JAMP Development v. New Beginnings Church

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 9, 2022
Docket67 EDA 2022
StatusUnpublished

This text of JAMP Development v. New Beginnings Church (JAMP Development v. New Beginnings Church) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
JAMP Development v. New Beginnings Church, (Pa. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

J-A17008-22

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

JAMP DEVELOPMENT, LLC : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA Appellant : : : v. : : : NEW BEGINNINGS CHURCH OF : No. 67 EDA 2022 BUCKS COUNTY ANGELY ASSET : MANAGEMENT COMPANY D/B/A : RE/MAX CENTRE REALTORS, AND : HERMAN PETRECCA :

Appeal from the Judgment Entered December 8, 2021 In the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County Civil Division at No(s): 2017-04171

BEFORE: PANELLA, P.J., NICHOLS, J., and COLINS, J.*

MEMORANDUM BY PANELLA, P.J.: FILED NOVEMBER 9, 2022

This case involves the failed sale of a vacant parcel of land owned by

New Beginnings Church of Bucks County to JAMP Development, LLC. After

careful review, we affirm.

New Beginnings purchased the property in 2005 for $359,000.00. In

2010, the church listed the property for $499,000.00. The price was lowered

multiple times, yet New Beginnings did not receive any offers. In 2015, New

Beginnings signed a listing contract with Herman Petrecca and lowered the

asking price to $249,000.00. On December 30, 2015, JAMP, a land developer,

____________________________________________

* Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court. J-A17008-22

and New Beginnings signed an Agreement of Sale, which expressed that JAMP

would purchase the property for $170,000.00 subject to three contingencies.

Petrecca acted as dual agent, representing both New Beginnings and JAMP.

The Agreement of Sale contained a settlement date of October 1, 2016, and

JAMP presented $10,000.00 as a deposit.

The parties failed to proceed to closing the purchase by the closing date

of October 1, 2016. JAMP attempted to close following the agreed upon date,

but New Beginnings declined to close on the sale, indicating that the

settlement date had passed.

On June 26, 2017, JAMP initiated this action with the filing of a complaint

raising claims of specific performance, breach of contract, and unjust

enrichment. New Beginnings filed its Answer, New Matter, Counterclaim and

Cross-Claim, joining additional defendants.1 All parties filed motions for

summary judgment, which the trial court denied.

The case proceeded to a nonjury trial on November 1, 2021. During the

trial, New Beginnings and the additional defendants reached a settlement. At

the conclusion of trial, the court entered a verdict in favor of New Beginnings.

Specifically, the trial court ruled that the Agreement of Sale was unambiguous

regarding the closing date being set for October 1, 2016. Further, the trial

1New Beginnings joined Angely Asset Management Company d/b/a RE/MAX Centre Realtors and Petrecca as additional defendants.

-2- J-A17008-22

court determined that JAMP failed to tender settlement on or before the

October 1, 2016 settlement date and declined to order specific performance.

JAMP filed timely post-trial motions, which the trial court denied. New

Beginnings then filed a praecipe to enter judgment. This timely appeal by

JAMP followed. Both JAMP and the trial court complied with Pa.R.A.P. 1925.

JAMP first argues that the trial court erred in determining the Agreement

of Sale was unambiguous. JAMP asserts that paragraphs 4 and 29(B) are in

conflict as to the dates of settlement, creating an ambiguity. In addition, JAMP

argues that the trial court should have ordered specific performance because

New Beginnings prevented JAMP from closing on the property by October 1,

2016.

“[W]e review the trial court’s nonjury verdict to determine if the trial

court’s findings are supported by the evidence or whether the trial court

committed legal error.” Palmieri v. Partridge, 853 A.2d 1076, 1078 (Pa.

Super. 2004) (citation omitted). Because the issues concern the interpretation

of a contract, which is a question of law, our standard of review of the sales

agreement is de novo. See id. (citation omitted).

A fundamental rule in construing a contract is to ascertain and give

effect to the intent of the contracting parties. See Kmart of Pennsylvania,

L.P. v. MD Mall Associates, LLC, 959 A.2d 939, 943 (Pa. Super. 2008). The

intent of the parties in a written contract is contained within the writing itself.

-3- J-A17008-22

See id. at 944. When the contract is clear and unambiguous, the meaning of

the contract is ascertained from the writing alone. See id. Moreover,

[i]t is well-settled that clauses in a contract should not be read as independent agreements thrown together without consideration of their combined effects. Terms in one section of the contract, therefore, should never be interpreted in a manner which nullifies other terms in the same agreement. Furthermore, the specific controls the general when interpreting a contract.

Southwestern Energy Production Co. v. Forest Resources, LLC, 83 A.3d

177, 187 (Pa. Super. 2013) (quoting Trombetta v. Raymond James

Financial Services, Inc., 907 A.2d 550, 560 (Pa. Super. 2006)).

In addition, an action for specific performance sounds in equity. See

Lackner v. Glosser, 892 A.2d 21, 31 (Pa. Super. 2006). Our standard of

review over an equitable matter requires a determination as to whether an

error of law or abuse of discretion has been committed. See Southall v.

Humbert, 685 A.2d 574, 576 (Pa. Super. 1996). Our scope of review is limited

in that it does not allow us to disturb an equitable determination unless it is

unsupported by the evidence or is demonstrably capricious. See id. Our

review of a final equity decree is very narrow. See Yarnall v. Almy, 703 A.2d

535, 536 (Pa. Super. 1997).

We explained in American Leasing v. Morrison Co., 454 A.2d 555

(Pa. Super. 1982), the well-established principle under the Statute of Frauds

that “the terms purporting to convey an interest in land must be manifest in

writing, in order to make the contract enforceable. The property must be

adequately described, the consideration must be set forth, and the agreement

-4- J-A17008-22

must be signed by the party to be charged.” Id. at 557-558 (citation omitted).

See also, 33 P.S. § 1.2 The fundamental purpose of the Statute of Frauds is

to prevent assertions of verbal understandings that are contrary to the written

agreement, thereby obviating the opportunity for fraud and perjury. See

Fannin v. Cratty, 480 A.2d 1056, 1058 (Pa. Super. 1984). Even so,

Pennsylvania has adopted the principle that “every contract imposes upon

each party a duty of good faith and fair dealing in its performance and its

enforcement.” John B. Conomos, Inc. v. Sun Co., 831 A.2d 696, 706 (Pa.

Super. 2003).

We observe that JAMP’s request of specific performance seeks a form of

equitable relief that is largely entrusted to the discretion of the trial court:

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