ABCO Assisting Building Construction Office, Inc. v. Bagley & Co.

304 S.W.2d 43, 1957 Mo. App. LEXIS 600
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 2, 1957
DocketNo. 29692
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 304 S.W.2d 43 (ABCO Assisting Building Construction Office, Inc. v. Bagley & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
ABCO Assisting Building Construction Office, Inc. v. Bagley & Co., 304 S.W.2d 43, 1957 Mo. App. LEXIS 600 (Mo. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

ANDERSON, Judge.

This is an action by ABCO Assisting Building Construction Office, Inc., a cor[44]*44poration, as assignee of Ernesto Geroth-wohl, against Bagley & Company, a corporation. The action is for damages for an alleged breach of a contract for the installation of a radiant heating system in a building constructed by plaintiff’s assign- or. Plaintiff alleged that the defendant failed to fulfill said contract in that it designed and installed the radiant heating system in so negligent and unskillful a manner that the building was inadequately heated, contrary to the express provisions of the contract “in that portions of the building become overheated and the balance 'of the building is insufficiently heated; that the heating pipes are so improperly installed ■that portions of the tile floor covering ■have buckled because of excessive heat, .and it has become necessary to replace portions of said tile floor covering; and that while defendant, under the terms of said contract, specifically warranted to so install the heating system so that the building could be heated to an inside temperature of not less than 75 degrees when the outside temperature was 10 below zero, it is impossible to achieve such temperature in all portions of the building when the outside temperature is considerably warmer than 10 degrees below zero; that said heating system is wasteful and inefficient and requires an excessive amount of fuel to operate it.”

It was further alleged that plaintiff had expended approximately $250 and would in the future be required to expend additional sums; that his fuel costs have been excessive and will continue to be excessive, all to plaintiff’s damage in the sum of $1,250. It was further alleged that plaintiff’s building had been depreciated in value in the sum of $8,500. The prayer of the petition was for damages in the sum of $12,000, and costs.

The defendant in its answer admitted tile corporate existence of plaintiff and defendant ; admitted the execution of the contract and the assignment of said contract to plaintiff; and admitted that Gerothwohl had paid defendant $890, as in the petition alleged. Each and every other allegation of said petition was denied.

Tile case was tried to the court and resulted in a finding and judgment in favor of plaintiff in the sum of $460, and costs. Neither plaintiff nor defendant filed a motion for new trial. Plaintiff, in due time, appealed.

In the winter of 1952-53 Mr. Gerothwohl erected a combination office and residence at 5811 Hampton Avenue in St. Louis. He designed the building and acted as general contractor during the period of construction. He let subcontracts in accordance with plans and specifications which he provided. The original plans called for a convector hot water system of heating, but these plans were discarded and a contract for a radiant heating system was entered into with defendant.

A radiant heating system consists of a boiler from which, by means of one or more pumps or “circulators”, hot water is forced into one or more supply manifolds or “headers” and thence into a number of. circulating tube assemblies called “panels” or “coils”, which are embedded in the floor or ceiling of the structure to be heated, and thence into one or more return manifolds and back to the boiler. Each panel has a supply and return line with a separate valve to regulate the flow in the particular panel or coil. There were nine such “coils” in the building in question. In practice, these separate valves are used to regulate the heat in areas served by particular panels by regulating the flow of hot water through the panels. Regardless of the number of panels or coils used to heat particular parts of a structure, if all come from a single manifold or “header” driven by a single pump or circulator, the system is known as a “one zone” system. For an additional “zone”, a separate circulator, manifold and thermostat are required.

The defendant designed and installed the heating system. Mr. Gerothwohl did not participate in its supervision and had no technical knowledge sufficient to qualify him [45]*45to do so. In his negotiations with the defendant company Mr. Gerothwohl dealt with a Mr. William Bagley. Mr. Bagley, who was not with the defendant company at the time of the trial, was not called as a witness. The only testimony regarding the negotiations was given by Mr. Geroth-wohl. He testified he told Mr. Bagley that he would consider a radiant heating system if a substantial saving could be effected by its installation. Mr. Gerothwohl further testified that in the course of the negotiations Mr. Bagley had suggested that the ceiling of the basement for the whole building should be insulated. Mr. Gerothwohl stated he agreed to insulate all of the basement ceiling except that portion over the garage; that he refused to insulate over the garage “for technical reasons which I am afraid are a little difficult to explain”; and that Mr. Bagley agreed it would not be necessary for the reason that the concrete was to be five inches thick over the garage.

The radiant heating system was actually designed by Mr. Walter Eble, an engineer who was at the time Vice-President of the company. He designed the layout for a two-zone system to be hooked up as a one-zone system. The purpose was to keep down the cost.

The evidence further shows that after defendant’s employees had placed the water pipes for the heating system in position, in what was to be the ceiling of the basement, concrete was then poured over the pipes. Most of the area over the basement was to be covered to a depth of two and one-half inches, but the floor over the basement garage was to be five inches thick. Mr. Gerothwohl testified that when the concrete contractor undertook to pour concrete over the installed heating panels, the pipes floated to the surface. He called defendant’s office for instructions but was unable to contact any one who knew what to do. Because the concrete would set in a short period of time it was necessary to immediately fasten the pipes below the surface of the wet concrete. This was done.

Mr. Gerothwohl moved into the building in February, 1953. Defendant company then undertook to “balance” the system, that is, to adjust the valves on the individual panels so that the temperature in all parts of the building would correspond to the thermostat setting. The results of this procedure were not wholly successful on account of weather conditions. The weather was not cold enough to give the system proper balance.

Mr. Gerothwohl testified that the system did not operate in a satisfactory way, and by no means in accordance with the terms of the contract. He stated that the system was in use during the winters of 1953-54 and 1954-55, and during that time failed to heat adequately, especially in cold weather. Certain rooms overheated and other rooms were not sufficiently heated. The office, located at the southeast corner of the building, could not be heated to 70 degrees on cold days, while the temperature in Mr. Gerothwohl’s private office was so hot that it was necessary to close the vent at all times. There was only one thermostat installed to control the heat for the entire building, including the residential quarters. The thermostat was located in Mr. Geroth-wohl’s private office, which was easily heated because the pipes which supplied the other rooms ran under the floor of that office.

Mr. Clarence Gay, a consulting engineer, testified as a heating expert on behalf of plaintiff. He stated that on January 23, 1955, he inspected the heating system at the request of Mr. Gerothwohl.

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Bluebook (online)
304 S.W.2d 43, 1957 Mo. App. LEXIS 600, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/abco-assisting-building-construction-office-inc-v-bagley-co-moctapp-1957.