Hickman Construction, Inc. v. South Umpqua State Bank

Plaintiffs brought this action for intentional interference with business relations, contending that defendant bank wrongfully repossessed plaintiffs’ equipment and thereby prevented them, as joint venturers, from performing a road maintenance project for the United States Army. The tried court directed a verdict for defendant. Plaintiffs appeal, and we reverse.

John Hickman is the principal of plaintiff Hickman Construction, Inc. (Hickman). Ed Funderburk was the principal of plaintiff Funderburk Construction, Inc. (Funderburk). The two corporations formed the joint venture to bid on the Army…