Adams v. Elliott

1982 Mass. App. Div. 315, 4 Mass. Supp. 188
CourtMassachusetts District Court, Appellate Division
DecidedDecember 30, 1982
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1982 Mass. App. Div. 315 (Adams v. Elliott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts District Court, Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adams v. Elliott, 1982 Mass. App. Div. 315, 4 Mass. Supp. 188 (Mass. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

Lenhoff, J.

These proceedings involve five (5) separate complaints that were consolidated and heard by the Trial Court. Each of said complaints concerned a subcontractor who had supplied labor and/or materials in the construction of a dwelling and who sought to recover therefor. Further pleadings in one or more of the cases gave rise to complaints of both contractor and contractees against one another through third-party actions.

The dwelling constructed was a single family structure situated on Old Worcester Road in Charlton, Massachusetts.

(Alongside the names of the described parties are the shortened name of each, so set forth for purposes of brevity, in parenthesis, as mentioned hereinafter.)

[316]*316The contractees or homeowners are Daniel E. and Angeline Z. Mahoney (Mahoneys).

The contractor or builder is John Elliott (Elliott).

The trust that conveyed the land on which the dwelling was erected is J & M Elliott Realty Trust (Trust).

The lumber and building material supplier is W.H. Sawyer Lumber Co. (Sawyer).

The stone and cement supplier is Kesseli and Morse (Kesseli).

The cabinet maker is Paul Gagner (Gagner).

The house framer and finisher is Francis Beaudoin (Beaudoin).

Lastly, the tile setter is Paul H. Adams (Adams).

The five (5) complaints are as follows:

Case No. 346 — Sawyer against the Mahoneys; the Mahoneys, as third party plaintiffs, against Elliott and Trust; and, Elliott filed a counterclaim and crossclaim against the Mahoneys.

Case No. 345 — Kesseli against the Mahoneys and Elliott.

Case No, 344 — Gagner against the Mahoneys; Mahoneys, as third party plaintiffs, against Elliott and Trust with their counterclaims against the Mahoneys.

Case No. 343 — Beaudoin against the Mahoneys and Elliott:

Case No. 342 — Adams against Elliott; Elliott, as third party plaintiff, against the Mahoney's.

The following applies to all five (5) cases and is a summary of the evidence as established resulting from a petition to establish report:

There was evidence at trial that tended to show that Trust and Elliott, individually, entered into a written agreement dated January 15, 1975 with the Mahoneys. Said agreement provided that Elliott would perform all the labor and supply all materials to erect a dwelling for the Mahoneys, as per specifications, for the sum of $40,000.00, subject to additions and deductions to be made in writing.

The land on which the house was to be erected was conveyed to the Mahoneys by Trust on February 14, 1975.

Prior to the contract’s execution, Elliott commenced work, and continued until April, 1975 when he ceased such work because the Mahoneys failed to pay him funds to enable him to liquidate outstanding bills incurred in the construction.

At the time Elliott stopped working, the Mahoneys had paid him $39,200 and he had then paid out on this job, according to his records, a total sum of $42,095.01. At his cessation of work activity, several items in the contract schedules and specifications had not been completed.

Subsequent to Elliott’s action in stopping work, the Mahoneys claimed they completed the construction of the dwelling expending therefor $10,663.87 paid to subcontractors and material men.

During the course of construction, Elliott claimed additional funds for extras that were made for changes and additions made.

In addition to the above summary, the trial court made the following findings that also apply to each of the five (5) cases:

Despite the signed agreement of the parties wherein there is verbiage that “all additions and deductions shall be in writing and signed by all the parties’ ’, the Mahoneys who were closely related3 to Elliott, by reason of such relationship caused an otherwise fully-expressed legal business relationship to be disregarded. This resulted in Mahoneys exercising control over the construction and Elliott’s performance of his duties. He was clearly operating as their agent, not as an independent contractor.

To illustrate examples of such control, the trial judge points out in his findings that (1) Mahoneys bought paint; (2) Mahoneys bought some electrical fixtures; (3) they did [317]*317different things and paid for different things; and (4) ordered different extras and changes, i.e., windows, sliding glass doors, solarium floors, elimination of air conditioning, asking that house be left natural outside (unpainted), asked for an artesian well, heating and plumbing changes, studding of the cellar, a different tub, wainscoting, tile, a fire door, and extra kitchen appliances.

When informal additions and construction changes were made by- the Mahoneys, Elliott did prepare change orders that the Mahoneys did not sign.

In April, 1975, Elliott met with the Mahoneys and informed them that the house could not be constructed for $40,000 and that money was running out. Elliott produced an account showing he had been paid $39,200 by Mahoneys, that he paid out on the job $42,095.01; that there was due on bills then outstanding $21,407.69; and, that without profit or fee, the house would cost $63,504.64. The Mahoneys assured Elliott not to worry and that they would obtain more money from the bank so various bills could be paid with Elliott to finish the house. There was no dissatisfaction voiced as to Elliott's work. The Mahoneys did obtain $7,000, giving Elliott only $1,000. As Elliott failed to receive a substantial sum, he stopped work in April or May, 1975 before the house was finished. Again in May, 1975, Elliott asked the Mahoneys for additional funds and received none.

The trial judge found that Elliott substantially performed his agreement in good faith.

In addition to the above, the trial court found that after the agreement was signed, the parties orally agreed to construction changes and extras; that rather than there being a fixed price contract for the house, it became open-ended; that in April, 1975, it appeared the actual cost would be $60,000 or more; that the refusal of the Mahoneys to pay about $20,000 to enable payment of builder’s and supplier's bills, was a breach of their agreement; that their obtaining additional funds and not dealing with Elliott in a proper manner constituted conduct that was a willful default on the part of the Mahoneys; that such default on the part of the Mahoneys prevented Elliott from performing, thereby excusing him; that he had substantially performed his agreement in good faith; and, that Elliott was entitled in quantum meruit for the fair value of his work amounting to $19,602.84. (Said sum of $19,602.84 was calculated by the trial judge as follows: $21,407.69 less $4,650.00 [plumbing and heating] less $2,257.00 [for rugs] less $1,400.00 [for paving driveway] equals $13,100.69 plus $6,502.15 for extras).

On a case by case basis, we state evidence disclosed by the established report with findings of the trial judge mentioned that are considered pertinent.

As to Case No. 346 (Sawyer’s Case), the evidence tended to show that Elliott arranged with Sawyer the purchase of materials for the construction. Sawyer agreed to supply same if the Mahoneys authorized its mortgage bank to release $10,000, the anticipated total needed for said materials.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Conti v. Premium II Development Corp.
1985 Mass. App. Div. 55 (Mass. Dist. Ct., App. Div., 1985)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1982 Mass. App. Div. 315, 4 Mass. Supp. 188, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adams-v-elliott-massdistctapp-1982.