Laboeuf v. Bigliazzi

13 Mass. L. Rptr. 246
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedApril 10, 2001
DocketNo. 000048B
StatusPublished

This text of 13 Mass. L. Rptr. 246 (Laboeuf v. Bigliazzi) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Laboeuf v. Bigliazzi, 13 Mass. L. Rptr. 246 (Mass. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

Fecteau, J.

This matter is before the court on the motion of the defendants, Freightliner of Hartford, Inc. (“Freightliner of Hartford”) and its president Lindy Bigliazzi (“Bigliazzi”), for summary judgment. The allegations raised in plaintiff Robert D. Laboeuf s complaint arise from the plaintiffs purchase of two Freightliner trucks1 from the defendants between the years 1996 and 1999. In his complaint, plaintiff has brought claims for deceit (Counts I and II), violation of G.L.c. 231, Sec. 85J (Counts III and IV), G.L.c. 93A (Counts V and VI) and Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 42-110b (Counts VII and VTII) against both Bigliazzi, individually, and Freightliner of Hartford.

In their present motion for summary judgment,2 the defendants assert that: 1) this court lacks personal jurisdiction over them; 2) the statute of limitations which underlies Counts I and III [sic, see fn. 2] has run; 3) the Court does not have subject matter jurisdiction over the Massachusetts Statutory Claims as stated in Counts III through VI because the parties contractually agreed Connecticut law would govern their relationship; and 4) the Court does not have subject matter jurisdiction over plaintiffs G.L.c. 93A claims as stated in Counts V and VI because the actions complained of did not occur primarily or substantially within Massachusetts. In his opposition to defendants’ motion, plaintiff contends that the defendants are subject to the jurisdiction of this court since (1) Freightliner of Hartford regularly solicits business from Massachusetts residents, and (2) Bigliazzi’s alleged intentional and fraudulent conduct was directed into Massachusetts at a Massachusetts resident. The plaintiff also contends that defendants’ request for judgment on plaintiffs Massachusetts Statutory Claims should be denied because (1) the Connecticut choice-of-law provision in the two contracts does not apply to plaintiffs tort-related claims challenging the validity of the formation of said contracts, and (2) there is a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the conduct that forms the basis of plaintiffs Chapter 93A claims occurred primarily and substantially in Massachusetts. For the following reasons defendants’ motion for summary judgment is DENIED.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Bigliazzi, the president of Freightliner of Hartford, is a Connecticut resident, domiciliary and who works exclusively within the state. Freightliner of Hartford, incorporated in the State of Connecticut as a licensed dealer of trucks and tractors manufactured by Freightliner, has as its sole and principal place of business its location in East Hartford, Connecticut. The plaintiff is a resident of Webster, MA and operates a trucking business from there or New Hampshire, where he registers the trucks he drives.

[247]*247Freightliner of Hartford has never maintained a sales office, repair facility, or bank account in Massachusetts. Freightliner of Hartford does conduct limited advertising regarding the products and services it sells in Massachusetts. The company advertises in Massachusetts by way of regional trade journals, quarterly mailings, unsolicited phone calls to potential customers, sending salesman to solicit business, and by sending flyers/leaflets to truck stops in the state.

Sometime in early December 1996, the plaintiff visited the defendants’ place of business in Hartford, Connecticut. Plaintiff arrived at the defendants’ place of business by accident, having mistakenly thought that it was another truck manufacturer’s dealership and gone there for parts for the truck he was driving at the time. While at Freightliner of Hartford plaintiff saw a model of the 1997 Century Tractor (“1997 Century”), a new model line that had been recently introduced by Freightliner. Upon plaintiffs expressing an interest in the 1997 Century, he was directed to Bigliazzi who subsequently inspected plaintiffs truck to determine its trade-in value. After his inspection, Bigliazzi told plaintiff his estimation of the trade-in value of his truck. Bigliazzi, then told plaintiff that he was expecting to have a 1997 Century with low mileage in his lot sometime in the following several days and that someone from Freightliner of Hartford would call plaintiff at his home in Webster, MA when it arrived.

Several days later plaintiff was in fact called (at least once) at home by someone from Freightliner of Hartford to let him know that the 1997 Century had arrived. Subsequently, plaintiff drove to Freightliner of Hartford to inspect the 1997 Century. At this time plaintiff was quoted a price for the 1997 Century included in which was the trade-in amount for his old truck. Plaintiff was also informed, either while at Freightliner of Hartford or by phone, that the truck had low mileage because its former owner had suffered a heart attack after having driven the vehicle for only a few months. The truck had in fact been traded in by its first owner because of recurring problems associated with the new 1997 Freightliner Century Line. As a result of the information provided to him by Freightliner of Hartford, plaintiff decided to purchase the 1997 Century and did in fact take possession of said vehicle on December 18, 1996.

It is disputed between the parties exactly when, by what means, and from whom the plaintiff became aware of the misrepresentation as to the previous owner’s reasons for trading in the 1997 Century. The defendants assert that they became aware of the misrepresentation prior to plaintiff taking possession of the vehicle or immediately thereafter; according to both defendants, they informed the plaintiff of the misrepresentation and gave him a chance to back out of the deal. The defendants also contend that the misrepresentation was made by one of their salesmen or a sales manager at the dealership rather than by Bigliazzi over the phone. The plaintiff, however, contends that the offensive statement was in fact made by Bigliazzi over the phone and that the plaintiff only learned of the defendants’ misrepresentation sometime after taking possession of the vehicle when, by chance, he spoke to the previous owner. Plaintiff has also submitted evidence that someone from the defendants’ office made at least two, and possibly as many as six, phone calls to plaintiffs home during mid-December 1996.

By February 1997, the plaintiff, after having brought the 1997 Century to Freightliner of Hartford and other places for trouble-shooting and repairs on many occasions, decided to trade in the 1997 Century for a more traditional Freightliner Classic Model (“1997 Classic”). Bigliazzi personally negotiated with Freightliner LLC to provide the plaintiff with a substantial additional trade-in allowance on the 1997 Century as a goodwill gesture, and plaintiff did in fact purchase a 1997 Classic in March 1997.

In September 1998, the plaintiff decided to trade in the 1997 Classic for a 1998 Freightliner Century Model (“1998 Century”). At the time, the plaintiff stated that he had talked to other dealerships about purchasing a 1998 Century but chose to purchase it through the defendant because he wanted to “give Freightliner-Hartford the business.” Bigliazzi also acted as the salesman on the plaintiffs September 1998 purchase.

After driving the 1998 Century for approximately six months the plaintiff decided to trade it for another Classic model. As a result, in April of 1999, the plaintiff purchased a new 1999 Freightliner Classic Model (“1999 Classic”) from Freightliner of Hartford. The salesman for this transaction, most of which was negotiated over the telephone, was Steve Farley (“Farley").

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Bluebook (online)
13 Mass. L. Rptr. 246, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/laboeuf-v-bigliazzi-masssuperct-2001.