City of Binghamton v. Hawk Engineering P.C.

85 A.D.3d 1417, 925 N.Y.S.2d 705
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJune 16, 2011
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 85 A.D.3d 1417 (City of Binghamton v. Hawk Engineering P.C.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Binghamton v. Hawk Engineering P.C., 85 A.D.3d 1417, 925 N.Y.S.2d 705 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

Garry, J.

Appeal from an order of the Supreme Court (Reynolds Fitzgerald, J.), entered August 27, 2010 in Broome County, which, among other things, granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

In 2003, defendant, an engineering firm, entered into a contract to provide plaintiff with a design for the rehabilitation of a bridge. Defendant delivered the plans in September 2005 and submitted its final bill in November 2005. The bridge was completed in October 2007. In December 2007, the Department of Transportation (hereinafter DOT) inspected the bridge, discovered cracking in certain structures, and issued a “Red Flag report” recommending a check of the capbeam cantilever design. Elaintiff engaged McFarland-Johnson, Inc. (hereinafter McFarland), another engineering firm, to perform a strength analysis of the pier cap cantilevers. In January 2008, the firm reported that the structures’ strength was inadequate. In March 2008, plaintiff reported these findings to defendant and requested that it review its design computations. Defendant engaged a third engineering firm, Modjeski and Masters (hereinafter M & M), to review its design. M & M identified certain design errors and recommended repairs. Elaintiff asked defendant to pay for these repairs in June 2008. Thereafter, DOT found increased cracking in the bridge structures and issued a second Red Flag report. Elaintiff again asked defendant to contract and pay for the repair, and defendant turned the matter over to its attorney and insurance carrier.

In April 2009, plaintiff commenced this action alleging breach of contract, negligence and professional malpractice. Defendant moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, and plaintiff cross-moved for summary judgment on the issue of de[1418]*1418fendant’s liability. Supreme Court found that plaintiffs claims were barred by the three-year limitations period for professional malpractice, granted defendant’s motion, and denied plaintiffs cross motion. Plaintiff appeals.

Initially, Supreme Court properly determined that plaintiffs claim is essentially one for professional malpractice and, thus, the three-year limitations period of CPLR 214 (6) applies, rather than the six-year period for breach of contract actions. Plaintiffs complaint alleges that defendant breached the contract by violating a contractual “duty and obligation to use ordinary skill, care, and diligence in rendering their professional services.” This claim “comes within the purview of CPLR 214 (6), regardless of whether the theory is based in tort or in a breach of contract” (Rev Assembly Mem in Support, Bill Jacket, L 1996, ch 623, at 6; accord Matter of R.M. Kliment & Frances Halsband, Architects [McKinsey & Co., Inc.], 3 NY3d 538, 541-542 [2004]). Plaintiff’s argument that its breach of contract claim should survive based upon defendant’s contractual obligation to correct errors in its plans was raised for the first time in an affidavit in opposition to defendant’s motion for summary judgment and, thus, “cannot bar relief which is otherwise appropriate” (Scanlon v Stuyvesant Plaza, 195 AD2d 854, 855 [1993]). Further, plaintiff has never alleged that defendant breached that obligation or that plaintiff was damaged as a result (see Clearmont Prop., LLC v Eisner, 58 AD3d 1052, 1055 [2009]); instead, the complaint and record demonstrate that plaintiffs alleged damages arose from defendant’s refusal to fully cover the costs of repairing the bridge. Thus, the breach of contract claim was properly dismissed as time-barred (see Matter of R.M. Kliment & Frances Halsband, Architects [McKinsey & Co., Inc.], 3 NY3d at 541-542; see also Matter of Stantec Consulting Group [Fonda-Fultonville Cent. School Dist.], 36 AD3d 1051, 1052 [2007], lv denied 9 NY3d 807 [2007]).

Plaintiff next contends that Supreme Court erred in determining that its malpractice claim accrued no later than November 2005, arguing that the cause of action did not accrue until construction of the bridge was complete. We disagree. Ordinarily, “a claim for professional malpractice against an engineer or architect accrues upon the completion of performance under the contract and the consequent termination of the parties’ professional relationship” (Town of Wawarsing v Camp, Dresser & McKee, Inc., 49 AD3d 1100, 1101-1102 [2008]). Plaintiffs argument regarding the termination date is based upon a contractual provision that required defendant to “provide design response to unanticipated or changed field conditions, analyze and partic[1419]*1419ipate in proposed design changes, and interpret design plans” if certain conditions occurred during construction. The argument relies upon Town of Wawarsing, in which this Court found that a town’s malpractice action against an engineering firm did not accrue until the end of a 12-month period after substantial completion of the project, during which the parties’ contract obligated the firm to provide certain review and corrective services (id. at 1102-1104). Notably, in addition to preconstruction design responsibilities, the engineering firm in Town of Wawarsing had multiple contractual obligations to provide design, supervision and inspection services throughout all five phases of construction, as well as additional obligations after construction was complete (id. at 1102-1103). Further, the payment provision at issue in that matter explicitly recognized that certain services would be provided after final payment for the completion of the contract (id. at 1103). In contrast, defendant’s noncontingent obligations under the contract here were limited to preconstruction design services and included no inspection or supervisory responsibilities. After receiving final payment pursuant to the contract in November 2005, defendant had no further obligation to provide any additional services unless plaintiff specifically requested them (compare Frank v Mazs Group, LLC, 30 AD3d 369, 369-370 [2006]).

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Bluebook (online)
85 A.D.3d 1417, 925 N.Y.S.2d 705, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-binghamton-v-hawk-engineering-pc-nyappdiv-2011.