JOHN J. JORDAN & Another v. CEA GROUP, INC., & Others; PRELLWITZ CHILINSKI ASSOCIATES, INC., Third-Party

• Court: Massachusetts Appeals Court
• Decided: April 2, 2026
• Docket: 25-P-0675
• Status: Unpublished

Opinion

NOTICE: Summary decisions issued by the Appeals Court pursuant to M.A.C. Rule 23.0, as appearing in 97 Mass. App. Ct. 1017 (2020) (formerly known as rule 1:28, as amended by 73 Mass. App. Ct. 1001 [2009]), are primarily directed to the parties and, therefore, may not fully address the facts of the case or the panel's decisional rationale. Moreover, such decisions are not circulated to the entire court and, therefore, represent only the views of the panel that decided the case. A summary decision pursuant to rule 23.0 or rule 1:28 issued after February 25, 2008, may be cited for its persuasive value but, because of the limitations noted above, not as binding precedent. See Chace v. Curran, 71 Mass. App. Ct. 258, 260 n.4 (2008).

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

APPEALS COURT

25-P-675

JOHN J. JORDAN & another1

vs.

CEA GROUP, INC., & others;2 PRELLWITZ CHILINSKI ASSOCIATES, INC., third-party defendant.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER PURSUANT TO RULE 23.0

Defendants CEA Group, Inc., and CEA SouthCoast LLC

(collectively, CEA) appeal from a separate and final judgment of

the Superior Court dismissing their third-party complaint

alleging breach of contract and indemnity claims against third-

party defendant Prellwitz Chilinski Associates, Inc. (PCA). See

Mass. R. Civ. P. 54 (b), 365 Mass. 820 (1974). We affirm.

Background. In 2018, plaintiff John J. Jordan, while

making a retail delivery, fell from a loading dock on a property

1Bridget Jordan. Neither plaintiff is a party to this appeal.

2CEA SouthCoast LLC; Callahan, Inc.; and Prellwitz Chilinski Associates, Inc. owned by CEA. He alleged that the dock did not comply with

various industry standards and requirements, including those set

out by the Occupational Safety and Health Association.

In December 2019, approximately three weeks after filing

his initial complaint against CEA, Jordan amended the complaint

to include additional claims asserting building code violations

against CEA. CEA answered the first amended complaint and

asserted third-party claims against Callahan, Inc. (Callahan),

which provided construction services for the loading dock,3 and

PCA, which issued an "Architect's Project Compliance

Certificate" certifying the loading dock. CEA's third-party

claims against PCA were for breach of contract, indemnification,

and contribution. In August 2020, the plaintiffs were allowed

to amend their complaint a second time (second amended

complaint) to include PCA as a direct defendant. CEA answered

the second amended complaint and filed a cross claim against

PCA, reasserting the contribution claim. CEA's cross claim did

not include the breach of contract and indemnification claims.

In March 2025, PCA and the plaintiffs filed a joint

petition for approval of a settlement of all the plaintiffs'

claims against PCA. As part of the petition, PCA moved to

dismiss CEA's third-party complaint and cross claim, arguing

3 The claims involving Callahan did not reach a final judgment as of the time of this appeal and are not before us.

2 that the breach of contract and indemnity claims were abandoned

by CEA, and the contribution claim was extinguished by the

settlement with the original plaintiffs. A judge granted the

petition in full. CEA now appeals from the judgment dismissing

its third-party claims for breach of contract and indemnity.4

Discussion. CEA contends that the judge erred by

dismissing its third-party claims against PCA for breach of

contract and indemnity because its answer to the plaintiffs'

second amended complaint and cross claim did not supersede its

earlier answer and third-party complaint. We disagree.

When the plaintiffs filed their second amended complaint,

CEA was required to reassert the claims contained in its third-

party complaint to preserve them. Mass. R. Civ. P. 14 (a), as

amended, 385 Mass. 1216 (1982), which permits third-party

complaints, provides that "a defending party, as a third-party

plaintiff, may . . . cause a summons and complaint to be served

upon a person who is or may be liable to him for all or part of

the plaintiff's claim against him" (emphasis added). Gabbidon

v. King, 414 Mass. 685, 686 (1993), quoting Mass. R. Civ. P.

14 (a). This rule is intended to be used when third-party

defendants may have derivative or secondary liability based on

4 CEA does not dispute that the contribution claim was extinguished as a matter of law when PCA settled with the plaintiffs, nor does it dispute that the settlement was made in good faith.

3 the plaintiff's claim against the original defendant. See

Gabbidon, supra at 686-687. Here, the derivative nature of

CEA's claims is evident in the demand made in each count of its

third-party complaint against CEA for "any damages, losses,

expenses . . . and liabilities arising out of the claims

asserted by the Plaintiffs." The third-party complaint attached

the first amended complaint as an exhibit and referred to it

throughout.

The plaintiffs' second amended complaint was complete

without reference to the first amended complaint. As a result,

the second amended complaint superseded the first amended

complaint. See National Constr. Co. v. National Grange Mut.

Ins. Co., 10 Mass. App. Ct. 38, 40 (1980). Because CEA's third-

party complaint was derivative of the first amended complaint,

it did not remain operative once that complaint was superseded

by the second amended complaint. Just as CEA was required to

answer the second amended complaint and reassert defenses, see

Kniskern v. Melkonian, 68 Mass. App. Ct. 461, 463 (2007)

(default judgment against party who failed to answer amended

complaint), it also was required to reassert any third-party

claims. Furthermore, by filing its own successive pleading in

response to the second amended complaint, CEA superseded its

earlier pleading. See Wang v. Niakaros, 67 Mass. App. Ct. 166,

170 n.6 (2006). By failing to include them in its answer to the

4 plaintiffs' second amended complaint and cross claim against

PCA, CEA waived or abandoned its breach of contract and

indemnity claims. See National Constr. Co., supra at 40.

Because CEA does not contest that the remaining contribution

claim was properly discharged with the settlement, the judge

correctly dismissed CEA's claims against PCA.5

Judgment dismissing third- party complaint, entered March 24, 2025, affirmed.

By the Court (Meade, Massing & Brennan, JJ.6),

Clerk

Entered: April 2, 2026.

5 CEA's arguments that the judge's order to dismiss was error because it violated Mass. R. Civ. P. 41, 365 Mass. 803 (1974), and that PCA was estopped from arguing CEA waived its third-party claims were not raised in the trial court and thus are waived. See Weiler v. PortfolioScope, Inc., 469 Mass. 75, 86 (2014) (argument raised for first time on appeal deemed waived). CEA's contention that it should be granted leave to amend its answer to the second amended complaint in conjunction with a remand of the matter to the Superior Court is moot, because the judgment is affirmed. To the extent that CEA argues the trial judge should have granted leave to amend, this argument is waived because it was not raised below. See id.

6 The panelists are listed in order of seniority.