American Land Holdings of Indiana v. Stanley Jobe

POSNER, Circuit Judge.

This diversity suit, brought by affiliates of the Peabody Energy Corporation (for simplicity we’ll pretend there is a single plaintiff and call it Peabody), seeks both a declaration that Peabody has the right to strip mine coal on the defendants’ land, and specific performance of an option to purchase the land. The land is in Indiana, and the substantive issues in the case are governed by Indiana law. The district judge, after conducting a bench trial, entered judgment for the defendants, 655 F.Supp.2d 882 (S.D.Ind.2009), and Peabody appeals. One of the defendants…