Barber Asphalt Paving Co. v. City of Indianapolis

101 N.E. 31, 52 Ind. App. 587, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 64
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 5, 1913
DocketNo. 7,786
StatusPublished

This text of 101 N.E. 31 (Barber Asphalt Paving Co. v. City of Indianapolis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barber Asphalt Paving Co. v. City of Indianapolis, 101 N.E. 31, 52 Ind. App. 587, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 64 (Ind. Ct. App. 1913).

Opinion

Hottel, J.

On October 23, 1905, appellee, City of Indianapolis, through its board of public works, adopted a preliminary resolution for the improvement of a part of one of its streets known as West Michigan street. Other preliminary and necessary steps were taken by such hoard leading up to the confirmation of the original resolution for such improvement. The notice required in such cases, inviting bids for the proposed improvement, was given, and the contract therefor was awarded appellant, May 21, 1906.

Pursuant to such award, appellant and appellee on May 23, 1906, entered into a written contract, whereby appellant, for approximately $58,000, agreed to improve said street with Trinidad Pitch Lake Asphalt according to the plans and specifications adopted by said hoard of public works. Appellant completed said improvement, and procured an acceptance thereof by said hoard of public works. About six months later defects, ruts and holes appeared in a portion of that part of the street so improved, and the eondi[590]*590tion thereof was such that said board of public works, by a resolution to that effect, ordered a resurfacing of said part of said street, and other repairs thereon, and that notice of the action of such board be given to appellant. After receiving such notice, appellant failed and refused to make such repairs, whereupon they were made by appellee.

This is an action by appellee to recover on its said contract for such repairs. The complaint sets out in detail the various steps taken by the board of works in connection with said improvement leading up to the letting of the contract to appellant, and avers the execution of said contract, a copy of which, together with a copy of the plans and specifications, is filed with and made part of such complaint.

It then avers the completion of the work within the time provided by the contract, the acceptance thereof by such board of public works-, the adoption of the preliminary assessment roll on April 12, 1907, and the adoption of the final assessment roll on May 6, 1907, and that within about six months after such completion and acceptance of said improvement, it became so out of repair and in such condition that appellee, by its board of public works, determined that a resurfacing of the street was necessary, and served notice on appellant to make such repairs; that appellant failed and refused to make such repairs or any part thereof; that appellee resurfaced the part of the street in question at a cost to it of $10,763.83. Facts showing that appellant is entitled to a credit on account of' material furnished appellee, and on account of certain bonds held and sold by appellee under said contract, are averred, and judgment asked for a balance still due of $865.51. A demurrer to this complaint for want of facts was overruled and exceptions saved by appellant.

Appellant filed a cross-complaint in two paragraphs, by the first of which it is sought to recover the sum of $5,811.60, with interest, for asphalt sold by appellant to appellee, and by the second paragraph it sought to recover the sum of [591]*591$4,086.72, on an implied contract to pay for certain bonds of appellants, wrongfully converted by the appellee. These items were the same as those set out in the complaint and admitted to be proper credits against the total cost of repairs made by appellee.

Appellant filed an answer to the complaint in two paragraphs, the first being a general denial. The second paragraph of answer admits the execution of the contract sued on, and sets out in detail the character of the improvement required to be made thereunder, the materials used therein and the manner of construction. The substance and effect of these averments in brief are that the asphalt surface required by such contract is of a semi-fluid nature, with a tendency to spread in warm weather, and requires a lateral support to prevent its displacement; that the binder course under such asphalt surface is porous in character, and readily admits the infiltration of water where the conditions are favorable, and that such infiltration tends to disintegrate and break up the pavement. It is then averred that the street to be improved under said contract was occupied by the Indianapolis Traction and Terminal Company; that under its franchise with the city it was the duty of such traction 'Compaq to improve its portion of said street lying be>tween its rails and for eighteen inches on the outside thereof, and to proceed with such improvement at the same time appellant was proceeding with its improvement; that appellant finished its portion of the improvement in 1906; that the traction company excavated the portion of street to be improved by it in the fall of 1906, and abandoned the work of construction, leaving the excavation in the center of said street until the summer or fall of 1907; that appellee took no steps to compel the traction company to proceed with said improvement; that the absence of the pavement which should have been put in by the street-ear company made it necessary for appellant to construct a temporary lateral support for the improvement made by it; that for this pur[592]*592pose appellant placed oak headers along the edge of its pavement and adjacent to the excavation made by the streetcar company; that afterwards the street-car company, without appellant’s knowledge', removed said headers, leaving the edge of the pavement adjacent to said excavation unprotected during the following winter and summer; that such excavation was full of water, which permeated appellant’s pavement and caused it to become thoroughly watersoaked, with the result that the defects appeared therein which made necessary the repairs.' made by appellee on said improvement, for which the recovery herein is sought; that by reason of the foregoing facts appellant is not liable under its provision of guarantee for said repairs.

Appellee filed a reply in denial to the special paragraph of answer. The cause was tried by the court without a jury. The court rendered judgment for appellee on its complaint in the sum of $2,000, and for appellant on its first paragraph of cross-complaint in the sum of $6,291.05, and on the second paragraph of cross-complaint in the sum of $1,236.89. It was adjudged that the $2,000 recoverable by appellee should be deducted from the $1,236.89 recoverable by appellant on its second paragraph of cross-complaint, and that the balance of such sum recoverable by appellant on its second paragraph of cross-complaint, namely the sum of $2,236.89 should be retained by appellant and invested in municipal bonds to be held by appellee as collateral to secure the faithful performance of the remaining portion of appellant’s warranty obligations. A motion for a new trial was overruled and exceptions properly saved by appellant.

Appellant moved to modify the judgment by stinking out that portion thereof which authorized appellee to retain the said sum of $2,236.89, and to invest the same in bonds, etc. The errors assigned and relied on are as follows: (1) The overruling of appellant’s demurrer to the complaint. (2) The overruling of appellant’s motion for new trial. (3) The overruling of appellant’s motion to modify the judg[593]*593ment.

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Bluebook (online)
101 N.E. 31, 52 Ind. App. 587, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 64, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barber-asphalt-paving-co-v-city-of-indianapolis-indctapp-1913.