Iowa law requires certain disputes involving farmers to be submitted to mediation before filing a court action. Disputes subject to mandatory mediation are those involving contracts for the care and feeding of livestock. In this case, the parties entered into an oral contract for the raising and feeding of hogs. The defendant purchased feeder hogs and placed them with the plaintiff to be cared for until they reached market weight. Unfortunately, the arrangement fell apart and the plaintiff sued in small claims court for the $3,000 he claimed the defendant failed to pay him under the contract. The defendant countersued for the $5,000 in damages he claimed resulted from the plaintiff’s negligence that caused the death of 100 hogs. The small claims court ruled in favor of each party on their respective claims. The plaintiff appealed to the district court, and the court requested written statements from both parties. Based on those statements, the district court determined that the small claims court should have dismissed the claims and reversed the small claims court. The defendant hired a lawyer who informed the district court that because neither party requested mediation, the courts lacked jurisdiction to hear the dispute. The district court ignored the lawyer and refused to take any further action. Upon further review, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed. The Court noted that mediation was mandatory, the controversy was one covered by the statute and, as a result, the courts lacked subject matter jurisdiction to hear the dispute. As a result, the lower courts’ orders were void. Klinge v. Bentzen, 725 N.W.2d 13 (2006).