In the latest in a string of legal actions filed over Ice World USA, a Liberty Lake ice-skating rink, three of the companys five owners allege that the other two owners are trying to cut them out of the business at the same time theyre trying to buy the rinks biggest competitor.


A lawsuit filed in Spokane County Superior Court on Oct. 1 alleges that two of the rinks owners, football star Mark Rypien and Lindsay Gorrill, planned to form a new company to own and operate both Ice World USA, the ice rink thats the subject of the suit, and Planet Ice, another Spokane Valley ice rink that was built at about the same time as Ice World.


The suit further alleges that Rypien and Gorrill allowed Ice World to default on loans from two banksboth of which have resulted in recent legal actions against Ice Worldwith the intent that they will allow the Ice World property to be foreclosed upon only to reacquire the same through the new company.


The result would be to remove Ice Worlds other three partners from the business, the lawsuit alleges. Those partners, Richard Dick, Delwyn Dick, and Darnell Dick, are the plaintiffs in the breach-of-contract suit filed on Oct. 1.


Rypien and Gorrills attorney did not return phone calls seeking comment about the complaint.


The Dicks, Rypien, and Gorrill opened Ice World USA, at 21510 E. Mission, in late 1999. Other owners opened Planet Ice, at 3212 N. Eden, also in late 1999.


Last May, Spokane-based American- West Bancorp. filed a $2.3 million foreclosure request against Ice World Investments. Then last month, Washington Trust Bank, of Spokane, went to court to collect more than $550,000 from the company.


The most recent lawsuit alleges that Planet Ice also is in default of its obligations under its own financing with AmericanWest Bancorp.


Steve Baker, manager of Planet Ice, confirms that Planet Ice technically is in default, but says no litigation has been filed in the matter.


Baker also says that there were indeed merger talks going on between the two ice rinks as recently as a month ago, but that now, nothing on the merger could happen until the recent legal actions are resolved.


Planet Ices majority owner, Mark Davis, says that the talks didnt concern joint ownership, but rather joint usership. Both rinks were compatible and shared users, he says.


The talks of sharing operations in some fashion arose when it became apparent that theres too much ice in the Valley, Davis says. With two rinks, its not a profit situation, he says.


Davis says that he would consider selling Planet Ice, but that given the unprofitability of the business, its unlikely anyone would want to buy it.