clear that [the senior living facility] must comply with all laws that govern residential tenancies to the extent they apply to its facility.
Assisted living facilities can easily comply with both statutory schemes, providing supportive services in accord with [the state statute regulating senior living facilities] to a resident whose tenancy is also governed by [the landlord-tenant law]. Courts must therefore construe and apply these two statutes in a manner that gives "meaning and purpose to both.... 'so that the policies underlying both may be honored.' "
Another Massachusetts decision disagrees with the result reached in Gowen and Hennessy . See Ryan v. Maryann Morse Healthcare Corp. , No. 1681CV02433A,
is bolstered by the fact that [the state statute regulating senior living facilities] provides a comprehensive set of protections to residents in [the facilities]. [The state statute regulating senior living facilities] does not displace landlord-tenant law and leave residents to fend for themselves. It provides a comprehensive list of resident rights which, generally speaking, demand fairness in the [facility]-resident relationship. These rights include privacy rights, use of personal property in the living area and eviction protections-concerns otherwise within the scope of landlord-tenant law.
Id. at *7. But the Iowa retirement facilities statute has no such protections. We cannot rely on the Ryan court's evaluation of a completely different statutory environment.
Similarly, in Jackim v. CC-Lake, Inc. ,
C. The Savings Clause in the Retirement Facilities Statute Precludes that Statute from Preempting the IURLTA. Further, in the alternative, any irreconcilability between the retirement facilities statute and another statute must be resolved in favor of the other statute. Iowa Code section 523D.7(5) states, "This chapter does not limit a liability which may exist by virtue of any other statute or under common law if this chapter were not in effect."
In considering whether there is liability under another statute-like the IURLTA-the legislature has directed not to limit "any other statute" as if the retirement facilities statute "were not in effect." This is sweeping, unqualified language. To me, the language of the savings clause means that statutory liability arising outside of the retirement facilities statute remains in place and cannot be ousted by *696language in the retirement facilities statute.
We often struggle with how two statutory regimes scattered throughout the Code fit together. But here, the legislature has given us an answer to the question. If there is statutory liability in another provision of the Code, the retirement facilities statute cannot trump or supersede it.
In fact, Iowa Code section 523D.7(5) trumps our ordinary approach to interpreting conflicting statutes. Ordinarily, as noted, an irreconcilable conflict between a general and specific statute is resolved in favor of the specific statute. Oyens Feed & Supply, Inc. v. Primebank ,
We cannot amend the unequivocal general savings statute through judicial legislation based on speculation that the legislature would have written the statute differently had it thought more deeply about the application of the IURLTA to the retirement facilities statute. We presume the legislature is aware of existing law. State v. Adams ,
I break no new ground by following the statute. In Advest, Inc. v. Kirschner , No. 92-6656,
[Plaintiff] ... argues that since the sale of securities is already regulated by the Pennsylvania Securities Act of 1972, the [consumer protection law] was not intended to apply to securities transactions. It is true that as a rule the particular statute overrides the general, but ... for [that rule] to apply, the statutes must be irreconcilable. Here, not only may they be reconciled, the securities act expressly states: "[n]othing in this act shall limit any liability which might exist by virtue of any other statute or under common law if this act were not in effect." Thus for me to nullify liability under the [consumer protection law], because of the more specific securities statute, would be for me to construe the above language to the precise converse of plain meaning-the antithesis of apt statutory construction.
In another case, a federal district court faced the question of "whether the General Assembly 'intended the [Securities Act] and the [consumer protection law] to coexist as independent statutory mechanisms or whether the [Securities Act] is intended to provide the sole and exclusive statutory penalty for alleged' securities violations." Denison v. Kelly ,
*697the Securities Act nowhere indicates that it is intended as the exclusive statutory remedy for securities violations. In fact, as pointed out by the plaintiffs, it specifically preserves other remedies. [The Securities Act] provides, in pertinent part, that: "Nothing in this act shall limit any liability which might exist by virtue of any other statute or under common law if this act were not in effect." "Any other statute" must encompass the [consumer protection law].
Until 2005, Iowa's Uniform Securities Act contained a provision practically identical to the savings clause in section 523D.7(5). Specifically, Iowa Code section 502.505 (2003) stated, "Nothing in this chapter shall limit any liability which might exist by virtue of any other statute or under common law if this chapter were not in effect." The only Iowa court to interpret the provision appears to be a district court. See Cheyenne Camping Ctr. Co. v. Frazer , No. LA99770,
The notion of broad savings clauses preserving preexisting statutes is commonplace in securities and franchise laws, where many states have savings clauses virtually identical to that in the retirement facilities statute. In Andersen v. Griswold International, LLC , No. 14-CV-02560-EDL,
We agree with the determination of the court in its written decision that "[t]he final sentence of the provision preserves [preexisting] common law claims which would exist under the common law if the Act were not in effect, [but that], here, the only violation alleged as against [defendant] is aiding and abetting a violation of the Act itself, not a free-standing common law violation. For claims arising out of statutory violations of the Act, the Act itself provides the plaintiffs with their exclusive remedy.
Commentators agree with those interpretations. In Illinois, because of the savings clause, "the Franchise Act does not preempt common law and other statutory remedies." James K. Genden, A Guide to the Illinois Franchise Disclosure Act ,
I have found two cases taking a somewhat different approach with respect to common law claims. These cases generally conclude that California statutes were intended to displace the common law concerning particular matters. See Samica Enters., LLC v. Mail Boxes Etc. USA, Inc. ,
For one thing, it is not even clear that Samica and Mirkin would support the Reserve in this case. Both of those cases decided that common law claims did not survive, Samica ,
In any case, Samica and Mirkin were wrongly decided. Aside from being against the great weight of authority on the matter, as recounted above, the reasoning in those opinions has been specifically rejected in other judicial opinions. Toyz ,
To speak, as the majority does, of a "conflict" between securities law remedies and the traditional action for fraud is to ignore the decisions of our state Legislature and Congress to make securities laws nonexclusive and cumulative to traditional tort remedies.
Mirkin ,
In my view, Voumard's daughter, acting as her substitute, was entitled to partial summary judgment on the IURLTA claim. The Reserve was not entitled to summary judgment on the IURLTA claim. I would so hold, reverse, and remand the case to the district court.
III. Conclusion.
For the reasons discussed above, I would reverse the district court judgment on the IURLTA claim, grant summary judgment to Albaugh on the IURLTA claim, and remand to the district court for further proceedings.
Wiggins, J., joins this dissent.
Additionally, even as the majority believes that regulation of entrance fees in the retirement facilities statutes is sui generis, it offers no principle limiting the sui generis in the retirement facilities statute to entrance fees. Perhaps none of the IURLTA applies to facilities regulated under the retirement facilities statute. For instance, the retirement facilities statute states that a "[p]rovider" is "a person undertaking through a lease" to provide care in a facility. Iowa Code § 523D.1(8). So, the retirement facilities statute expects a provider to use a lease. Is that lease also immune from the IURLTA? Likewise, the retirement facilities statute contemplates that facilities will offer lodging.
Indeed, under the majority's reasoning, perhaps any action contemplated in the retirement facilities statute is unregulated by any other provision of the Iowa Code. The retirement facilities statute recognizes that facilities may offer nursing care,
Opinion of the Court
*679On behalf of her mother, Cheryl Albaugh challenges the district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of a "senior adult congregate living facility" as defined in Iowa Code chapter 523D. Iowa Code § 523D.1(11) (2016). She sued the facility after it would not return her mother's entrance fee or supplemental amount when her mother had to vacate the facility for health reasons. Albaugh argued the agreement between her mother and the facility violated Iowa Code chapter 562A, the Iowa Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (IURLTA). She also presented several other claims, including consumer fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and unconscionability. The district court granted the facility's motion for summary judgment, concluding the IURLTA did not apply to the facility and the facility was entitled to judgment as a matter of law on all other claims. We affirm the district court judgment on appeal for the reasons discussed below.
I. Background Facts and Proceedings.
Cheryl Albaugh holds power of attorney for her mother, Shirley Voumard, a former resident of The Reserve on Walnut Creek (Reserve) from October 2007 to September 2014. The Reserve is a member-owned, nonprofit senior adult congregate living facility in Urbandale, Iowa, that is governed by a board of directors and "offers residents the opportunity to enjoy retirement without the hassle of home ownership." It provides housing and supportive services to its residents with periodic charges in consideration of an entrance fee. These supportive services include various home healthcare services, maintenance, communal activities, security, transportation, and dining options.
To become a member of the Reserve, "an individual or couple must be 60+ years old, of sufficiently good health to live an independent life, and must be able to meet certain minimum financial requirements." Voumard entered into a contract with the Reserve called an "application agreement" (agreement) on September 27, 2007, to obtain a membership interest in the Reserve and the right to occupy a two-bedroom apartment there. Voumard agreed to pay certain fees to cover the Reserve's operation expenses. She agreed to pay a $64,975 entrance fee and a $63,557 supplemental amount upon signing the agreement.
This agreement contained the following bold-faced language:
i. Upon disbursement of such Entrance Fee and such Supplemental Amount to the uses and purposes of the Corporation the Corporation will have no further obligation to refund or return such Entrance Fee or such Supplemental Amount to Applicant.
ii. Applicant's ability to recover such Entrance Fee and such Supplemental Amount will depend entirely on the Applicant's ability to assign or transfer his Membership in the Corporation to another person or persons.
iii. The Monthly Charge is subject to fluctuation.
iv. Upon the transfer of Applicant's Membership in the Corporation to another person or persons there is no guarantee the Applicant will recover the entire Entrance Fee, the entire Supplemental Amount, or such other funds as may have accrued during Applicant's residency within the Development pursuant to Article 7 of the Covenants of Occupancy.
v. Should Applicant default under the terms of the Covenants of Occupancy, which default is not cured in a manner deemed satisfactory by the Corporation, Applicant's Residential Membership shall be terminated and all of Applicant's right, title and interest in and to such Entrance Fee, such Supplemental Amount, and such other funds as may have accrued during Applicant's residency within the Development pursuant to Article 7 of the Covenants of Occupancy shall be forfeited by Applicant and become the sole and separate property of the Corporation, and the Corporation shall have the right and authority to transfer Applicant's Apartment to an assignee or transferee. Upon such transfer, the Corporation, in its sole discretion, shall have the right to deduct all Monthly Charges by Applicant and other expenses due and payable upon transfer.
(Emphasis omitted.)
Just above the signature line, the agreement stated, "This Agreement will supersede any prior understandings and agreements and constitutes the entire agreement between us, and no oral representations or statements shall be considered a part hereof." Voumard elected Albaugh as her personal representative on the agreement. Thus, pursuant to the agreement, Albaugh was appointed to receive copies of the agreement, "the [Reserve's] Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Covenants of Occupancy and all other notices, disclosures, or forms required to be delivered to [Voumard] under Chapter 523D of the Iowa Code."
In August 2014, the Reserve began contacting Albaugh about Voumard's inability to care for herself. The Reserve contacted Albaugh multiple times, and Voumard was subsequently diagnosed with dementia. After Voumard's doctor determined she could no longer live independently, Albaugh notified the Reserve that Voumard would be vacating her unit as of September 13, in order to move into an assisted living facility.
Albaugh has not sold or transferred Voumard's unit either to a third party or to the Reserve. In accordance with the agreement, the Reserve has continued to bill Voumard pursuant to the agreement after she moved out of the Reserve. Albaugh has requested the Reserve refund Voumard's entrance fee and supplemental amount. The Reserve continues to deny *681this request. On February 5, 2015, the Reserve sent Albaugh a notice of default informing her that Voumard's rights under the agreement would be terminated and her entrance fee and supplemental amount would be deemed forfeited if Voumard's unpaid charges were not paid within thirty days. Voumard's unpaid charges totaled $5132 at the time the Reserve sent the notice. Albaugh disputed these charges and requested a refund of Voumard's entrance fee and supplemental amount as a rental deposit pursuant to the IURLTA.
In March, the Reserve's elected board of directors announced a change to the Reserve's financial structure due to the increase in "Type A" units the Reserve owned through default or donation. Type A units came with a higher monthly fee than Voumard's "Type B" unit. Due to the Reserve's increase in Type A units, the Reserve allowed these units to be transferred for an entrance fee of $5000. The Reserve did not change the monthly charges for these units, and the board of directors declared, "Please be assured that there will be no 'steering' of prospects away from member-owned units up for transfer, and we'll continue working hard on moving all available units."
The Reserve subsequently implemented a leasing program in July to allow members to lease their units to qualified individuals and to allow the Reserve to lease Reserve-owned units "at market-competitive lease rates." According to the Reserve's marketing director, this program has increased demand and led to a waiting list for units at the Reserve. Though Albaugh communicated with the Reserve's marketing director about marketing and transferring Voumard's membership interest, the record is unclear concerning the extent of these marketing efforts. Since Voumard vacated her unit at the Reserve, Albaugh has repeatedly requested a full refund of Voumard's entrance fee and supplemental amount. The Reserve continues to deny these requests, and it declared Voumard in default on March 8, 2016.
On August 24, Albaugh filed a lawsuit in district court against the Reserve in which she presented seven claims. First, she argued the agreement between Voumard and the Reserve violated the IURLTA. Second, Albaugh claimed the Reserve violated Iowa Code chapter 523D, governing retirement facilities. Third, she alleged the Reserve engaged in consumer fraud in violation of Iowa Code chapter 714H. Fourth, Albaugh maintained the Reserve breached its fiduciary duties to Voumard. Fifth, Albaugh maintained the Reserve breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Sixth, she argued Voumard should no longer be held to the terms of her agreement with the Reserve due to impossibility of performance or frustration of purpose. Finally, Albaugh challenged the enforceability of the agreement, claiming it was unconscionable. The Reserve brought in the Essex Corporation as a third-party defendant in its capacity as the former manager of the Reserve to seek indemnity and contribution.
Albaugh filed a motion for partial summary judgment on December 11, 2017, requesting the district court enter judgment that the agreement between Voumard and the Reserve is subject to the IURLTA and relief consistent with that judgment. The Reserve filed a motion for summary judgment on December 20, arguing the agreement is not subject to the IURLTA and challenging Albaugh's other claims as a matter of law. The Essex Corporation filed a motion for summary judgment in which it argued it had no liability to the Reserve to the extent the Reserve had no liability to Albaugh and, alternatively, the undisputed facts fail to establish a basis for a *682claim of contribution or indemnity as a matter of law.
On May 26, 2018, the district court denied Albaugh's motion for partial summary judgment and granted the Reserve's motion for summary judgment. In doing so, the district court concluded that "the legislature did not otherwise intend for [the IURLTA] to be applicable to an arrangement governed by chapter 523D" and Albaugh's other claims failed to generate any genuine issue of material fact. The district court granted Essex Corporation's motion for summary judgment, noting there was no "need to consider the claims against the [Essex Corporation] ... in the absence of a direct claim by [Albaugh] against the [Reserve]." Albaugh filed a timely notice of appeal on June 14, and we retained the appeal.
II. Standard of Review.
Our review of a district court ruling on a motion for summary judgment is for correction of errors at law. Jahnke v. Deere & Co. ,
III. Analysis.
Albaugh presents several claims on appeal. First, she argues the IURLTA applies to the Reserve and requests relief based on the Reserve's alleged violations of the IURLTA. Second, Albaugh claims the Reserve committed consumer fraud. Third, she maintains the Reserve breached its fiduciary duty to Voumard. Fourth, Albaugh proclaims the Reserve also breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Finally, she asserts the Reserve's agreement with Voumard was unconscionable.
A. The Applicability of the IURLTA to Retirement Facilities. Albaugh contends the district court erred in granting the Reserve's motion for summary judgment based on its conclusion that the IURLTA is inapplicable to the Reserve and other retirement facilities governed by Iowa Code chapter 523D.
Iowa Code chapter 523D is entitled "Retirement Facilities" and is applicable to a provider who executes a contract for housing and one or more "supportive services" in a facility that "is or will be located in this state" and where the contract "requires or permits the payment of an entrance fee." Iowa Code §§ 523D.1, .2. Some examples of supportive services include activity services, housekeeping, dining options, emergency nursing care, and transportation.
On the other hand, "[t]he IURLTA generally defines the legal rights and obligations of a landlord and tenant" in a rental agreement. Lewis v. Jaeger ,
The crux of Albaugh's claim against the Reserve concerning the IURLTA is that Voumard's $64,975 entrance fee and $63,557 supplemental amount should be refunded to Voumard because they are improper *683rental deposits under the IURLTA. This brings us to the fundamental issue: whether the fees permitted by chapter 523D are rental deposits subject to the IURLTA.
We reconcile Chapter 523D and the IURLTA by considering the rules of statutory construction.
We now turn to the relevant statutory provisions to determine whether the fees regulated under chapter 523D are subject to the IURLTA. Iowa Code section 523D.1 provides, in relevant part,
4. "Entrance Fee " means an initial or deferred transfer to a provider of a sum of money or other property made or promised to be made as full or partial consideration for acceptance of a specified individual in a facility if the amount exceeds either of the following:
a. Five thousand dollars.
b. The sum of the regular periodic charges for six months of residency.
Iowa Code § 523D.1(4)(a )-(b ). The provision of the IURLTA on which Albaugh relies provides,
12. "Rental Deposit " means a deposit of money to secure performance of a residential rental agreement, other than a deposit which is exclusively in advance payment of rent.
Iowa Code § 562A.6(12). Chapter 562A further defines a rental deposit and states,
*6841. A landlord shall not demand or receive as a security deposit an amount or value in excess of two months' rent.
....
3. a. A landlord shall, within thirty days from the date of termination of the tenancy ... return the rental deposit to the tenant or furnish to the tenant a written statement showing the specific reason for withholding of the rental deposit or any portion thereof.... The landlord may withhold from the rental deposit only such amounts as are reasonably necessary for the following reasons:
(1) To remedy a tenant's default in the payment of rent or of other funds due to the landlord pursuant to the rental agreement.
(2) To restore the dwelling unit to its condition at the commencement of the tenancy, ordinary wear and tear excepted.
(3) To recover expenses incurred in acquiring possession of the premises from a tenant who does not act in good faith in failing to surrender and vacate the premises ....
Affording each statute its proper context, the words used by the legislature reflect the intent to regulate two entirely distinct living arrangements. Chapter 523D regulates facilities that provide housing together with supportive services. In contrast, chapter 562A pertains to the rights and obligations of a landlord and tenant. This distinction is made plain by what the legislature said in each definition. An entrance fee only qualifies as an entrance fee if the amount exceeds "five thousand dollars" or "[t]he sum of the regular periodic charges for six months of residency" and is used as consideration for acceptance in a facility.
We conclude the plain statutory language makes clear the legislature did not intend the fees permitted by chapter 523D be subject to the rental deposit provision of the IURLTA. See Ryan v. Maryann Morse Healthcare Corp. , No. 1681CV02433A,
B. Consumer Fraud. Albaugh maintains the district court erred in granting the Reserve's motion for summary judgment on her consumer fraud claim under Iowa Code chapter 714H. Iowa Code section 714H.3(1) provides,
A person shall not engage in a practice or act the person knows or reasonably should know is an unfair practice, deception, *685fraud, false pretense, or false promise, or the misrepresentation, concealment, suppression, or omission of a material fact, with the intent that others rely upon the unfair practice, deception, fraud, false pretense, false promise, misrepresentation, concealment, suppression, or omission in connection with the advertisement, sale, or lease of consumer merchandise ....
An "unfair practice" is "an act or practice which causes substantial, unavoidable injury to consumers that is not outweighed by any consumer or competitive benefits which the practice produces."
Albaugh claims the Reserve committed consumer fraud in 2015 by prioritizing the sale of the units it held for a low entrance fee and later leasing units to residents without an entrance fee or supplemental amount. According to Albaugh, these practices were unfair because Voumard entered into the agreement with the understanding that the Reserve would refund her entrance fee and supplemental amount and no one informed Voumard that the Reserve would begin leasing or selling units in this manner. Nevertheless, the agreement between Voumard and the Reserve clearly states otherwise. The agreement stated,
Upon the transfer of Applicant's Membership in the Corporation to another person or persons there is no guarantee the Applicant will recover the entire Entrance Fee, the entire Supplemental Amount, or such other funds as may have accrued during Applicant's residency within the Development ....
Further, Albaugh does not point to, nor does the record contain, evidence that the Reserve engaged in a practice that it knew or should have known was unfair under section 714H. Notably, Albaugh omits the knowledge element from her brief entirely in explaining the statute. In any event, Albaugh's argument that a reasonable jury could find the Reserve's actions unfair and "rely on its own common sense" to support this conclusion does not demonstrate that the Reserve knew or should have known it was engaging in an unfair practice. There is no evidence that the Reserve knew in 2007-when Voumard entered her agreement with the Reserve-that it would have to lower the price on entrance fees in 2015. Thus, the district court correctly granted the Reserve's motion for summary judgment on this claim.
C. Breach of Fiduciary Duty. Albaugh challenges the district court's decision to grant the Reserve's motion for summary judgment on her breach of fiduciary duty claim based on its conclusion that Albaugh "failed to identify a factual basis upon which a fiduciary relation could exist." Albaugh argues the Reserve owed a fiduciary duty to Voumard because Voumard relied on the Reserve to protect the value of her membership. The existence of a fiduciary relationship "turns on the facts of the case," and "may, in some cases, be decided by the court in a summary-judgment proceeding." Cemen Tech, Inc. v. Three D Indus., L.L.C. ,
A fiduciary relationship "exists when there is a reposing of faith, confidence and trust, and the placing of reliance by one upon the judgment and advice of *686the other."
include the acting of one person for another; the having and the exercising of influence over one person by another; the reposing of confidence by one person in another; the dominance of one person by another; the inequality of the parties; and the dependence of one person upon another.
Weltzin v. Cobank, ACB ,
The district court correctly granted the Reserve's motion for summary judgment on this issue because Voumard and the Reserve engaged in an arms-length transaction that did not establish a fiduciary relationship. The record demonstrates that Voumard and the Reserve entered into the agreement as unrelated and unaffiliated parties. The indicative factors of a fiduciary relationship are not present here, as Voumard and the Reserve negotiated and entered the agreement on equal footing without the Reserve having any form of influence over Voumard. See Weltzin ,
D. Breach of Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing. Albaugh contends the district court erred in granting the Reserve's motion for summary judgment on her breach-of-implied-covenant-of-good-faith claim. Albaugh claims Voumard had a justified expectation that future residents would have to pay entrance fees like she did to become a resident, and the Reserve breached this expectation when it reduced the prices of the Reserve-owned units and later offered lease options to prospective residents without an entrance fee. An implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is inherent in all contracts. Alta Vista Properties, LLC v. Mauer Vision Ctr., PC ,
Here, no terms exist in the agreement to support Albaugh's argument that the Reserve breached an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Nothing in the agreement suggested the Reserve would enable Voumard to recover her entrance fee or supplemental amount. Rather, the agreement explicitly stated that Voumard's ability to recover these fees "will depend entirely on [Voumard]'s ability to assign or transfer [her] Membership in the Corporation to another person or persons." Consequently, "any allegation of bad faith here lacks a contract term to which it can be attached." Bagelmann ,
E. Unconscionability. Albaugh proclaims the district court erred in granting the Reserve's motion for summary judgment on her unconscionability claim. She points to a number of provisions in the agreement that she believes are unconscionable. Some of these claims rely on the application of the IURLTA, and we need not examine them further given our holding that the IURLTA does not apply to the Reserve.
"A contract is unconscionable where no person in his or her right senses would make it on the one hand, and no honest and fair person would accept it on the other hand." C & J Vantage Leasing Co. v. Wolfe ,
We generally recognize procedural and substantive unconscionability.
Albaugh maintains the agreement between Voumard and the Reserve was substantively unconscionable, yet she presents no evidence to demonstrate the agreement was unconscionable at the time Voumard and the Reserve entered into it. The agreement did not contain any elements of unfair surprise, as it clearly informed Voumard of her payment obligations regardless of whether she was still occupying her unit. See
Further, as we have already noted, Voumard and the Reserve entered into the agreement on equal footing, so there was *688not a disparity of bargaining power. See
IV. Conclusion.
For these reasons, we affirm the judgment of the district court.
AFFIRMED.
All justices concur except Appel and Wiggins, JJ., who dissent, and Cady, C.J., who takes no part.
The supplemental amount was paid to lower Voumard's monthly fee. The supplemental amount and the monthly fee, in combination, are intended to cover Voumard's proportional share of the costs incurred by the Reserve. The monthly fee is set by the Reserve's board of directors, a majority of whom are elected by the members. Where a resident has paid a supplemental amount, the board must "fairly and equitably account for" the supplemental amount in establishing that resident's monthly fee. The agreement also states that "[n]o resident shall be charged with more than his/her proportionate share thereof as determined by the Board of Directors."
Considered separately, chapter 523D and the IURLTA are not ambiguous. When the meaning of a statute contains no ambiguity, "the statute will be applied in accordance with its plain meaning." Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman v. Miller ,
The Reserve was managed by a board of directors, a majority of whom were elected by all members, including Voumard. The directors owed a fiduciary duty to act for the benefit of the Reserve, not an individual member.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Cheryl ALBAUGH, Appellant, v. THE RESERVE, Appellee.
- Cited By
- 27 cases
- Status
- Published