A Philippine Air Force MD-520MG Light Attack Helicopter made by Mesa-based MD Helicopters,/ Photo by Roy Kabanlit |/Wikimedia Commons.
By Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror
The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that a 2015 state law allows the Netherlands to enforce a $7.58 million judgment against Mesa-based MD Helicopters due to a nearly two decade-old contract dispute.
Earlier this year, the company asked the court to review a 2012 ruling by a Dutch court in The Hague that favored the Netherlands, saying the company had to pay out $7.58 million. The dispute began in 2001 when MD Helicopters sued the Netherlands National Police for failing to pay for an order for eight helicopters.
The Netherlands National Police countersued, stating that MD Helicopters had not delivered the helicopters on time. The court awarded the police the $7.58 million judgement.
The Supreme Court split on the decision 5-2, with Justices Bill Montgomery and Clint Bolick dissenting.
At issue was whether a 2015 change in Arizona law allows for the enforcement of foreign money judgments in Arizona. If so, it was an open question whether that requires the other nation to have to have passed a similar law, or whether previous rulings are enough.
