Equipment East, LLC v. Corbell Development, LLC, and Eyecor Const., LLC

2020 DNH 163
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Hampshire
DecidedSeptember 16, 2020
Docket20-cv-274-JD
StatusPublished

This text of 2020 DNH 163 (Equipment East, LLC v. Corbell Development, LLC, and Eyecor Const., LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Equipment East, LLC v. Corbell Development, LLC, and Eyecor Const., LLC, 2020 DNH 163 (D.N.H. 2020).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

Equipment East, LLC

v. Civil No. 20-cv-274-JD Opinion No. 2020 DNH 163 Corbell Development, LLC, and Eyecor Const., LLC

O R D E R

Plaintiff Equipment East, LLC, filed a renewed motion (doc.

no. 25) for default judgment against defendants Corbell

Development, LLC, and Eyecor Construction, LLC. Neither Corbell

nor Eyecor responded.

Standard of Review

After default has been entered against a defendant and when

the amount of damages is not a sum certain, the plaintiff must

apply to the court for a default judgment. Fed. R. Civ. P.

55(b)(2). By defaulting, a defendant concedes the truth of the

plaintiff’s allegations as to liability but does not admit the

amount of damages claimed. KPS & Assocs., Inc. v. Designs by

FMC, Inc., 318 F.3d 1, 19 (1st Cir. 2003); IDEXX Distribution

Inc. v. Daniel A. Lauridia DVM PC, 2020 WL 265194, at *1 (D. Me.

Jan. 17, 2020). Despite a defendant’s concession as to the

truth of the plaintiff’s allegations, the court must review the complaint to determine that jurisdiction exists and that the

admitted allegations state a cognizable claim. In re The Home

Restaurants, Inc., 285 F.3d 111, 114 (1st Cir. 2002); see also

Inrepidus, LLC v. Bivins, 2019 WL 4911190, at *4-*5 (S.D.N.Y.

Sept. 16, 2019). The plaintiff must prove the amount of damages

it claims, and the court may hold a hearing on damages if

necessary. Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(b)(2). A hearing is not

required, however, if the plaintiff provides sufficient proof of

the amount of damages through evidence, including affidavits.

The Home Restaurants, 285 F.3d at 114.

Background

A. Complaint

Equipment East filed this action on February 21, 2020, to

recover damages resulting from Eyecor’s and Corbell’s failure to

pay for construction equipment rentals, service on construction

equipment, and parts for construction equipment.

The complaint contains six counts:

• Count I, breach of contract against Eyecor for failure to pay for rental of construction equipment;

• Count II, unjust enrichment against Corbell for failure to pay for construction equipment rented by Eyecor but used by Corbell;

• Count III, breach of contract against Eyecor for failure to pay for parts and service of construction equipment;

2 • Count IV, quantum meruit against Eyecor and Corbell for their failure to pay for service and repair work on the construction equipment;

• Count V, unjust enrichment against Eyecor for failure to pay for parts;

• and Count VI, violation of RSA 544-B:1 against Corbell and Eyecor.

Neither Eyecor nor Corbell responded to the complaint. The

Clerk of Court entered default against Eyecor and Corbell on

April 17, 2020. Afterward, Earney Mayo, a “Member/Manager” of

Eyecor and Corbell, attempted to file a motion to vacate the

entry of default. Doc. 12. The court, however, rejected the

motion because it was filed pro se rather than through counsel,

and corporate entities must be represented by counsel. LR

83.6(c). The court nevertheless provided Corbell and Eyecor

thirty days to obtain counsel and enter an appearance. The time

expired and neither Corbell nor Eyecor appeared with counsel.

B. First Motion for Default Judgment

Equipment East filed a motion for default judgment. Doc.

21. Equipment East argued that it was entitled to a judgment

against Eyecor Construction for $364,533.57 and against Corbell

for $330,511.39. Equipment East’s claim included $7,195.13 for

legal fees and $1,034.00 for costs.

3 The court denied Equipment East’s motion for default

judgment, without prejudice, because the motion lacked the

necessary analysis of the claims to support entry of a default

judgment. The court also noted that “[i]ssues are apparent with

respect to the amount of damages Equipment East is seeking and

the viability of its claims.” Doc. 24 at 6. For example,

Equipment East appeared to count the same damages twice,

requesting a total damages award of $695,044.96, which was not

supported by the allegations in the complaint. Additionally,

the court noted a concern that Equipment East had not shown

that, as to its breach of contract claims, valid agreements

between Equipment East and Eyecor or Corbell existed. The court

denied Equipment East’s motion, without prejudice, granting

Equipment East leave to file a renewed motion for default

judgment by August 11, 2020.

C. Renewed Motion for Default Judgment

Equipment East filed a renewed motion for default judgment

within the time period specified by the court. Equipment East

supports its renewed motion for default judgment with the

affidavits of Giovanni Albanese, Gilda Albanese, and Attorney

Mary Ellen MacDonald and attached several exhibits to each

affidavit to further support or provide detail for the

statements in the affidavits. The renewed motion for default

4 judgment discusses each claim and the damages to which Equipment

East asserts it is entitled for each claim.

D. Facts

As noted, because they have failed to appear in this

action, Eyecor and Corbell admit all of Equipment East’s factual

allegations as to liability. Equipment East, whose place of

business is in Massachusetts, sells and rents construction

equipment, provides repairs and servicing for construction

equipment, and sells parts for construction equipment.

Equipment East avers that Eyecor and Corbell were in the

construction business.

1. Equipment Rentals

In 2018 and 2019, Eyecor rented various pieces of

construction equipment from Equipment East. Equipment East sent

Eyecor a rental agreement with attached terms and conditions as

well as recurring invoices for the equipment rentals. Each

rental agreement contains a line for a signature by the customer

(i.e., Eyecor) and a line for a signature by Equipment East.

Only one agreement, for a Bobcat T650, was signed by an Eyecor

representative (Earney Mayo), and no agreements were signed by

an Equipment East representative.

5 The rental agreement contains attached terms and conditions

and states that the terms and conditions are “in full force and

effect from the time the lessor’s equipment is accepted by the

lessee.” E.g., doc. 27-1 at 3; doc. 27-2 at 3; doc. 27-3 at 3.

One term selects the law of Equipment East’s place of business

from where the equipment was delivered (Massachusetts) as

applicable to the leases. Another term states that “[i]nvoices

beyond the Net 30 Day terms are subject to 1.5% monthly or 18%

annual service fee.” E.g., doc. 27-1 at 5; doc. 27-2 at 5; doc.

27-3 at 5. The agreements also state that the “Lessee shall be

liable for all reasonable costs expenses [sic] incurred,

including attorney’s fees, in the collection of any outstanding

monies.” E.g., doc. 27-1 at 5; doc. 27-2 at 5; doc. 27-3 at 5.

Each recurring invoice contains details about the equipment

to be rented, the duration of the rental period, and the amount

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Bluebook (online)
2020 DNH 163, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/equipment-east-llc-v-corbell-development-llc-and-eyecor-const-llc-nhd-2020.