Ara Inc. v. City of Glendale

360 F. Supp. 3d 957
CourtDistrict Court, D. Arizona
DecidedJanuary 25, 2019
DocketNo. CV-17-02512-PHX-DWL
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 360 F. Supp. 3d 957 (Ara Inc. v. City of Glendale) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ara Inc. v. City of Glendale, 360 F. Supp. 3d 957 (D. Ariz. 2019).

Opinion

Dominic W. Lanza, United States District Judge

INTRODUCTION

In 2015, the City of Glendale (the "City") entered into a six-figure contract with a staffing company operated by Michelle and Jeffery Griffin to obtain temporary workers for various municipal projects. What was the name of the staffing company? That's the key disputed issue.

The Griffins are actually affiliated with two different staffing companies with very similar names. The first, JG Staffing, Inc., is a Texas corporation that was formed in 2005, and the second, JG Staffing Arizona, LLC, is an Arizona limited liability company that was formed in 2012. Here, although the original bid for the contract was submitted by Mr. Griffin, who identified himself as the CEO of "JG Staffing, Inc.", and although the City responded by sending a notice of intent to award the contract to "JG Staffing. Inc.", Ms. Griffin later informed the City that she "would prefer everything be under JG AZ since this is an Arizona account" and Mr. Griffin submitted a "Best and Final Offer" on behalf of "JG Staffing AZ." Thus, the final contract identified the City's counterparty as "JG Staffing Inc., a Arizona Corporation" and the contract was signed by Ms. Griffin as the vice president of "JG Staffing Inc., an Arizona corporation." There is, unfortunately, no such company as "JG Staffing Inc., an Arizona corporation"-this appears to be a jumble of the two real companies' names. About a year later, Ms. Griffin sent the City a letter stating that "JG Staffing Inc....was incorrectly used by our sales manager to bid on the contract" and that "the correct entity" was "JG Staffing AZ."

How does Plaintiff ARA Incorporated ("ARA") fit into all of this? In 2011, ARA entered into a factoring agreement with JG Staffing, Inc. (the Texas corporation). In July 2016, following a default under the factoring agreement, ARA sent a letter to the City. This letter explained that ARA, as a secured creditor of JG Staffing, Inc., was entitled to receive all future payments owed to JG Staffing, Inc. under the staffing contract. The City, however, failed to remit the future payments to ARA-it kept sending them to a bank account associated with JG Staffing Arizona, LLC. This lawsuit ensued.

*961Now pending before the Court are cross-motions for summary judgment filed by ARA (Docs. 54 & 56) and the City (Doc. 67).1 In addition to quarreling over whether ARA actually had a security interest in the staffing contract, whether ARA properly notified the City of that interest, and whether this lawsuit was filed within the statute of limitations, the parties ask the Court to determine, as a matter of law, the identity of the City's counterparty under the staffing contract-ARA argues it had to be JG Staffing, Inc. and the City argues it had to be JG Staffing Arizona, LLC.

As explained below, the Court will deny both parties' motions in significant part.2 This case involves an array of conflicting evidence concerning the identity of the City's counterparty. Although ARA and the City have each identified certain pieces of evidence that tend to support their position, it should be a factfinder-not the Court at summary judgment-that decides how to weigh those pieces of evidence and resolve any conflicts.

BACKGROUND

I. The JG Entities

JG Staffing, Inc. is a Texas corporation that was incorporated in 2005. (Doc. 68-3 [Griffin Decl.] at 2 ¶ 3.) It provides temporary staffing services. (Id. ) JG Staffing Arizona, LLC is a limited liability company that was organized and formed in Arizona in 2012. (Id. at 2-3 ¶ 4.) It also provides temporary staffing services. (Id. ) Ms. Griffin was involved with the management and operations of JG Staffing, Inc. and was a member of JG Staffing Arizona, LLC. (Id. at 2 ¶ 2.) Her husband, Mr. Griffin, is the President of JG Staffing, Inc. (Id. )

II. The Factoring Agreement

On or about May 4, 2011, ARA and JG Staffing, Inc. entered into the Factoring Agreement, under which ARA received "[a]s security for the Obligations [under the Factoring Agreement]," "a security interest in [JG Staffing, Inc.'s] business assets, including, without limitation, all accounts, contract rights and other rights to payment, and all proceeds of the foregoing." (Doc. 58-5 at 31, 33 § 8, 37.)

In March 2015, ARA learned that JG Staffing, Inc. breached the Factoring Agreement. The parties thereafter sued each other in Minnesota state court. The jury found JG Staffing, Inc. liable on multiple claims and found ARA was not liable on any of JG Staffing, Inc.'s claims. (Doc. 57-2.)

III. The Staffing Contract

In November 2014, the City issued a request for proposal with the solicitation number "RFP 15-17" and the description "Temporary Workers for Recycling Facility, Landfill and Public Works Department." (Doc. 58-6 at 46-70.)

On December 1, 2014, "JG Staffing Inc." submitted a proposal for RFP 15-17. (Doc. 58-6 at 74-114.) This proposal was signed by "Jeffery Griffin" as "CEO" of "JG Staffing Inc." and included the email address "jgriffin@jgstaffinginc.com" and the federal taxpayer ID number 20-1936759. (Id. at 76.) Every page of this proposal also noted "JG Staffing Inc." in the footer. (Id. )

The "Best and Final Offer" (likely mistakenly dated April 7, 2014) submitted in connection with this proposal was signed *962by "Jeff Griffin" as "Sales Manager" of "JG Staffing AZ." (Doc. 58-6 at 196-203.)

On April 30, 2015, the City wrote a letter to "Mr. Jeffery Griffin," as "CEO" of "JG Staffing, Inc.," notifying him that the City was offering JG Staffing, Inc. a "Notice of Intent to Award" a contract under RFP 15-17, pending any bid protests. (Id. at 115-16.)

On June 29, 2015, Ms. Griffin sent the City an email requesting to change the Employer Identification Number for the submitting party. The email stated: "The reason I want to change the EIN is because our sales person used the 20-number and I would prefer everything be under JG AZ since this is an Arizona account." (Doc. 68-3 at 73.)

On or about August 25, 2015, there was a request for the City Council "to authorize the Acting City Manager to enter into an agreement with J.G. Staffing, Inc., to provide temporary staffing services for the Public Works Department in an amount not to exceed $ 875,153 annually." (Doc. 58-6 at 117.) The City's 30(b)(6) designee testified in her deposition that this authorization was provided and that "[t]he City Council approved the City Manager to enter into a contract with JG Staffing, Inc." (Id. at 29:2-12, 43:5-6).

On August 28, 2015, the City entered into a contract (the "staffing contract") with "JG Staffing Inc., a Arizona Corporation," which incorporated RFP 15-17. (Id. at 119.) Ms. Griffin signed the contract as "Vice President" of "JG Staffing Inc., an Arizona corporation." (Id. at 128.)

On September 16, 2015, Ms. Griffin submitted a form to the City identifying JG Staffing Arizona, LLC's EIN and bank account information, so that payments under the staffing contract could be deposited into that account. (Doc. 68-3 [Griffin Decl.] at 4-5 ¶ 15; 76.)

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
360 F. Supp. 3d 957, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ara-inc-v-city-of-glendale-azd-2019.