Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC v. Harrod Concrete and Stone Co.

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Kentucky
DecidedJune 27, 2023
Docket3:18-cv-00066
StatusUnknown

This text of Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC v. Harrod Concrete and Stone Co. (Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC v. Harrod Concrete and Stone Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC v. Harrod Concrete and Stone Co., (E.D. Ky. 2023).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY CENTRAL DIVISION FRANKFORT

BRASFIELD & GORRIE, LLC, ) ) Plaintiff, ) Civil No. 3:18-cv-00066-GFVT-EBA ) v. ) ) MEMORANDUM OPINION HARROD CONCRETE AND STONE CO., ) & ) ORDER Defendant. ) )

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This matter is before the Court on the parties’ motions for amended or additional findings and motions for an amended or altered judgment. [R. 131; R. 132; R. 134.] After a bench trial, the Court awarded Plaintiff Brasfield & Gorrie $90,313.85 and denied Defendant Harrod Concrete’s third-party claims against Nimrod. [R. 128; R. 129.] Both parties now move for more favorable results. Brasfield correctly identifies a $6,372.50 oversight. [R. 134-1 at 5-6.] Otherwise, for the following reasons, neither party shows that the Court clearly erred or that amendment would prevent manifest injustice. Accordingly, Brasfield’s motion is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part and Harrod’s motions are DENIED. I In 2015, Brasfield contracted with Fritz Farm Retail Company, the Owner of the project, to construct a mixed-use development. [R. 123 at 2; R. 124 at 2.] Brasfield’s scope of work on the Fritz Farm project generally included all site work, paving, hardscapes, two parking structures, and buildings. [R. 111 at 21.] Harrod subsequently provided Brasfield with preliminary quotes for typical concrete mixes, and Brasfield used those quotes to aid in developing an estimated budget for the project. Id. at 50-51. The Owner’s landscape architect, and Third-Party Defendant in this case, Nimrod Long & Associates, prepared the specifications for the concrete placed in the sidewalks and landscape retaining walls. [R. 124 at 3.] Harrod produced and delivered the deck wash concrete to Brasfield from July through September 2016.

[R. 123 at 5; R. 124 at 11.] Harrod produced and delivered most of the hardscape concrete between January and July 2017 [R. 123 at 5.] In the beginning of 2018, the Owner started recognizing concrete damage: scaling and additional freeze-thaw damage. [R. 111 at 201; R. 124 at 16.] Initially, Brasfield removed and replaced about 7,500 square feet of the hardscape concrete. [R. 124 at 20.] Brasfield also applied a sealer to all sidewalks, even those that had not shown any freeze-thaw damage. Id. at 20-21. In addition, Brasfield repaired the necessary portions of the hardscape retaining walls by “removing loose and scaling materials, rubbing the face of the wall with a concrete material of similar color, and then sealing the retaining wall” using the sealer. Id. at 21. Brasfield also “blasted, brushed, and topped with an epoxy resin binder called Sikandar.” Id. Following

subsequent inspection, Brasfield repaired, replaced, and sealed an additional 2,500 feet of hardscape concrete. Id. at 22. Brasfield also “performed some additional repair work on areas of the landscape retaining walls.” Id. Ultimately, Brasfield replaced approximately 10,000 square feet of hardscape concrete, in addition to hardscape retaining wall and parking deck wash repair on the Fritz Farm project. [R. 123 at 6; R. 124 at 20, 22.] The Court found that Harrod’s failure to follow its own concrete mix design was the primary cause of the concrete damage. [R. 128 at 20.] Accordingly, the Court awarded Brasfield the amount that would put it in the same position if Harrod had properly performed the contract, though deducting 10% to account for factors contributing to the damage but not attributable to Harrod. Id. The Court also deducted costs unnecessary for the concrete’s repair. Id. at 21-25. Harrod now seeks amended findings that it is less responsible for the concrete damage and that Nimrod is liable for part of the damage. [R. 131; R. 132.] Brasfield seeks a higher monetary award. [R. 134.]

II Both parties move to amend the Court’s findings of fact, conclusions of law, and judgment under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 59(e) and 52(b). Rule 59(e) allows a litigant to file a motion to alter or amend a judgment of a district court where there has been a clear error of law, newly discovered evidence, an intervening change in the law, or to prevent manifest injustice. See, e.g., GenCorp, Inc. v. Am. Int’l Underwriters, 178 F.3d 804, 833 (6th Cir. 1999). A motion under Rule 59(e) is “not an opportunity to re-argue a case.” Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians v. Engler, 146 F.3d 367, 374 (6th Cir. 1998). Moreover, a “manifest error is not demonstrated by the disappointment of the losing party. It is the wholesale disregard, misapplication, or failure to recognize controlling precedent.” Zillow, Inc. v. Bork, No. 3:19-cv-

00049-GFVT, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36668, at *5 (E.D. Ky. Mar. 3, 2023) (quoting Oto v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 224 F.3d 601, 606 (7th Cir. 2000)). Whether to grant a Rule 59(e) motion is generally a matter within the district court’s discretion. See Engler, 146 F.3d at 374. Similarly, Rule 52(b) allows a party to move the Court to amend its findings or make additional findings and amend its judgment accordingly. Fed. R. Civ. P. 52(b). A Rule 52(b) motion is proper only upon a showing of “a manifest error of fact or law by the trial court, newly discovered evidence, or a change in the law” and does not allow a party “to relitigate old issues, to advance new theories, or to rehear the merits of a case.” Adams v. Baker, No. 1:16-cv-335, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11984, at *6 (E.D. Tenn. Jan. 24, 2020); Diebitz v. Arreola, 834 F. Supp. 298, 303 (E.D. Wis. 1993) (quoting Renfro v. City of Emporia, 732 F. Supp. 1116, 1117 (D. Kan. 1990)). A Brasfield argues that the Court erroneously deducted CTL Group testing costs, Sikadur

22 costs for parking deck wash repairs, and sealer costs applied to sidewalks and retaining walls. [R. 134-1 at 2.] It asks the Court to amend its findings of fact and conclusions of law to award it these costs. Id. And if the Court declines to award Brasfield these costs, Brasfield argues that the Court erroneously deducted $56,861 that represents credit for owner payments. Id. 1 The parties agree about the CTL Group testing costs. Brasfield alleges that the Court erroneously deducted CTL Group testing costs twice. Id. at 5-6. Indeed, the Court deducted $18,653.01 that Brasfield accrued for onsite concrete testing during the repairs. [R. 128 at 21- 22.] The Court separately deducted $6,372.50 for concrete core examination before repairs. Id. at 22-23. However, the $18,653.01 for testing included the $6,372.50 for core examination. [See

R. 134-1 at 5 (citing Pl. Tr. Ex. 65).] By deducting both costs separately, the Court erroneously deducted $6,372.50 for concrete core examination twice. Harrod agrees. [R. 138 at 12 (“[I]t appears that this may be correct. The cost of the CTL Group testing should be deducted, but only once.”).] Accordingly, the Court will increase Brasfield’s award by $6,372.50. 2 As part of the concrete remediation, Brasfield installed an epoxy product called Sikadur at a cost of $108,000 and a penetrating sealer at a cost of $84,500. [See R. 128 at 22.] The Court deducted both costs from Brasfield’s award. Id. The Court deducted the costs for two reasons. First, the items constituted added value because neither were included in the original construction. Id.

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Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC v. Harrod Concrete and Stone Co., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brasfield-gorrie-llc-v-harrod-concrete-and-stone-co-kyed-2023.