Duri Corp. v. Base Corp.

Superior Court of Guam·Decided August 20, 2025·No. CV0548-23·Unknown

Opinion

\ .fm-E :f:l-L'ED .1

SUPERIOR COURT SUPERiUR COURT OF GUAM

2025 AUG2020 PH 2025 AUG up ·I-| a PM '·It: Z CLERK CLER!< 0F Of CG' JRT COURT

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF GUAM Y: BY: Ur

t DURI DORI CORPORATION, CIVIL CMLCASE CASE no. NO.CV0548-23 CV0548-23

Plaintiff, plamnfifg vs. DECISION DECISION AND AND ORDER DENYING DENYING MOTION FOR DISCLOSURE OF BASE CORPORATION CORPORATION AND AND SUNG SUNG CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT HEE HONG, AGREEMENT

Defendants.

This matter came before This before the theHonorable Honorable Dana Dana A. A. Gutierrez on May 22, 2025, for a hearing healing

Duri Corporation's on Dori Corporation's Motion Motion for forDisclosure Disclosure of ofConfidential ConfidentialSettlement Settlement Agreement Agreement (Nov. 5,

2024). At At the hearing, hearing,Attorney AttorneyPhilip Philip Torres Tones appeared on behalf appeared on bebalfof Dori Corporation. ofDuri Corporation. DefeNdants Defendants

Base Base Corporation Corporation and and Sung Sung Her Hee Hong. Hong did did not hearing. 1 Upon not appear for thehearing.' Upon review review of ofthe the parties'

arguments and and applicable DENIES the Motion. applicable Guam law, the Court hereby DENIES Modem

BACKGROUND BACK GROUND

Base Corporation Base Corporation and Duri Corporationale Dori Corporation areconstruction constructioncompanies. companies. Base Base Corporation Corporation was was

the primary contractor, and Duri DuraCorporation Corporationwas a subcontractor, subcontractor, on a construction constructionproject project called

Yigo Sienna Garden Phase Yugo Sienna Phase 2. In' In' February February 2022, 2022, Duri Dura Corporation Corporation allegedly alleged completed its

subcontractwork work on on Yigo YigoSienna SiennaGarden GardenPhase Phase22 and and tendered tendered an invoice to Base Base Corporation in

the amount amountof$91,139.55. of$91,139.55. This iii.voice remainsunpaid. This iNvoice unpaid.

1 Base 1 BaseCorporation has never answered Corporationhas answered or appeared case, and the appeared in this case, theSuperior SuperiorCourt Clerk of CourtClerk ofCourt Court has has entered Base entered Base Corporation's Corporation's default. default. Attorney Thomas M. Tarpley Tarpleyhas has previously previously appeared appeared on behalfof onbehalf of Sung Hee he did not appear for this hearing. Her Hong, buthe hearing. DECISION AND ORDER DECISION AND ORDER DENYING DENYING MOTION MOTION FOR DISCLOSURE DISCLOSURE OF CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT CV0548-23; Duri CV0548-23; Duri Corporation Corporation and Corporationv.Base Corporation and Sung Sung HeeHong Hong

In In October October 2023, 2023, Duri Corporation Corporation tiled filed aa Complaint Complaintagainst against Base Base Corporation Corporation and and Sung

.Hee Hong. 2Base .Hee BaseCorporation Corporationhas hasnot not filed filedan an Answer. Answer. Sung Hee Hong has Sung Hee hasfiled filed an anAnswer, Answer,which which

adnuits thatBase admits that BaseCorporation Corporation (but (butnot notSung SungHee HeeHong Hong herself) herself) owes Duri Duxi Corporation Corporation the the amount

in in question. question. Sung Hee Hong's Hong's Answer Answerfurther further explains explains:

[Base Corporation] has has promised promised to pay Plaintiff Plaintiffsquid amountwhen said amount whenBase Basecollects collects it it from from tile the owner of the project project .... .... Hong Hongaffirmatively affirmativelyalleges allegesthat thatsaid said amount amount is included included inin the the mechanic mechanic liens liens on on the the project project properties properties that that Base Base recorded recorded at the Guam Department Departmentof of Land Land Management Management which which areare aa subject subjectofof Base's lawsuit against Guam Five Five Star Corporation in the Superior Superior Court Court ofof Guam Guard for for breach of of contract contract andand foreclosure foreclosure of saidsaid liens, liens, and and that that [Dura [Duri Corporation] Corporation] has been been repeatedly repeatedly informed of of all all these these legal legal actions actions which which are are presently presently stayed stayed pending ongoing arbitration arbitration between Base Corporation and Guam Guam FiveFive Star Corporation. Corporation.

Answer at at 2 2 (Nov. (Nov. 13, 13, 2023). 2023). Thereafter, the parties Thereafter, the parties stipulated stipulatedtotostay staythis thiscase caseuntil untilafter aler the

conclusion conclusion of the the arbitration arbitration between between Base Base Corporation and Guam Five Star Corporation and Star Corporation Corporation

("GFSC"). ("GFSC"). Step.& Stip. Order Order (Feb. (Feb. 19, 19, 2024). 2024).

On On October October22, 22, 2024, 2024, the Court Court held held aa Status Status Hearing. Hearing. There,Dori Duri Corporationinformed Corporation informed

the Court that that Base Corporation Corporation and GFSC GFSChad hadconcluded concludedtheir their arbitration arbitration proceedings proceedings and

reached reached a settlement (hereafter,"GFSC settlement (hereafter, "GFSC Settlement"). On November Settlement"). On November 5, 5, 2024, Dura Duri Corporation

filed filed the the instant instant Motion, Motion, arguing arguing that that the GFSC Settlement disclosed "based on potential Settlement should be disclosed potential

fraud to the thepublic public and andrelevance relevanceto tothis thisongoing ongoingcase.'' case."Mot. Mot.Disclose Diseloseat ate. Dori Corporation 2. Duri Corporation asserts asserts

that the theGFSC GFSC Settlement is is"confidential," "confidential" and andthat thataa confidential confidentialsettlement settlementagreement agreement is contrary

to both the "public "public good" good" and and "the ''the rights rights of ofother otherparties parties that that have have done or may may do business business with with

2 The 2 alleges that thatDuri Duri Corporation's Corporation's contract was with with both Base Corporation and and Sung Sung Hee Her The Complaint alleges Hong, and Hong, and the instant Motion alleges instant Motion thatBase alleges that BaseCorporation Corporationisisthe the"alter "alterego" ego"of ofSung SungHee HerHong. Hong. Mot. Mot. Disclosure Disclosure at at 2. Sung Hee Her Hong Hong disputes disputes the "alter ego" allegation. allegation. See SeeVerified Verified Response Responseatate 2 (Nov. 14, 14, 2024). 2024). 2 I

DECISION AND ORDER DECISION AND ORDER DENYING DENYING MOTION MOTION FOR DISCLOSURE DISCLOSURE OF CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT . . CV0548-23; Duri Corporation CV0548-23; Duri Corporation v. v. Base Base Corporation Corporation and andSungHer Sung Hee Hong Hong

Base Base Corporation Corporation or or [GFSC]. [GFSC]. Id Id.Duri DuriCorporation Corporationthus thusrequests requeststhat that the Court Court order GFSC GFSC and/or and/or

Bee BaseCorporation Corporationtotodisclose disclosethe theGFSC GFSCSettlement Settlementto DuriCorporation, to Duri Corporation, or orelse else show show cause cause why

they should not. not.

On 3 Attorney Talley On November 14, 2014,Attorney 14, 2014, AttorneyTarpley Ta.rpleyfiled fileda aVerified VerifiedResponse. Response? Attorney Tarpley

explains explains that while while he had hadpreviously previouslybeen"attorney "attorney ofrecord" record" for for Base Base Corporation, Corporation, he ultimately ultimately

"took no no part"- in the part'' in the execution execution of of the GFSC Settlement. Id Instead, GFSC Settlement. Instead, he avers that the avers that the GFSC GFSC

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Duri Corp. v. Base Corp., (superctguam 2025).

Duri Corp. v. Base Corp. (Duri Corp. v. Base Corp.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Osowski v. AMEC Construction Management, Inc.
69 A.D.3d 99 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2009)