Gates at Williams-Brice Condominium Ass'n v. DDC Construction Inc.

792 S.E.2d 240, 418 S.C. 282, 2016 S.C. App. LEXIS 110
CourtCourt of Appeals of South Carolina
DecidedAugust 31, 2016
DocketAppellate Case No. 2015-000180; Opinion No. 5438
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 792 S.E.2d 240 (Gates at Williams-Brice Condominium Ass'n v. DDC Construction Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gates at Williams-Brice Condominium Ass'n v. DDC Construction Inc., 792 S.E.2d 240, 418 S.C. 282, 2016 S.C. App. LEXIS 110 (S.C. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

WILLIAMS, J.

This matter comes before this court after the circuit court denied the Dinerstein Defendants’ and OCIP Defendants’1 (collectively “Developer”) motion for a nonjury trial and to strike the class action allegations of Katharine Swinson, individually, and on behalf of all others similarly situated, and the Gates at Williams-Brice Condominium Association (collectively “Homeowners”). On appeal, Developer contends the circuit court erred in failing to enforce the written jury trial and class [287]*287action waivers in the master deed (Master Deed) for the Gates at Williams-Brice (the Gates). We reverse.

I. FACTS/PROCEDURAL HISTORY

At issue in this appeal is whether Homeowners are entitled to proceed as a class in a jury trial against Developer for alleged faulty workmanship that occurred during the construction of 158 condominium units at the Gates in Columbia, South Carolina, in mid-2006. According to Homeowners, the Gates’ Property Owners Association (POA) was first notified of construction defects in the condominiums in November 2012 when a maintenance company, Watertight Systems, Inc., refused to bid on an exterior caulking/sealant job due to perceived construction issues. Approximately one month after this discovery, Homeowners filed their initial complaint on December 26, 2012, against DDC Construction, Inc. (DDC) and others, raising negligence, gross negligence, breach of warranty, and strict liability claims.

DDC—the only appellant that was a party to the initial complaint—filed its answer on March 7, 2013. In its answer, DDC “specifically denie[d] any class is proper” and “oppose[d] the certification of a class in this matter.” Although DDC did not specifically oppose Homeowners’ right to a jury trial, DDC “denie[d] that [Homeowners were] entitled to any of the relief sought in the WHEREFORE clause.”2 DDC generally asserted that “[Homeowners’] claims against it may be barred by the defenses of laches, mistake, release, waiver, ratification, estoppel, unclean hands, statute of limitations and/or any other defense that may be available upon discovery of additional information during the pendency of this action.” (emphasis added). Without specifically referencing the Master Deed, DDC “reserve[d] its right to amend this Answer to assert further allegations in support of any such defenses as required by the Rules of Civil Procedure.”

On May 15, 2013, Homeowners filed an amended complaint to add other developers as well as certain subcontractors who [288]*288provided materials or performed work at the Gates, asserting • the same causes of action. Shortly after filing the amended complaint, Homeowners amended the Master Deed (Second Amendment)3 on May 23, 2013, to remove certain provisions— originally included by Developer—that purported to limit the POA and Homeowners’ rights. Homeowners removed the warranty provision that eliminated their right to recoup “any and all secondary, incidental or consequential damages caused by any defect or breach....” In addition to the warranty disclaimer, Homeowners voted to remove the provision from section IV in the Master Deed, titled “ARBITRATION AGREEMENT,” which stated as follows:

EACH AND EVERY CLAIM AND CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED IN ANY WAY TO THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, SALE, MAINTENANCE, HABITABILITY OF, OR CONDITION OF ANY UNIT OR COMMON AREA THAT IS ASSERTED BY (I) ANY PERSON OR ENTITY THAT NOW HAS OR HEREAFTER ACQUIRES ANY INTEREST IN A UNIT, (II) THE GRANTOR OR DEVELOPER, (III) THE UNIT OWNER’S ASSOCIATION (INCLUDING ANY CORPORATION OR OTHER ENTITY FORMED TO SERVE AS UNIT OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, ... OR (V) ANY HEIR, SUCCESSOR, DELEGATEE OR AS-SIGNEE OF ANY SUCH PERSON OR ENTITIES, SHALL BE RESOLVED BY FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION....

Homeowners also voted to remove Section XXXV in the Master Deed, titled “Alternative Dispute Resolution.” Specifically, the amendment removed subsection D, titled “Waiver of Jury Trial,” which was located on the last two pages of the deed and stated as follows:

BY ACCEPTANCE OF A DEED TO ANY UNIT OR OTHER PROPERTY HEREUNDER CO-OWNER(S) HEREBY KNOWINGLY, VOLUNTARILY AND INTENTIONALLY HEREBY AGREE, THAT:
[289]*289(i) NEITHER CO-OWNER NOR ANY ASSIGNEE, SUCCESSOR, HEIR, OR LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE OF CO-OWNER OR GRANTOR, SHALL SEEK A JURY TRIAL IN ANY LAWSUIT, PROCEEDING, OR ANY OTHER LITIGATION PROCEDURE ARISING FROM OR BASED UPON THE MATTERS SET FORTH HEREUNDER, OR TO THE DEALINGS OR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OR AMONG THE GRANTOR, ITS AGENTS, CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS AND THE CO-OWNERS OR THE ASSOCIATION, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WAIVER OF ANY TYPE OF CLASS ACTION SUIT;
(ii) NEITHER CO-OWNER NOR GRANTOR WILL SEEK TO CONSOLIDATE ANY SUCH ACTION IN WHICH A JURY TRIAL HAS BEEN WAIVED WITH ANY OTHER ACTION IN WHICH A JURY TRIAL HAS NOT BEEN OR CANNOT BE WAIVED;
(iii) NEITHER OWNER NOR GRANTOR HAS IN ANY WAY AGREED WITH OR REPRESENTED TO ANY OTHER PARTY THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION WILL NOT BE FULLY ENFORCED IN ALL INSTANCES; AND
(iv) THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE A MATERIAL INDUCEMENT FOR GRANTOR TO MAKE THE DECLARATIONS SET FORTH HEREIN.

Homeowners recorded the amended Master Deed on June 5, 2013.

On July 5, 2013, DDC filed an answer to Homeowners’ amended complaint, raising the same defenses as well as stating that “[Homeowners’] claims should be dismissed because of disclaimers and other defenses specifically provided in the Master Deed.” One month later, on August 5, 2013, DDC filed an amended answer to Homeowners’ amended complaint, again raising the same defenses as well as asserting new defenses pursuant to the South Carolina Notice and Opportunity to Cure Construction Dwelling Defects Act.4 On August 5 and 15, 2013, the newly added developers and [290]*290subcontractors filed answers to Homeowners’ amended complaint in which they also raised the same defenses.5

Homeowners filed their second amended complaint on February 19, 2014, naming the last defendant, Highway One Construction, and reasserting the same causes of action as previously pled. In Highway One Construction’s initial answer filed on March 21, 2014, it specifically stated Homeowners waived their right to a jury trial and class action. The same day Highway One Construction filed its answer, the remaining defendants responded to the second amended complaint and specifically included language asserting Homeowners had waived their right to a jury trial and their right to bring a class action. Three days later, on March 24, 2014, Developer filed its motion for a nonjury trial and to strike Homeowners’ class action allegations and jury trial demand.

The circuit court held a hearing on Developer’s motion on June 9, 2014. At the hearing, counsel for Developer acknowledged Homeowners’ position regarding the Second Amendment, stating, “[T]he opposition spent some time talking about whether we have the right to challenge the [Second Amendment] or not. At this point[,] we’re not challenging the amendment as it might apply prospectively to other people.

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Related

Gates at Williams-Brice Condominium Ass'n v. DDC Construction, Inc.
801 S.E.2d 400 (Supreme Court of South Carolina, 2017)

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Bluebook (online)
792 S.E.2d 240, 418 S.C. 282, 2016 S.C. App. LEXIS 110, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gates-at-williams-brice-condominium-assn-v-ddc-construction-inc-scctapp-2016.