WINNEMUCCA - Anyone who was hoping for a quick resolution to the year-old mining claims dispute between Coeur Rochester and Rye Patch Gold may have some time to cool his or her heels.
The Sixth Judicial District Court in Lovelock has approved Coeur's request for a continuance of a related trial, moving the previously scheduled November date to Sept. 16-27, 2013.
The Rochester Mine's parent company told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it sought the delay because several important pre-trial matters have not yet been resolved. In addition, Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. said it needs more time to review court discovery materials from Rye Patch Gold.
However, Rye Patch Gold CEO and President Bill Howald said Tuesday that his company's legal counsel is working with the court to see if an earlier date is available.
The junior exploration company is anxious to go to trial, he said in an earlier press release.
The dispute between Coeur and a Rye Patch subsidiary centers around hundreds of unpatented mining claims on public lands in the Rochester Mining District near Lovelock.
Coeur failed to pay its annual maintenance fees for 541 claims when they were due last year. When Howald discovered the oversight, his company's employees and agents staked 402 claims in and around Coeur's flagship silver project.
Rye Patch now asserts that it's the valid and senior holder of 402 unpatented claims in the area, leading to ongoing litigation between the two companies. Coeur, meanwhile, insists that its claims remain valid, although the company has acknowledged that it didn't pay its maintenance fees in a timely manner.
Both sides are currently operating under the terms of a December 2011 court order, which allows Rye Patch Gold to continue exploration work away from active mining areas at the Rochester.
In a related action, the Nevada Supreme Court has issued a stay of the district court's order to appoint a "special master" in the case. The state's high court has directed Coeur Rochester to respond to Rye Patch's petition for a writ of mandamus within the next month.
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