Iron Planet wins first round against Ritchie Bros. in suit involving Iowa contractor

A Ritchie Bros. auction

IronPlanet announced Friday that an Iowa District Court jury ruled in favor of their suit against Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers that contended Ritchie interfered in a contract between IronPlanet and customer Scheckel Construction, Bellevue, Iowa.

IronPlanet says the jury found that Ritchie Bros. “intentionally and improperly interfered with a valid April 2011 contract between IronPlanet and Scheckel Construction.”

After contact with both IronPlanet and its counsel, Faegre Baker Daniels, details on the exact nature of the suit are still uncertain.

In a statement to Equipment World, Ritchie Bros. CEO Peter Blake said: “We are disappointed with the jury’s verdict, however, final judgment has not been entered and we are continuing to defend this case vigorously in the district court.”