Gevyn Construction Corp. v. Affiliated Engineers, Inc.

375 F. Supp. 207, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8842
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 25, 1974
DocketCiv. A. No. 73-168
StatusPublished

This text of 375 F. Supp. 207 (Gevyn Construction Corp. v. Affiliated Engineers, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gevyn Construction Corp. v. Affiliated Engineers, Inc., 375 F. Supp. 207, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8842 (W.D. Pa. 1974).

Opinion

OPINION AND DECREE

SNYDER, District Judge.

This is an interpleader proceeding instituted by Gevyn Construction Corporation (Gevyn) and The Travelers Indemnity Company (Travelers). The problem presently before' the Court involves a determination of the priority of liens.

On October 9, 1973, this Court entered an Order allowing the Interpleader, directing the deposit of funds into the Registry of the Court, and providing that the claims against the Plaintiffs and the Surety Bond be discharged. Pursuant to this Order, $106,886.50 was paid into the Registry of the Court. When the Complaint was filed, there were six parties designated as Defendants who alleged adverse claims to the Fund. These were:

CLAIMANT

AMOUNT CLAIMED

Commercial Bank & Trust Company Entire Fund

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania $ 9,048.61

Concrete Accessories Corporation $ 2,108.16

Knickerbocker Russell Company $ 2,282.55

Laborers’ Dist. Council of W. Pa. $ 6,564.64

Lineo Supply Company $17,013.79

Total Claims other than Commercial Bank $37,017.75

On January 31, 1974, upon the Motion of the Commercial Bank and Trust Company, an Order was entered which directed the Clerk to pay to Commercial Bank, $88,299.87 from the Fund, leaving a balance of $18,586.63 to be held pending further Order of Court. At that time, there were only three remaining claimants, because the claims of the Lineo Supply Company and the Knickerbocker Russell Company were dismissed, and the claim of the Laborers’ District Council was settled. This left only the Commercial Bank, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Concrete Accessories Corporation to challenge the Fund.

A brief discussion of the history of the case is appropriate to understand the various conflicting claims against the Fund. On January 4, 1965, Gevyn entered into a contract with the General State Authority of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the construction of Convalescent Dormitories at the May-view State Hospital, Mayview, Pennsylvania. On March 30, 1965, Gevyn entered into two construction subcontracts with Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (Affiliated). Gevyn and Travelers furnished a surety bond to the General State Authority for the full payment of all labor, materials, and equipment bills for the performance of the Principal Contract.

Certain disputes arose between Gevyn and Affiliated which became the subject of an action brought by Gevyn against Affiliated in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania at Civil Action No. 68-1001. This action was settled by the parties and the stipulation of settlement provided for the commencement of this Interpleader action which is presently before the Court. Gevyn deposited the stipulated proceeds of $100,000.00 into the Registry pending a determination of adverse claims to the said Fund.

I. CONCRETE ACCESSORIES CORPORATION CLAIM.

From April of 1965, to November of 1965, Concrete Accessories Corporation leased equipment and sold merchandise to Affiliated in the total amount of [209]*209$3,588.23. When payment for the same was not forthcoming, Concrete filed suit against Affiliated in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and judgment was taken by default on September 29, 1970 for the amount of the claim and interest, for the total of $4,754.33. (Claim $3,588.23 and Interest from the date due $1,166.-10). The Amended Complaint in that suit included all the claims asserted in this Interpleader proceeding. Concrete entered into negotiations with Affiliated for a partial payment of $1,800.00 (leaving about $2,954.33 unpaid) and the docket was marked satisfied on June 30, 1971.

Commercial Bank, in this suit, contends that Concrete cannot here claim the balance of the satisfied debt. However, satisfaction of the collateral judgment is not conclusive proof of payment of the primary obligation. As stated in Winters v. Wolfskill, 126 Pa.Super. 168, 190 A. 395 (1937) quoting from Fleming v. Parry, 24 Pa. 47 at p. 51, “There is no magic in an entry of satisfaction, either on a judgment or on a mortgage, which can prevail against the truth and equity of the transaction.” Thus, if the extinguishment of the debt was not intended, the satisfaction of a judgment was not sufficient to wipe out the debt. In Epstein v. Kramer, 365 Pa. 589, 76 A.2d 212 (1950), the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania held that a petition for a rule to show cause why a satisfaction of a judgment should not be stricken from the record was equitable in nature and governed by equitable principles. The Court, however, found that the plaintiff should have sued in assumpsit for payment of a judgment that had been marked satisfied in the Prothonotary’s Office in exchange for the defendant’s promise to pay. There is nothing in the instant record which would indicate the Concrete either received payment in full or intended extinguishment of the debt.

A review of the items sold and leased to Affiliated indicates that all of the transactions were prior to September 16, 1965, and since no suit was entered on the within action until April 5, 1973, the claim of Concrete is barred by the Statute of Limitations of four years as provided by the Uniform Commercial Code, Act of April 6, 1953, P.L. 3, 12A P.S. 2-725 (1970) for goods sold. As for the items leased or rented, the governing Statute of Limitations would be the Act relating to actions on contracts not under seal, namely, the Act of March 27, 1713, 1 Smith’s Law 76, 12 P.S. § 31 (1953) which bars claims after six years from their accrual. (We do not need to consider the provision of the surety bonds requiring actions to be commenced within one year from the date of final settlement with the General State Authority, which paraphrased the statutory law in respect to recovery under labor and material bonds, Act of March 31, 1949, P.L. 372, 71 P.S. § 1707.11 (1962)). Thus, all claims asserted by Concrete are barred.

II. COMMERCIAL’S CLAIM vs. COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

On September 2, 1965, Affiliated assigned its accounts receivable from Gevyn (now the Fund in question) to Commercial Bank. Commercial filed a financing statement evidencing the assignment in the Prothonotary’s Office of the Court of Common Pleas on May 18, 1966, and with the Secretary of' the Commonwealth on May 19,1966.

Commercial Bank subsequent to September 2, 1965, but prior to the filing of the financing statement on May 18, 1966, advanced the sum of $205,282.30 pursuant to the assignment. After the assignment, but before the filing of the financing statement, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania filed a lien on March 22, 1966, in the Office of the Prothonotary of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania for unpaid contributions to the Unemployment Compensation Fund. On May 16, 1966, the Commonwealth issued a Writ of Execution on the Judgment, which Writ was delivered to the Sheriff [210]*210on May 18, 1966. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania claims that its lien was perfected and became a lien on the property, real or personal, of Affiliated on the date that its claim was filed, to-wit, March 22, 1966, and that Commercial did not file its financing statement until May 18, 1966. It is our conclusion that the lien of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has priority over that of the Commercial Bank and Trust Company with regard to the Fund.

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Related

In Re Einhorn Bros., Inc.
171 F. Supp. 655 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 1959)
Epstein v. Kramer
76 A.2d 212 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1950)
Commonwealth v. Lombardo
52 A.2d 657 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1947)
Winters v. Wolfskill
190 A. 395 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1936)
Fleming v. Parry
24 Pa. 47 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1854)

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Bluebook (online)
375 F. Supp. 207, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8842, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gevyn-construction-corp-v-affiliated-engineers-inc-pawd-1974.