Graham v. Henry

NEUMAN, Justice.

This is a fight over farmland. The trial court set aside a lease between contract vendees and their parents and restored the land to the contract vendors. The court based its ruling on a finding that the lease was a sham perpetrated to avoid the effect of a pending contract forfeiture. On our de novo review we reach the same conclusion and affirm.

The facts are largely undisputed. In 1979, plaintiffs William and Velda Graham sold ninety-four acres of farmland on contract to Allen and Cindy Henry. The Hen-rys failed to make the installment payment due December 1, 1987, and the…