San Mateo Community College District v. Half Moon Bay Limited Partnership

This appeal arises out of a quiet title action brought by respondent San Mateo County Community College District (the District) against Half Moon Bay Limited Partnership, Universal Organic Resources, Inc., George R. Kucera, La Honda Fields Limited Partnership, and Fred Golisano (collectively, appellants), who claim rights under an oil and gas lease entered into by the District and one Ivan Vovjoda on July 21, 1982. Appellants are the successors in interest to Vovjoda and American International Resources, Inc., a company to which Vovjoda assigned the lease in early 1986. Appellants appeal from the judgment and decree quieting title entered in favor of the District after a bench trial in August 1996 at which the trial court, interpreting the lease, concluded that it had terminated in July 1987. Although our reasoning differs in some respects from the rationale set forth in the trial court’s statement of decision, we affirm the judgment.

Factual and Procedural Background

1. The Lease

On July 21, 1982, the District leased 184 acres in San Mateo County to Ivan Vovjoda “for the production of oil, gas and other hydrocarbons.” Paragraph 2 of the lease is the “habendum clause,”…