Comband Technologies, Inc. v. WH-TV Broadcasting Corp.

774 F. Supp. 69, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14920, 1991 WL 209085
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedAugust 12, 1991
DocketCiv. No. 90-2157 GG
StatusPublished

This text of 774 F. Supp. 69 (Comband Technologies, Inc. v. WH-TV Broadcasting Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Comband Technologies, Inc. v. WH-TV Broadcasting Corp., 774 F. Supp. 69, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14920, 1991 WL 209085 (prd 1991).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

GIERBOLINI, District Judge.

Before the court are defendant WH-TV Broadcasting Corporation’s (“WH-TV”) objections to the Magistrate’s Report and Recommendation filed on June 12, 1991.

I. BACKGROUND

This is a suit involving a contract entered into by the parties on January 14, 1987 for the sale of cable equipment units and related components. Plaintiff Comband Technologies, Inc. (“Comband”) alleges that WH-TV owes it the following amounts: (1) $308,147.28 plus interest on the unpaid balances from their due dates at the contractually agreed rate of \lk% per month and $151.96 of daily interest accumulated after July 1990; (2) $296,826.80 consisting of a retroactive adjustment amount for an unmet volume of sales which the parties stipulated in the agreement dated January 14, 1987; (3) interest on the retroactive adjustment amounts at the legal rate of 6%; (4) interest in accordance with Law 78 of July 11, 1988.

The Magistrate recommended that summary judgment be granted in favor of Comband for the principal amount with interest and “on the issue of liability alone for an unspecified retroactive amount with interest ...” (Report and Recommendation, at 17). WH-TV does not question the existence of its debt to Comband in the principal amount of $308,147.28. However, WH-TV objects to the Magistrate’s recommendation that it be held liable for a retroactive amount with interest on several grounds. First, WH-TV contends that the Magistrate erred in not finding that plaintiff waived its rights to make back charges. Second, WH-TV argues that the Magistrate erroneously concluded that there was no novation. Finally, WH-TV argues that the Magistrate erred in finding a standard price in the contract and in recommending the application of an interest change of V-h% per month to the debt outstanding.1

II. SUMMARY JUDGMENT

In determining whether summary judgment is appropriate, the court must view the record in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion, and indulge all inferences favorable to that party. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 324-25, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2553-54, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Santiago Hodge v. Parke Davis & Co., 909 F.2d 628, 633-34 (1st Cir.1990); Amsden v. Moran, 904 F.2d 748 (1st Cir.1990), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 111 S.Ct. 713, 112 L.Ed.2d 702 (1991). Summary judgment may be granted only “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show [71]*71that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Brennan v. Hendrigan, 888 F.2d 189, 191 (1st Cir.1989).

Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970) establishes that the party moving for summary judgment has the initial burden of showing “the absence of a genuine issue concerning any material fact.” Id. at 159, 90 S.Ct. at 1609. If the movant (in this case defendant) shows that there is an absence of evidence to support the non-moving party’s case, the burden shifts to the non-movant to establish the existence of a genuine issue of material fact. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553.2 The materiality of a fact is determined according to the substantive law that governs the dispute. A fact is material only if it affects the outcome of the suit. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. at 2510. A material fact creates a genuine issue for trial “if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. at 2510.

In deciding defendant’s motion for summary judgment, we examine the facts in the light most favorable to the non-moving party, in this case, plaintiff. Celotex Corp v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 324-25, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2553-54, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Santiago Hodge v. Parke Davis & Co., 909 F.2d 628, 633-34 (1st Cir.1990); Roy v. Augusta, 712 F.2d 1517 (1st Cir.1983). Applying this standard, and after an extensive review of the record, and according the non-moving party the indulgence required, we find that plaintiff has not presented specific facts showing a genuine issue for trial. Medina-Munoz v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 896 F.2d 5, 8 (1st Cir.1990); Garside v. Osco Drug, Inc., 895 F.2d 46, 48 (1st Cir.1990).

III. FACTS

In 1986, Telecable de Puerto Rico, Inc. (“Telecable”) began negotiating with General Electric Company (“General Electric”) to purchase some cable equipment system units. As part of the transaction, in December 1986, a marketing plan for wireless cable television in Puerto Rico was allegedly prepared by General Electric for Telecable.

The marketing plan projected a potential market for the wireless cable television of about 66,000 subscribers. On January 14, 1987, Telecable and General Electric entered into a three-year agreement for the sale of cable system equipment.3 Three provisions of the Agreement are significant. Under Article 2.2, Telecable, as buyer, agreed that all amounts over thirty (30) days would accrue interest from the date the amount was due at the rate of V-k% per month or as permitted by the applicable law. Under Article 12, the parties agreed that “[n]o modification, amendment, rescission, waiver or other change shall be binding on any party unless assented to in writing by that party.” Finally, the contract required a minimum volume purchase of 50,000 cable system equipment units during the 36 months of its duration, as follows: 10,000 units by the end of the first 12 months, 35,000 units by the end of 24 months and 50,000 units by the end of 36 months. If Telecable had failed to purchase the minimum amount of units at the end of each 12-month period, General Elec[72]*72trie had the right to invoice Telecable for the difference in the price paid and the standard rate then in effect for the volume purchases.

In January 1987, two entities, Ponce Broadcasting Corporation and Sala Business Corporation, invested in Telecable.

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Related

Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co.
398 U.S. 144 (Supreme Court, 1970)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Robert Brennan v. Roderick Hendrigan
888 F.2d 189 (First Circuit, 1989)
Milissa Garside v. Osco Drug, Inc.
895 F.2d 46 (First Circuit, 1990)
Henry H. Amsden v. Thomas F. Moran, Etc.
904 F.2d 748 (First Circuit, 1990)
Mercedes Santiago Hodge v. Parke Davis & Company
909 F.2d 628 (First Circuit, 1990)
Miranda Soto v. Mena Eró
109 P.R. Dec. 473 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1980)

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Bluebook (online)
774 F. Supp. 69, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14920, 1991 WL 209085, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/comband-technologies-inc-v-wh-tv-broadcasting-corp-prd-1991.