Becker v. Pieper

Plaintiff sold property to defendants, intending to retain the water rights so he could transfer them to other property he owned. When he discovered that he had, in fact, sold the water rights along with the land, he initiated this suit for reformation of contract, a judgment declaring that he owned the water rights, and a money judgment under a theory of unjust enrichment. Seven defendants, the respondents in this appeal, failed to appear, and plaintiff obtained default orders against them. The trial court ultimately granted the nondefaulting defendants’ motions to dismiss the reformation…