J. M. Humphries Construction Co. v. City of Memphis

623 S.W.2d 276, 1981 Tenn. App. LEXIS 548
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedApril 27, 1981
StatusPublished

This text of 623 S.W.2d 276 (J. M. Humphries Construction Co. v. City of Memphis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
J. M. Humphries Construction Co. v. City of Memphis, 623 S.W.2d 276, 1981 Tenn. App. LEXIS 548 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinion

NEARN, Judge.

This is an appeal from an order granting summary judgment as to only one defendant but made final pursuant to Rule 54.02 T.R.C.P. Hence, the judgment as to that defendant is final and appealable as of right pursuant to Rule 3 T.R.A.P.

Plaintiff, J. M. Humphries Construction Company, was the successful bidder on a City of Memphis project to lay sewer pipes from the mainland to “Mud Island” located in the Mississippi River at the riverfront of the City of Memphis. The co-defendant Clark, Dietz Engineers, Inc., furnished the engineering plans upon which the bids were [277]*277based. According to the contract Hum-phries was to be additionally paid for any “extra” work not covered by the contract and approved by the City. Humphries performed what it considered to be “extra” work not covered by the contract; but, the City of Memphis refused to pay for said work on the grounds, inter alia, that the work was not “extra” but included in the contract. Humphries sued the City for breach of contract and sued Clark, Dietz Engineers for negligent misrepresentation in drafting the plans and specifications for the project, and for failure to exercise due professional care.

Summary judgment made final, was granted in favor of the City of Memphis only. The matter is yet pending as to the other defendant.

We are of the opinion that the Trial Judge committed no error in granting summary judgment in favor of the City of Memphis. In his memorandum opinion the Trial Judge sets forth the problem, the position of the parties and correctly applies the controlling law. Accordingly, we will adopt his memorandum opinion as our own and copy as follows:

“One of the two defendants, the City of Memphis, has filed a motion for a summary judgment which avers that the complaint of the plaintiff J. M. Hum-phries Construction Company fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted and that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact.
“The plaintiff denies that the City’s motion should be sustained.
“The Court will sustain the motion.
“The plaintiff seeks to recover damages against the City of Memphis and Clark, Dietz Engineers, Inc., which in correspondence in the file is referred to as Clark, Dietz and Associates and Clark, Dietz And Associates — Engineers, Inc., to recover alleged damages arising out of a contract for the plaintiff to emplace in a trench beneath the Wolf River Harbor a 40 inch diameter sewer line in accordance with plans, specifications and drawings furnished by the City and prepared by Clark, Dietz Engineers, Inc. who had been engaged by the City as its engineers for the job. The documents were submitted to all prospective bidders, and they set out in detail all engineering features intended for explanation of the project, including inter alia, the type of weights to be placed on the pipe, the spacing of the weights and the type of wrapping to be placed between the weights and the pipe. Humphries was awarded the contract on its bid of $1,253,-460.00. The contract was executed by the parties in March 1978. The only amount in dispute is that for extra work which Humphries states was necessary to make adjustments as to weights in order to secure the pipe in place under the water of the Wolf River. Humphries states it is entitled to $120,000.00 for this work on grounds of quantum meruit or unjust enrichment.
“A polyethylene pipe as the force main was to be placed under the Wolf River, to connect to a steel pipe at the Bayou Gay-oso Pump Station, with weights attached, to sink to the bottom of a tunnel which was to be backfilled. The weights were to be spaced at 15 feet intervals along the pipe under the river.
“Humphries alleges that prior to submerging the pipe it discovered it would be impossible for the weights, as set out in the drawings and specifications, to sink the pipe to the bottom of the tunnel, and hold it in place below the required elevation until the backfill was placed over the pipe.
“The objection to complying with the specifications of the City as expressed by the plaintiff by letter of 9 September to Clark, Dietz and Associates, was that as they were preparing to launch the 40 inch polyethylene force main across the Wolf River they observed that the soil is a very fine silt, and upon excavation of the trench with a dragline, the disturbed soil reacted like silty clay, and that when disturbed under water it acted like a liquid; that the next day it was noted the trench was filled with a soupy sediment [278]*278that could be detected with a plumb bob as the weight settled to the bottom of the trench; that the sediment is a layer of suspended silt particles and a buildup of the heavier particles that have settled to the bottom. Further that the lower portion of the sediment may appear as a solid, but that it will react as a fluid mass and that the fluid mass with its calculated specific gravity would not allow the force main with the weights as designed to reach the trench bottom, and would cause the pipe to flow above the upper limit elevation as established by the Corps of Engineers when the backfill material would be placed.
“The plaintiff states that the loose silt sediment existed several feet thick over the bottom of the river and collected in the pipe trench readily, since it is 18 feet below the river bottom. The plaintiff avers in its Exhibit C, attached to the affidavit of J. M. Humphries, that agitation of the water from construction machinery, passing river traffic, flow from storm water ditches, and gravity cause the flow of the silt sediment toward the pipe trench. The affidavit states that an attempt was made to clean the material from the trench but that due to its fluid nature it could not be excavated.
“Richard H. Price, the Memphis Branch Manager of Clark, Dietz and Associates, responded by letter of 16 September 1976, stamped received 18 September 1976, stating that it was the opinion of Clark, Dietz that the pipe as designed would remain stationary installed as shown in the plans, and that they would agree to the area around the pipe and up to the elevation of 168 being filled with 3 inch stone. He stated that it would be difficult to sink the pipe through the material that was then present, but that this was considered to be a construction problem, ‘since the plans and specifications indicate only the final position and surrounding conditions of the pipe.’ He stated they do not in any way prescribe how this position or condition will be attained.
“By letter of 30 September 1976, 21 days after the letter of 9 September 1976, J. M. Humphries, President of the plaintiff company, wrote Mr. Price stating in part: ‘It is imperative that we do not let the favorable conditions for the river crossing that exist at this time slip away while waiting for a decision on the additional ballast. Therefore, we have proceeded without delay to provide the minimum ballast necessary for this crossing and expect to install the pipe in the river by the middle of October. We will present our request for a Change Order to cover this extra work at a later date.’

“The City in its affidavit in support of its motion relies on Article 20 and Article 59 of the contract between the parties. The portion of Article 20 on which the city relies, states as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
623 S.W.2d 276, 1981 Tenn. App. LEXIS 548, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/j-m-humphries-construction-co-v-city-of-memphis-tennctapp-1981.