Hofmann v. Damarc Quality Inspection Servs., LLC (In re Mountain W. Indus., LLC)

583 B.R. 514
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Utah
DecidedMarch 30, 2018
DocketBankruptcy Number: 14–32190; Adversary Proceeding No. 15–02262
StatusPublished

This text of 583 B.R. 514 (Hofmann v. Damarc Quality Inspection Servs., LLC (In re Mountain W. Indus., LLC)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Utah primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hofmann v. Damarc Quality Inspection Servs., LLC (In re Mountain W. Indus., LLC), 583 B.R. 514 (Utah 2018).

Opinion

KEVIN R. ANDERSON, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge

On December 15, 2015 George B. Hofmann (the "Trustee"), in his capacity as Chapter 7 Trustee of the Mountain West Industries, LLC bankruptcy case, filed this adversary proceeding against Damarc Quality Inspection, Services, LLC ("Damarc") for breach of contract, professional negligence, recovery of fraudulent transfers, and a denial of Damarc's claims against the bankruptcy estate.1

On December 21, 2017, Damarc filed a motion for summary judgment asserting all claims should be dismissed because: (1) Utah law applies to the contracts; (2) the Exculpatory Clause in the contracts at issue exempts Damarc from all liability; (3) Utah's economic loss rule precludes liability for a negligence claim; and (4) Damarc gave reasonably equivalent value for its services to Mountain West Industries, LLC. The Trustee responded, asserting that the contracts between the parties contain a Minnesota choice-of-law provision, and that under Minnesota law, Damarc is liable for damages on the claims for breach of contract and professional negligence.

Based on the impact of the choice of law on a final determination of this dispute, the Court limits its initial ruling to whether Utah or Minnesota law applies. The Court held a hearing on the motion for summary judgment on February 23, 2018. Richard C. Terry appeared on behalf of Damarc. William Garbina appeared on behalf of the Trustee.

I. BACKGROUND AND UNDISPUTED FACTS.

A. The Tanker Trailers

The Debtor, Mountain West Industries, LLC ("Mountain West"), was a manufacturer of utility and cargo trailers, operating out of Tooele, Utah. In 2013, Mountain West endeavored to expand its product line to include the manufacture of tanker trailers suitable for over-the-road transportation of compressed, liquid gases. Tanker trailers hauling compressed gas on public roads are subject to extensive regulation, *517inspection, and certification requirements regarding their design and construction. The regulations are referred to as "MC-331," and such trailers are known as "MC-331 Tanker Trailers." MC-331 designs require inspection by an ASME2 -authorized inspector. To perform this service, Mountain West hired Damarc, an entity incorporated in Minnesota but with its principal place of business in Wisconsin. The parties signed two contracts-one in 2012 and one in 2013-that are identical in most respects, with each containing a choice-of-law provision stating that they "shall be interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota" (the "Contracts").3 The Contracts also contain exculpatory clauses that Damarc argues exempts it from any liability arising under the Contracts (the "Exculpatory Clause").

Mountain West proceeded with the construction of three MC-331 Tanker Trailers, but it was subsequently discovered they could not be sold because their nozzles did not comply with the MC-331 design specifications (the "Non-Compliant Nozzles"). Mountain West asserts that because Damarc failed to properly perform its contracted-for services, the three MC-331 Tanker Trailers are now essentially worthless. This situation contributed to Mountain West filing a chapter 7 bankruptcy petition on November 18, 2014, and George B. Hofmann was appointed as the Chapter 7 Trustee.

B. Undisputed Facts

1. Damarc is incorporated in Minnesota.4 Damarc is headquartered and has its place of business in Wisconsin.5 The Contracts state that Damarc is a Wisconsin corporation.6

2. Mountain West is domiciled in Utah with its principal place of business in Utah. Mountain West manufactured the MC-331 Tanker Trailers in Utah, and Damarc physically inspected the MC-331 Tanker Trailers in Utah. The alleged injury occurred in Utah with the supposedly injurious conduct occurring both in Utah and Wisconsin.7

3. Mountain West and Damarc entered into the Contracts in 2012 and 2013. The Contracts are titled "Agreement For AIA8 Third Party Inspection Services. "9 Mountain West and Damarc negotiated and executed the Contracts from their respective headquarters in Utah and Wisconsin.10

4. The Contracts contain the following choice-of-law provision: "This Agreement shall be interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota."

5. The Contracts also contain the following Exculpatory Clause:

8. Indemnity *5188.1 The company agrees that DAMARC is not liable for any claims, costs, actions, and/or demands arising from this Agreement or the activities conducted there under, except as provided in 8.2 below. This includes, but is not limited to:
a) Services provided by DAMARC;
b) Use or misuse by The [sic] company of any certificate, license or imprimatur provided by DAMARC under this Agreement;
c) Any breach of this Agreement.
8.2 The company shall not be liable for any claims, costs, actions, and/or demands arising from personal injuries or injuries to property suffered by DAMARC employees or contractors in the performance of this Agreement.11

II. ANALYSIS.

A. Summary of the Parties' Positions

The Trustee asserts that the choice-of-law provisions in the Contracts control, and thus this Court should apply Minnesota law to the "interpretation and enforcement" of the Contracts. Damarc argues that other than its incorporation in Minnesota, that state has no other contacts to the parties or the transaction; thus, Minnesota has little to no interest in the outcome of the case. Therefore, under applicable Utah law, the Court should apply the Restatement (Second) of Conflict of Laws, § 187(2), and determine if two or more states have an interest in the litigation. If so, the Court should consider which state has the more substantial relationship to the parties or the transaction, which, it argues, is Utah. Ostensibly, Utah law favors Damarc and Minnesota law favors the Trustee which underlies the basis for the choice-of-law dispute between the parties.12

B. Utah Law Determines Which Choice-of-Law Rules Apply

A federal court exercising supplemental jurisdiction over state-law claims "applies the substantive law, including choice of law rules, of the forum state."13 The adversary proceeding is filed in the Utah Bankruptcy Court. "Since Utah is the forum state, Utah's choice of law rules determine the outcome of the conflict."14

C. Overview of Utah's Choice-of-Law Jurisprudence

The choice-of-law dispute under these facts has challenged the interpretive powers of all parties (including the Court) as to how a Utah court would rule.

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Bluebook (online)
583 B.R. 514, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hofmann-v-damarc-quality-inspection-servs-llc-in-re-mountain-w-indus-utb-2018.