Farm Investment Co. v. Carpenter
Wyoming Supreme Court
9 Wyo. 110, 61 P. 258 (1900)
- Written by Curtis Parvin, JD
Facts
The Farm Investment Company (FIC) (plaintiff) held appropriative water rights in the Wyoming territory from 1879. In 1890, Wyoming became a state and enacted a new constitution and laws that, among other provisions, created a comprehensive water-control system that included a water board and state engineer who would supervise and appropriate water distribution and diversion in the state. FIC filed an action to establish its priority as a water-rights holder against Carpenter and other later-in-time appropriators (collectively, Carpenter) (defendant). Carpenter applied through the water board to document his appropriative use of water dating back to 1883 and received confirmation of his water right in 1893. FIC failed to seek documentation of its water rights through the water board, leading Carpenter to contend that FIC had abandoned its water rights. FIC argued that the court could adjudicate water rights, and, to the extent the 1890 statutes suggest otherwise, the rights are unconstitutional. Given the constitutional question, the district court certified the question for direct review by the Wyoming Supreme Court.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Potter, C.J.)
What to do next…
Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
- Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,500 briefs, keyed to 994 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
- The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
- Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
- Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.
