Interstate Commercial Building Services, Inc. v. Bank of America National Trust & Savings Ass'n

23 F. Supp. 2d 1166, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16825
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedOctober 16, 1998
DocketNo. CV-S-96-00282-PMP (LRL)
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 23 F. Supp. 2d 1166 (Interstate Commercial Building Services, Inc. v. Bank of America National Trust & Savings Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Interstate Commercial Building Services, Inc. v. Bank of America National Trust & Savings Ass'n, 23 F. Supp. 2d 1166, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16825 (D. Nev. 1998).

Opinion

ORDER

PRO, District Judge.

Presently before the court is Defendant Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association’s (“Bank of America”) Motion for Summary Judgment and/or Summary Adjudication of Claims and Issues (#68) filed May 8, 1998. Plaintiff Interstate Commercial Building Services, Inc. (“ICBS”) filed an Opposition to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment and/or Summary Adjudication of Claims and Issues (# 73) on May 26, 1998. On June 9, 1998, Defendant filed a Reply to Opposition to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment and/or Summary Adjudication of Claims • and Issues (# 81). Defendant submitted an Errata to Reply to Opposition to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment and/or Summary Adjudication of Claims and Issues (# 83) on June 12, 1998. On October 6, 1998, the Court conducted a hearing regarding Bank of America’s Motion for Summary Judgment.

I. INTRODUCTION

Bank of America brings this motion for summary judgment and/or summary adjudication seeking dismissal of all legal and equitable claims brought by ICBS. These claims arose from Bank of America’s alleged breach of construction contracts with ICBS. Bank of America contends that pursuant to Chapter 624 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, ICBS is barred from seeking relief due to its unlicensed contractor status. In addition, Bank of America seeks summary adjudication on issues relating to ICBS’ claimed damages and Bank of America’s alleged overpayment of ICBS in the amount of $180,652.89 under one of the contracts implicated in this action.

To resolve Bank of America’s motion, the Court must determine: (1) whether ICBS’ claims are ripe for summary judgment; (2) if so, what jurisdictional law this Court should apply; (3) whether Chapter 624 of the Neva[1169]*1169da Revised Statutes bars ICBS’ contract and equitable claims; (4) the admissibility of evidence supporting ICBS’ defamation claim; and (5) the amount of monies overpaid to ICBS.

For the reasons that follow, Bank of America’s Motion for Summary Judgment and/or Summary Adjudication is GRANTED.

II. Factual Background

The underlying disputes arise from a trio of construction contracts entered between Bank of America and ICBS in 1995. On June 12, 1995, ICBS and Bank of America entered into the Guaranteed Maximum Price Design and Construction Master Agreement (“Master Agreement”). On June 14, 1995, the parties entered into the Project Addendum (“Addendum”), in which ICBS agreed to provide “service and on-call work” to Bank of America. To ensure the compliance of Bank of America’s Nevada branch offices with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Bank of America also selected ICBS to provide disability compliance services under a separate agreement (“ADA Contract”).

Pursuant to these contracts, ICBS performed construction services at Bank of America’s branch offices in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas between June 12, 1995, and October 5, 1995. One month after the execution of the Master Agreement and the Addendum, a representative of Bank of America expressed his dissatisfaction with the management fee structure provided in the Master Agreement and his intention to use an alternative formula of compensation. Nevertheless, ICBS allegedly continued to provide construction services and incur expenses in accordance with the contracts.

In August and September of 1995, Bank of America began an internal investigation of one of its representatives, Jose M. Hernandez, based on a tip regarding laundered kickback payments allegedly accepted by Hernandez from building contractors and subcontractors. According to Bank of America, this investigation revealed that Hernandez had accepted a $50,000 payment from Third-Party Defendant Robyn Parra, the president of ICBS, to improperly secure the construction contracts between ICBS and Bank of America.

In September 1995, Bank of America ordered a complete cessation of all work being performed under the contracts and an accounting of all funds advanced to ICBS by Bank of America. Although the record is somewhat unclear, it appears that payments to ICBS were also halted or delayed. Sometime during this period, ICBS alleges that Bank of America made defamatory statements regarding ICBS to ICBS’ subcontractors. On October 6,1995, ICBS closed all its operations on the Bank of America projects.

ICBS subsequently sued, bringing the following claims for relief: (1) breach of contract; (2) anticipatory repudiation; (3) unjust enrichment; (4) quantum meruit; (5) promissory estoppel; (6) defamation; and (7) tor-tious breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Bank of America counterclaimed, alleging: (1) breach of contract; (2) breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing; (3) unjust enrichment; (4) conversion; (5) intentional misrepresentation; (6) negligent misrepresentation; and (7) conspiracy to defraud. Bank of America also brought third-party claims against Hernandez and Parra, alleging, in part, that they defrauded Bank of America.

Now, Bank of America moves for summary adjudication of ICBS’ legal and equitable claims on the grounds that ICBS is barred from recovery under Chapter 624 of the Nevada Revised Statutes.1 Bank of America [1170]*1170asserts that ICBS was acting as an unlicensed contractor at the time of contract formation and performance. Furthermore, Bank of America seeks dismissal of ICBS’ defamation claim because of the alleged inadmissibility of certain hearsay evidence:

In addition to summary adjudication of all of ICBS’ claims, Bank of America also seeks summary adjudication of a number of issues extant under ICBS’ Complaint and Bank of America’s Counterclaims. First, Bank of America seeks adjudication of the amount of monies unjustly retained and owed by ICBS under the ADA Contract.- Second, Bank of America seeks adjudication of whether the Master Agreement and Addendum provided for an at-will or definite term contract and whether, as a result, ICBS can maintain a claim for lost profits. Third, Bank of America seeks adjudication of whether ICBS failed to mitigate its damages.

ICBS counters that summary judgment is premature.- Even assuming arguendo that the claims are ripe for summary judgment, ICBS insists that its activities are not subject to the standing barrier of Chapter 624 since it functioned- solely as a “fee manager” that directed payments to licensed contractors and subcontractors. Furthermore, ICBS argues that all construction was performed or arranged by its Nevada-licensed subsidiary or affiliate. ICBS contends that such actions remove it from the ambit of Chapter 624 of the Nevada Revised Statutes.

III. Discussion

A. Ripeness of ICBS’ Claims for Summary Judgment

ICBS’ contention of the prematurity of Bank of America’s motion lacks both detail and persuasive force. To preserve, the right to further discovery before a district court rules on a summary judgment motion, the litigant must request a continuance under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(f). Volk v. D.A. Davidson & Co., 816 F.2d 1406, 1416 (9th Cir.1987).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

TOM VS. INNOVATIVE HOME SYS., LLC C/W 66006
2016 NV 15 (Nevada Supreme Court, 2016)
TOM VS. INNOVATIVE HOME SYS., LLC C/W 65419
2016 NV 15 (Nevada Supreme Court, 2016)
Tom v. Innovative Home Systems
Court of Appeals of Nevada, 2016
Tom v. Innovative Home Systems
2016 NV 15 (Nevada Supreme Court, 2016)
DTJ Design v. First Republic Bank
2014 NV 5 (Nevada Supreme Court, 2014)
INTERSTATE COMMERCIAL BLDG. SERV. v. Bank of Amer.
23 F. Supp. 2d 1166 (D. Nevada, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
23 F. Supp. 2d 1166, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16825, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/interstate-commercial-building-services-inc-v-bank-of-america-national-nvd-1998.