Dugue v. Levy

37 So. 995, 114 La. 21, 1904 La. LEXIS 519
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedDecember 5, 1904
DocketNo. 15,057
StatusPublished
Cited by45 cases

This text of 37 So. 995 (Dugue v. Levy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dugue v. Levy, 37 So. 995, 114 La. 21, 1904 La. LEXIS 519 (La. 1904).

Opinion

PROVOSTY, J.

The plaintiff, Joseph Dugue, contracted to build for the defend■ant, Samuel Levy, a two-story brick building. The work was to be done under the •supervision of an architect — the same who had prepared the plans and specifications for the building. The architect found fault with the manner in which the foundations were being built — that the offsets were not regular, nor according to the specifications. This Dugue remedied. Next, one of the walls of the foundations was found to be some four inches away from the line where it was desirable that it should be. This mistake, however, had been that of the specifications, not of Dugue. He nevertheless, under the instructions of the architect, remedied it. The specifications required that the damp-proof courses of slate should be laid lap-jointed. The architect complained that the slates had not been thus laid. Dugue maintained that they had, and the preponderance of the evidence so shows; and the judge a quo so found, as, indeed, the-judge of Division B of the lower court (Judge Theard) had found when the ' same issue was tried before him in a suit for the recovery of the first installment of the contract price. A complaint that the proper amount of cement was not being added to tlie mortar was well founded. But the fault lay with the copy of the specifications furnished to Dugue, which read shovels full,” instead of “1 & % shovelfuls.”

The walls had been raised about seven feet when the architect called to the attention of Dugue that tlie work was being bonded at every sixth course, instead of at every fifth course, as required, and also that the joints and seams were not being filled solid with mortar; and he added: “You are hereby requested to remedy these defects forthwith.” The architect testifies that this meant to take down the work and rebuild it. Perhaps the words are susceptible of that construction, but, if that was meant, it would have been just as easy ■ to have said so. Dugue and the foreman bricklayer testify that while on the work the architect not only did not tell them to take down the work, but expressly consented that it should stand, and [23]*23that thereafter the bonding should be at every fifth course. Dugue says that when he received the written instructions, “You are hereby requested to remedy these defects,” he understood them in the sense of the verbal instructions of the architect, namely, that the bonding should thereafter be at every fifth course. The fact is that under the circumstances the architect would not have been justified in requiring the demolition of the work. The departure from the specifications had been unintentional — usually the bonding is at every sixth course- — and the work had not progressed far enough for the discrepancy to make any practical difference in the solidity or durability of the wall. With the bonding at every fifth course, there would have been a bond at every 18 inches; at every sixth course, there was one at about every 21 inches. The wall had reached, say, 6 feet, or 12 inches. The difference was half of one bonding. The architect, Mr. Paul Andry, says it would have made no practical difference in the wall.

“A substantial performance of the contract is all that the law requires, and the employer will not be permitted to avoid payment because the strict letter of the agreement had not been carried out. Slight deviations, therefore, or technical, unimportant, or inadvertent omissions or defects, will not bar recovery.” A. & E. Ency. (1st Ed.) vol. 29, p. 891.

As to the filling' of the joints and seams, the architect was on the work every day, and seems to have been lynx-eyed in the discharge of his functions, and yet he did not notice, or, if he noticed, did not call to the attention of Dugue, the manner in which the bricklayers were filling tbe joints and seams, until the foundations had all been constructed, and the walls had attained a height of some six feet. Here, then, is presented a dilemma. If he noticed this defect earlier, he should have called it to the attention of Dugue, and not waited until the work had been done, and then required it to be undone. If, on tbe other band, be failed to notice this defect before tbe time of bis giving notice, bow could be know that tbe defect' existed in the work theretofore done?

Both from the preponderance of the evidence and from its greater probability, the-court believes tbe statement of Dugue that by tbe instruction to “remedy these defects” tbe architect meant nothing more than that thereafter the bonding should be at every fifth course, and the joints and seams be better filled. Thereafter tbe work was bonded at every fifth course. Tbe complaint as to-the joints and seams not being properly filled was not well founded. Tbe court is satisfied from the evidence as a whole that the masonry was as well done as work of similar character usually is done.

The next complaint was that the old and the new joists were interspersed, instead of' being laid separately — all tbe old together and all the new together. The specifications were silent regarding the manner in which these joists should he laid. The architect required Dugue to take them up and lay them separately, and he complied. In view of the fact that architects and builders differ as to which is tbe better distribution of sucb old and new joists, it is evident that the action of the architect in thus requiring the taking up and relaying of these joists was. arbitrary and unfair.

Complaint was made also as to tbe ground-floor joists not being anchored. This defect was remedied. In justice to Dugue it may he well to state that ground-floor joists are-not usually required to bo anchored.

Complaint was made that the brick piers-supporting the rear frame walls were not in their proper positions. Dugue denies that this complaint was well founded. The architect, in his testimony, does not say that these-piers were not in position, but that they were insufficient in size — a strange shifting of his ground of objection. There is no evidence on tbe part of defendant going to support tbe complaint. Later the architect formulated against the same piers the vague-[25]*25■objection that they “were not properly built.” In his testimony he says they were of three bricks, when they should have been of three and a half bricks. Dugue testifies that they were of three and a half bricks, and he is borne out by the other evidence in the case.

The next objection was as to the position ■of certain iron columns. Upon measurement this objection was found to be unfounded. The same thing can be said of the proposed unequal projection of the window sills.

The wrong bedplate had been used for one of the columns, but this was rectified. In remedying this defect, Dugue was required to take down more brickwork than was necessary.

It was objected that two of the window frames appeared to be out of plumb, but the defect was only in the strip holding the sash, and was rectified.

Objection was made that the front iron columns were not placed as per plan. Dugue testifies that the architect was mistaken in that regard, and so found out upon measurement. The architect testifies the defect was remedied.

Complaint was made that the steel beam lintels were being placed in position without having been painted. On the trial of the suit for the recovery of the first installment of the price, the architect testified that these lintels had not been painted on the inside, and Dugue testified that they had been painted.

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Bluebook (online)
37 So. 995, 114 La. 21, 1904 La. LEXIS 519, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dugue-v-levy-la-1904.