Buchanan v. Rentenbach Constructors, Inc.

922 S.W.2d 467, 1996 Mo. App. LEXIS 912, 1996 WL 279262
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 28, 1996
Docket68841
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 922 S.W.2d 467 (Buchanan v. Rentenbach Constructors, Inc.) 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
Buchanan v. Rentenbach Constructors, Inc., 922 S.W.2d 467, 1996 Mo. App. LEXIS 912, 1996 WL 279262 (Mo. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

RHODES RUSSELL, Judge.

Rentenbach Constructors, Inc. (“Renten-bach”) appeals the dismissal of its third-party petition for indemnification filed against K & K Electric Company (“K & K”). We reverse and remand.

When reviewing the dismissal of a cause of action this court examines the pleadings, allowing them their broadest intendment, treating all facts alleged as true, and construing the allegations favorably to the pleader, to determine whether they invoke principles of substantive law. Kayes v. Kayes, 897 S.W.2d 51, 53 (Mo.App.1995).

*469 With those principles in mind, the record reveals that in 1989, Rentenbach, as general contractor, entered into a subcontract agreement with K & K to perform the electrical work and the electrical design for a project in Cape Girardeau. While performing its work under the project, David Buchanan, an employee of K & K, sustained injuries when the elevated platform lift he was operating hit a hole in the floor and tipped over. Buchanan recovered workers’ compensation benefits from K & K for those injuries.

Buchanan thereafter filed suit against Rentenbach asserting it was negligent in (1) causing or permitting the stakes and flagging surrounding the hole to be removed, (2) causing or permitting the gravel from the hole to be removed, (3) failing to keep the premises safe, and (4) permitting K & K to use three-wheel platforms. Rentenbach filed its answer denying each allegation and asserting as an affirmative defense Buchanan’s contributory negligence.

Rentenbach, in turn, filed a third-party petition against K & K for indemnification for all sums to be paid to Buchanan. The indemnity claim was based on Article 12 of the subcontract agreement. That provision stated in pertinent part:

12.1 To the fidlest extent permitted by law, the Subcontractor shall indemnify and hold harmless ... the Contractor ... from and against all claims, damages, loss and expenses, including but not limited to attorney’s fees, arising out of or resulting from the performance of the Subcontractor’s Work provided that:
(a) any such claims, damage, loss, or expense is attributable to bodily injury, sickness, disease, death, or to injury to or destruction of tangible property (other than Subcontractor’s Work itself) including the loss of use resulting therefrom, to the extent caused or alleged to be caused in whole or part by an [sic] negligent act or omission of the Subcontractor or anyone directly or indirectly employed by the Subcontractor or anyone for whose acts the Subcontractor may be liable, regardless of whether it is caused in part by a party indemnified hereunder:
(b) such obligation shall not be construed to negate, abridge, or otherwise reduce any other right or obligation of indemnity which would otherwise exist as to any parly or person described in this Article 12.

K & K filed its motion to dismiss the third-party petition claiming that the subcontract agreement between it and Rentenbach did not contain a clear and unequivocal provision for K & K to indemnify Rentenbach against claims based solely upon Renten-bach’s negligence. The dismissal motion further asserted the third-party petition failed to state a cause of action upon which relief could be granted.

On August 2, 1995, the dismissal motion was granted without explanation. Renten-bach filed its notice of appeal on August 11, 1995, appealing the court’s order dismissing its third-party petition. During this period there were on-going negotiations between Buchanan and Rentenbach, which eventually resulted in a settlement wherein Rentenbach agreed to pay Buchanan $115,000.00 in exchange for Buchanan releasing Rentenbach and its assigns from all claims. The release was dated August 30, 1995 and, after being advised of such, resulted in the dismissal of Buchanan’s action against Rentenbach with prejudice on September 8,1995.

Our first concern in addressing any appeal is the question of our jurisdiction which we must review sua sponte. We have jurisdiction over final judgments disposing of all parties and all issues. Concepts Communication Management Corp. v. Newhard Cook & Co., 829 S.W.2d 554, 555 (Mo.App.1992). A cursory review of the record herein reveals that at the point when Rentenbach filed its notice of appeal on August 11, 1995, not all issues were disposed of as there was still pending before the court Buchanan’s claim against Rentenbach. Rule 81.05(b) states that when a notice of appeal is filed prematurely the early notice will be considered as filed immediately after the time the judgment becomes final. The judgment from which Rentenbach now appeals became final after the order of September 8, 1995, when the court issued its judgment dismissing Buchanan’s claim. It was at that point in time when all issues with respect to all parties *470 were resolved. See Meyer Supply Co. v. Lane, 741 S.W.2d 304, 305-06 (Mo.App.1987). We, therefore, have jurisdiction to reach the merits of the appeal.

In both of its points on appeal, Rentenbach challenges the trial court’s dismissal of its third-party petition for indemnification. The order dismissing the petition, however, did not specify the grounds therefor. When the trial court does not state its basis for dismissal, we presume it was based on the grounds stated in the motion to dismiss. Berkowski v. St Louis County Bd. of Election Comm’r, 854 S.W.2d 819, 823 (Mo.App.1993). The dismissal will be affirmed if it can be sustained on any ground supported by the motion to dismiss. Id.

When reviewing the dismissal of a petition, we are not to review the merits of the case, but only review the sufficiency of the third-party petition to withstand the motion to dismiss. In judging the sufficiency of the petition, all facts properly pled are assumed true, the averments are given a liberal construction, and the petition is accorded all reasonable inferences fairly deductible from the facts alleged. Id.

Looking at the petition, Rentenbach’s third-party petition generally asserted K & K’s contractual duty to indemnify Renten-bach for any damages and costs it sustained in defending the action brought by Buchanan. In the motion to dismiss, K & K argued that the agreement between it and Renten-bach did not clearly and unequivocally impose a duty on it to indemnify Rentenbach when the claims were based solely on Ren-tenbach’s negligence. The motion further asserted the third-party petition failed to state a cause of action upon which relief could be granted. For the reasons that follow, dismissal was improper.

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922 S.W.2d 467, 1996 Mo. App. LEXIS 912, 1996 WL 279262, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/buchanan-v-rentenbach-constructors-inc-moctapp-1996.