Diamond B Const. Co., Inc. v. DOTD

845 So. 2d 429, 2003 WL 346124
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 14, 2003
Docket2002 CA 0573
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 845 So. 2d 429 (Diamond B Const. Co., Inc. v. DOTD) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Diamond B Const. Co., Inc. v. DOTD, 845 So. 2d 429, 2003 WL 346124 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

845 So.2d 429 (2003)

DIAMOND B CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC.
v.
Louisiana DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT.

No. 2002 CA 0573.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

February 14, 2003.

*430 Russell W. Wray, Baton Rouge, for Plaintiff/Appellant, Diamond B Construction Company, Inc.

*431 Lawrence A. Durant, Baton Rouge, for Defendant/Appellee, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

Murphy J. Foster, III, Baton Rouge, for Intervenor/Appellee, Concrete & Aggregates Association of Louisiana, Inc.

Eric A. Kracht, Baton Rouge, for Intervenor/Appellee, Jones Brothers, Inc. of Tennessee.

Chris P. Pierce, Baton Rouge, for Amicus Curiae, Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Inc.[1]

Before: WHIPPLE, GAIDRY and McCLENDON, JJ.

WHIPPLE, J.

In this appeal, plaintiff, Diamond B Construction, Inc. (hereinafter "Diamond B"), challenges the trial court's grant of attorney's fees in favor of defendant, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (hereinafter "the DOTD"), and intervenor, the Concrete and Aggregate Association of Louisiana (hereinafter "CAAL") after all appeals of the final judgment of the trial court were exhausted. For the following reasons, we reverse in part and affirm in part.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

This litigation has a protracted procedural history, as set forth in the previous opinions of this court.[2] Essentially, in connection with a project to upgrade U.S. Highway 171 from Hornbeck to Florien, Louisiana, the DOTD advertised bidding for reconstruction project. In budgeting for this project, the DOTD estimated that the project would cost $31,540,610.86 and listed Portland cement concrete in the DOTD's Construction Cost Estimate Specifications, rather than asphaltic pavement, as the surface type to be used for the project.

After the initial specifications and construction proposal were circulated for review by interested bidders, Diamond B formally requested that the DOTD amend the design specifications and construction proposal to permit the use of "asphalt" as an alternative to Portland cement concrete as specified in the original design proposal. The DOTD declined to amend the project proposal and refused to cancel the bid schedule, stating: "The decision to use concrete on most of U.S. 171 was made years ago and consultants were selected with instructions to prepare the plans specifying concrete as the pavement of choice."

In response, Diamond B filed a petition requesting a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to prohibit the DOTD from issuing any bids, work orders, or performing any work on the project, and for a judgment declaring the specifications of the project "illegal closed specifications," and that any contract entered into for the project was null and void. Diamond B further alleged that requiring *432 the contractor to use Portland cement concrete pavement to the exclusion of asphaltic concrete stifled competition and was in direct violation of LSA-R.S. 38:2290, et seq., Louisiana's closed specification statutes. In response, the DOTD then filed an answer and reconventional demand seeking dismissal of the petition, declaratory relief in its favor, and the taxing of costs and expert witness fees against Diamond B.

Despite this ongoing litigation, the bidding process was completed, and the contract was awarded to the apparent lowest bidder, Jones Brothers, Inc. of Tennessee, based on a bid in the amount of $27,534,391.92. The trial court denied Diamond B's application for preliminary injunction, and Diamond B appealed to this court. On appeal, we concluded that Portland cement concrete and asphaltic concrete were not equivalent in terms of quality, performance, appearance, strength and utility; thus, we found that a legitimate basis existed for the DOTD's design specifications. As such, we determined that the trial court was legally correct in denying Diamond B's request for injunctive and declaratory relief.[3]

Further, citing the reasons it had previously rendered for the denial of Diamond B's petition for preliminary injunction, the trial court granted the DOTD's motion for summary judgment, declaring that the DOTD's failure to include alternative designs in its bid documents did not constitute a violation of LSA-R.S. 38:2290, et seq.

Diamond B then filed a motion for new trial, which was denied by the trial court. Both the denial of Diamond B's motion for new trial and the grant of the DOTD's motion for summary judgment were also appealed to this court. In the appeal, rendered as a companion case to the original appeal of the denial of injunctive relief, we affirmed the trial court's denial of the motion for new trial filed by Diamond B and the grant of the DOTD's motion for summary judgment.[4] Diamond B sought supervisory writs from the Louisiana Supreme Court on both appellate decisions, which were denied.[5]

After all appeals were exhausted from the final judgment of the trial court dismissing Diamond B's suit and granting declaratory relief in favor of the DOTD, the DOTD and CAAL filed motions for attorney's fees.

In response, Diamond B filed numerous exceptions, including peremptory exceptions of res judicata and no cause of action. By judgment dated September 27, 2001, the trial court overruled Diamond B's exceptions. Diamond B thereafter sought supervisory writs from this court. On November 15, 2001, another panel of this court denied the application stating, "On the showing made, we find no error."[6]

Diamond B again filed a motion for summary judgment, challenging the right of defendant, DOTD, or intervenor, CAAL, to recover attorney's fees under the provisions of LSA-R.S. 38:2220, Louisiana's Public Bid Law. The requests for attorney's fees by the DOTD and CAAL were *433 heard in open court on November 21, 2001, and the trial court found in favor of the DOTD and CAAL. On December 12, 2001, the trial court rendered judgment denying Diamond B's motion for summary judgment, and in two separate judgments, both signed December 17, 2001, awarded the DOTD attorney's fees in the amount of $75,000.00 and court costs in the amount of $4,268.00 with interest, and awarded CAAL attorney's fees in the amount of $60,000.00 and court costs in the amount of $3,712.64 with interest. CAAL was also awarded expert witness fees for the testimony of Eric A. Kracht in the amount of $1,000.00.

In the instant appeal, Diamond B challenges these judgments of the trial court in favor of the DOTD and CAAL for attorney's fees, as well as the interlocutory judgments overruling Diamond B's peremptory exceptions of no cause of action and res judicata and denying its motion for summary judgment.[7]

Specifically, Diamond B frames its assignments or error as follows:

1. The District Court erred in overruling the exception of no cause of action and in applying Section 2220.4, Part I, Chapter 10, Title 38 to this case brought under Section 2293, Part V, Chapter 10, Title 38 to award attorney fees to DOTD and CAAL. Part V makes no provision for attorney fees for a prevailing defendant or a prevailing plaintiff. Section 2220.4 of Part II is only applicable to a civil action brought for declaratory judgment by a "whistle-blower," (a person with direct knowledge) alleging a violation of Part II the Public Bid Law, La. R.S. 38:2211, et. seq., and then only if the procedural requisites are strictly adhered to. Such is not the case here.
2.

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Bluebook (online)
845 So. 2d 429, 2003 WL 346124, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/diamond-b-const-co-inc-v-dotd-lactapp-2003.