Engeman Enterprises, LLC v. Tolin Mechanical Systems Co.

2013 COA 34, 320 P.3d 364, 2013 Colo. App. LEXIS 345, 2013 WL 979508
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 14, 2013
DocketNo. 12CA0450
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 2013 COA 34 (Engeman Enterprises, LLC v. Tolin Mechanical Systems Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Engeman Enterprises, LLC v. Tolin Mechanical Systems Co., 2013 COA 34, 320 P.3d 364, 2013 Colo. App. LEXIS 345, 2013 WL 979508 (Colo. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

Opinion by

JUDGE TERRY

T1 This case involves issues of first impression that require us to interpret the seope and applicability of Colorado's economic loss rule. We affirm the trial court's entry of summary judgment against plaintiff, Engeman Enterprises, LLC, and in favor of defendant, Tolin Mechanical Systems Company.

I. Background

{2 For purposes of reviewing the summary judgment, we construe the facts in the light most favorable to plaintiff, the nonmov-ing party. West Elk Ranch, L.L.C. v. United States, 65 P.3d 479, 481 (Colo.2002). Viewed in that light, the following facts are presumed true.

[367]*3673 Plaintiff operates a cold storage facility, which is cooled by an ammonia-charged cooling system. Defendant designs, installs, maintains, and repairs cooling systems. On June 27, 2008, when high oil temperatures compromised plaintiffs cooling system, defendant was called in for an emergency repair.

{4 Defendant inspected the system and recommended adding ammonia to lower the temperature. While defendant began this work, plaintiff's representatives signed two agreements-a Service Report and a Refrigerant Report-which both stated that defendant would perform its work in a "prudent and workmanlike manner," and which disclaimed defendant's liability beyond repairing issues caused by defective workmanship.

1 5 Defendant's employee attached a portable tank filled with ammonia to the cooling system, with the intent to transfer ammonia from the tank to the system. But the employee actually caused ammonia from the cooling system to flow backward into the tank. Several hours later, the tank overfilled and exploded, permeating the cold storage facility with ammonia and resulting in cleanup costs, repair costs, and lost profits totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.

16 Plaintiff alleged claims against defendant for negligence, vicarious liability, and negligent supervision, but did not bring a claim for breach of contract. In ruling on defendant's motion for summary judgment, the trial court concluded, based on the undisputed facts, that plaintiff and defendant had formed a contract for repair services, the exact terms of which were disputed. The court stated that the parties might be bound by the express terms of the Service Report or the Refrigerant Report, but concluded that even if those terms were not binding, the parties had nevertheless entered into an oral contract for defendant's services.

17 The court then ruled that defendant's duty of care under the contract, whether that duty was express or implied, was identical to the tort duty of care which plaintiff alleged had been breached. The court thus conelud-ed that defendant did not owe plaintiff an independent duty of care, and it entered summary judgment on plaintiff's tort claims because they were barred by the economic loss rule.

8 The trial court also ruled that plaintiff's allegation that defendant had engaged in willful and wanton conduct did not affect the application of the economic loss rule, because plaintiff did not assert a claim for willful and wanton breach of contract, and there is no independent tort cause of action for "willful and wanton conduct." The court then entered summary judgment in favor of defendant on all of plaintiff's claims.

II. Discussion

T9 Plaintiff argues that its tort claims against defendant are not barred by the economic loss rule for the following reasons: (1) defendant owed it an independent duty of care to safely handle ammonia, (2) the damage that its facility sustained is physical harm to property and not "economic loss," (8) defendant owed it an independent duty of care to supervise and train the employees handling ammonia, (4) the economic loss rule should not apply to service contracts, and (5) defendant's allegedly willful and wanton tor-tious conduct precludes application of the economic loss rule. We consider and reject each argument in turn.

A. Standard of Review

1 10 Summary judgment is a drastic remedy and should be granted only when the pleadings and supporting documentation demonstrate that no genuine issue as to any material fact exists and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. West Elk Ranch, 65 P.3d at 481; Hamon Contractors, Inc. v. Carter & Burgess, Inc., 229 P.3d 282, 290 (Colo.App.2009). The non-moving party receives the benefit of all favorable inferences from the undisputed facts, and all doubts as to the existence of a triable issue of fact are resolved against the moving party. West Elk Ranch, 65 P.3d at 481.

111 We review summary judgments de novo. Hamon Contractors, 229 P.3d at 290. Because the application of the economic loss rule is a question of law, we also review de novo whether that rule bars plaintiff's tort claims. Makoto USA, Inc. v. Russell, 250 [368]*368P.3d 625, 627 (Colo.App.2009); Hamon Contractors, 229 P.3d at 290; Rhino Fund, LLLP v. Hutchins, 215 P.3d 1186, 1193 (Colo.App.2008).

B. Economic Loss Rule

112 "The economic loss rule 'maintain{s] the boundary between contract law and tort law'" Makoto, 250 P.3d at 627 (quoting Town of Alma v. AZCO Constr., Inc., 10 P.3d 1256, 1259 (Colo.2000)). In Town of Alma, the supreme court distinguished between duties owed under contract law and tort law, stating, "a party suffering only economic loss from the breach of an express or implied contractual duty may not assert a tort claim for such a breach absent an independent duty of care under tort law." 10 P.3d at 1264. The focus on duty is paramount because "the relationship between the type of damages suffered and the availability of a tort action is inexact at best." Id. at 1263.

118 Three factors guide our determination of the source of the duty at issue. We must consider "(1) whether the relief sought in negligence is the same as the contractual relief; (2) whether there is a recognized common law duty of care in negligence; and (8) whether the negligence duty differs in any way from the contractual duty." BRW, Inc. v. Dufficy & Sons, Inc., 99 P.3d 66, 74 (Colo.2004) (citing Grynberg v. Agri Tech, Inc., 10 P.3d 1267, 1269-70 (Colo.2000)).

C. Analysis

1. Independent Duty

114 Because our economic loss rule jurisprudence turns on "the source of the duty that forms the basis of the action," Town of Alma, 10 P.3d at 1262, we begin our analysis by considering the contention that defendant owed plaintiff an independent duty of care to safely handle anhydrous ammonia. Plaintiff argues that defendant owed it an independent duty of care because, under the three BRW factors, defendant's common law duty of care to safely handle anhydrous ammonia was separate and distinct from its duty of care under either express or implied contract terms. We are not persuaded.

115 The first BRW factor compels us to compare the relief sought in negligence to the relief sought in contract. 99 P.3d at 74. Although plaintiff argues that the damages it seeks are tort damages and not contract damages, we disagree.

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2013 COA 34, 320 P.3d 364, 2013 Colo. App. LEXIS 345, 2013 WL 979508, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/engeman-enterprises-llc-v-tolin-mechanical-systems-co-coloctapp-2013.