Keywell L.L.C. v. Pavilion Building Installation Systems, Ltd.

861 F. Supp. 2d 120, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 157147, 2012 WL 914998
District Court, W.D. New York·Decided March 12, 2012·No. No. 09-CV-00934S(F)·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

ORDER ADOPTING REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

WILLIAM M. SKRETNY, Chief Judge.

Presently before this Court are Defendant’s Zehn Burhan Uzman’s Objections to the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation. Having reviewed the Report and Recommendation de novo, after considering the Objection and the parties’ submissions, see 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1); Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b); Local Rule 72(b), this Court concurs with the findings and recommendations contained in the Report and Recommendation. Accordingly, the Objections are DENIED, and the Report and Recommendation is ACCEPTED, including the authorities cited and the reasons given therein.

Also before this Court are Defendants Douglas Barrett and Barrett Crane Design & Engineering’s Objections to the Report and Recommendation. The Barrett Defendants object to any findings of fact the Magistrate Judge may have made as to whether Defendant Pavilion Building Installation Systems, Ltd. retained them to design the structure at issue and prepare engineering drawings in compliance with all applicable New York State engineering codes. The Barrett Defendants draw attention to the fact that they have denied these allegations in their Answer.

As the Report and Recommendation makes clear, the Magistrate Judge took the facts of the case from the pleadings and motion papers filed in the action. Moreover, the Magistrate Judge’s recommendation pertains to Defendant Uzman’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, therefore the Magistrate Judge “accept[ed] all allegations in the complaint as true and dr[e]w all inferences in the non-moving partys favor.” LaFaro v. N.Y. Cardiothoracic Group, PLLC, 570 F.3d 471, 475 (2d Cir.2009). Accordingly, the Magistrate Judge was not making a finding of fact, but was providing the cases factual background in the context of Defendant’s motion. Because no findings of fact were made, the Barrett Defendants’ objections will be DENIED as moot.

IT HEREBY IS ORDERED, that the Report and Recommendation is ACCEPTED. FURTHER, that Defendant Uzman’s Objections are DENIED. FURTHER, that the Barrett Defendants’ Objections [123] are DENIED as moot. FURTHER, that Defendant Uzman’s Motion is DENIED.

SO ORDERED.

REPORT and RECOMMENDATION

LESLIE G. FOSCHIO, United States Magistrate Judge.

JURISDICTION

This case was referred to the undersigned by Honorable William M. Skretny on February 8, 2010, for preparation of a report and recommendation on dispositive motions. The matter is presently before the court on Defendant Uzman’s motion for partial judgment on the pleadings (Doc. No. 91), filed May 31, 2011.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Keywell L.L.C. (“Plaintiff,” “Keywell,” or “project owner”), an Illinois limited liability company, operates a specialty scrap metal recycling business throughout the United States, including, as relevant to this action, in Frewsberg, New York (“the Frewsberg Facility”). On September 27, 2007, representatives from Keywell and Defendant Pavilion Building Installation Systems, Ltd. (“Pavilion”), a Canadian company engaged in the design, marketing, and selling of lightweight building structures, executed a written contract providing that Pavilion would design, manufacture, and erect a structure at Key-well’s Frewsberg facility (“the structure”). On October 29, 2009, Plaintiff commenced this action filing the original complaint (Doc. No. 1), alleging the structure was inadequately designed and was unable to withstand the elements, became damaged, failed to perform as anticipated, and is a total loss. Defendants Douglas Barrett (“Barrett”), and Zehn Burham Uzman (“Uzman”), are professional engineers who worked for Pavilion as independent contractors, whereas Defendant Li Zhi Cao (“Cao”) is a professional engineer and Pavilion employee (“Pavilion Defendants”). The Complaint asserted four claims for relief, including a single breach of contract claim against Pavilion and three separate claims for professional negligence asserted against Defendants Uzman, Barrett, and Cao.

On March 2, 2011, Plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint (Doc. No. 73) (“Amended Complaint”), naming as Defendants Pavilion, Uzman, Barrett, and Cao, in addition to Barrett’s company, Barrett Crane Design & Engineering (“Barrett Crane”) (“Barrett Defendants”), and asserting four claims for relief including (1) breach of contract against Pavilion, Uzman, and Barrett Defendants (“First Claim”); (2) professional negligence against Uzman (“Second Claim”); (3) professional negligence against Barrett Defendants (“Third Claim”), and professional negligence against Cao (“Fourth Claim”).

Answers containing crossclaims against co-defendants for indemnification and contribution were filed by Uzman on March 16, 2011 (Doc. No. 76) (“Uzman’s Answer”), by Pavilion Defendants on March 21, 2011 (Doc. No. 77), and by Barrett Defendants on April 29, 2011 (Doc. No. 80). Answers to the crossclaims were filed on May 19, 2011 by Pavilion Defendants (Doc. No. 85 (Uzman’s crossclaim), and Doc. No. 86 (Barrett Defendants’ cross-claim)), May 23, 2011 by Uzman (Doc. No. 87) (Barrett Defendants’ crossclaim), and May 26, 2011 by Barrett Defendants (Doc. No. 88 (Uzman’s crossclaim), and Doc. No. 89 (Pavilion Defendants’ crossclaim)).

On May 31, 2011, Uzman moved for partial judgment on the pleadings seeking to dismiss the First Claim insofar as it alleges breach of contract against Uzman (“Uzman’s motion”). The motion is supported by the attached Attorney Affirmation of Peter A. Lauricella, Esq. in Support of Defendant Zehn Burhan Uzman’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings [124] Pursuant to FecLR.Civ.P. 12(c) (Doc. No. 91-1) (“Lauricella Affirmation”), exhibits A through D (“Uzman Exh(s). _”), and the Memorandum of Law in Support of Defendant Zehn Burhan Uzman’s Motion for Partial Judgment on the Pleadings Pursuant to Fed. R. [Civ.] P. 12(c) (Doc. No. 91-5) (“Uzman’s Memorandum”).

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Keywell L.L.C. v. Pavilion Building Installation Systems, Ltd., 861 F. Supp. 2d 120, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 157147, 2012 WL 914998 (W.D.N.Y. 2012).

861 F. Supp. 2d 120 (Keywell L.L.C. v. Pavilion Building Installation Systems, Ltd.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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