Bixby v. Reynolds Mining Corp.

OPINION

FROST, Justice.

Reynolds Mining Corporation and Michael D. Reynolds (Reynolds), appellants, and William Bixby, et al. (Bixby), appellees, dispute the possession of certain placer mineral claims located in Santa Fe County on federal public lands. The trial court found that Bixby rightfully possessed the placer claims and granted Bixby’s motion for summary judgment on three separate grounds. First, the trial court found that Reynolds’ default on the mining lease between he and Bixby barred him from asserting any mining rights to the property in question. Second, the trial court found that…