Hanna Ltd. Partnership v. Windmill Inns of America, Inc.

This declaratory judgment action involves interpretation of a long-term lease between a landlord, plaintiff Hanna Limited Partnership (Hanna), and a tenant, defendant Windmill Inns of America, Inc. (Windmill). The primary dispute concerns the meaning of provisions specifying methods of calculating rent for five-year lease terms. The trial court ruled that the lease unambiguously requires that rent be stated as a fixed amount at the beginning of each term, not an amount that could vary during the term. The court instructed the jury accordingly, and the jury found that Windmill’s appraisal,…