Lippert Bros. v. National Union Fire Insurance

247 F. Supp. 874, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6125
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 10, 1965
DocketCiv. No. 64-146
StatusPublished

This text of 247 F. Supp. 874 (Lippert Bros. v. National Union Fire Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lippert Bros. v. National Union Fire Insurance, 247 F. Supp. 874, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6125 (W.D. Okla. 1965).

Opinion

DAUGHERTY, District Judge.

In this case, the plaintiff, Lippert Bros., Inc., as a general contractor, sues the defendant, National Union Fire Insurance Company, on a payment and performance bond issued by the defendant, to Western Steel Erector, Inc., (hereinafter called Western), a subcontractor of the plaintiff, on a dormitory project at the University of Nebraska. The plaintiff claims that said subcontractor, so bonded by the defendant, defaulted in its subcontract for the erection of steel on the project which forced the plaintiff to take over and complete the performance of the subcontract. Also, that plaintiff was covered and protected by said bond of the defendant and that plaintiff expended $26,264.20 in completing the said subcontract. The defendant at the trial did not contest the take-over by plaintiff or that the bond of defendant protected the plaintiff in this matter. The defendant did question the amount plaintiff was entitled to recover under the bond in that certain items were not recoverable for various reasons and that plaintiff, prior to default by Western, knowingly made over-payments to Western on estimates, which over-payments the defendant claims should be applied as a credit to any amount found owing herein by the defendant to the plaintiff.

Denver United States National Bank was permitted to intervene herein and by its petition in intervention against the defendant, asserts that it was a named co-obligee in the above-mentioned payment and performance bond issued by the defendant to Western, as principal, with the plaintiff and said intervenor as co-obligees. The intervenor claims that the understanding and agreement between it and the defendant resulting in the inter-venor being made a co-obligee on said bond was that the defendant was guaranteeing that Western itself would perform the subcontract and thereby entitle Western to receive some $36,500.00, the amount of said subcontract, which amount in turn would be paid by the general contractor to the intervenor under an assignment of such project proceeds made to the intervenor by Western. Further, that defendant urged the inter-venor to lend money to Western which would permit Western to undertake the. subcontract and utilize defendant’s payment and performance bond on the project, which loans intervenor made. That the amount unpaid and owing by Western to the intervenor is covered and pro[876]*876tected by defendant’s payment and performance bond, in view of the failure of Western itself to perform the subcontract, as guaranteed by defendant. That had Western so performed, as guaranteed by defendant, the account of Western with intervenor would have been satisfied in full under and by virtue of said assignment of the project funds to inter-venor. Originally the intervenor also made certain claims against the plaintiff but abandoned the same at the start of the trial and it was agreed between all parties that any amounts payable by the defendant under its payment and performance bond involved herein would recognize first priority to the plaintiff for any amount due it, and second priority to the intervenor as to any amount due it, but not to exceed the face amount of the bond for both.

The defendant claims with reference to the intervenor’s petition in intervention that the understanding and arrangement of the defendant and the inter-venor which resulted in the intervenor being made a co-obligee on the payment and performance bond was not as claimed by intervenor but that same was of no effect or was done only to permit the intervenor to trace any funds which it lent to Western into the hands of laborers and materialmen of Western and then by subrogation to be afforded coverage under the bond for any such amounts it so traces.

By agreement the case was tried to the Court without a jury.

With respect to the controversy between the plaintiff and defendant, the Court finds from the evidence that Western was a subcontractor under plaintiff and defaulted in said subcontract; that the plaintiff is covered by the payment and performance bond issued by the defendant to Western; that plaintiff took over and performed the subcontract of Western and that plaintiff’s costs and expenses in completing said subcontract was as claimed in the amount of $26,264.-20, except that said sum should be reduced by the amount of $185.45, representing five duplicated items and one item not paid by plaintiff, and in the further sum of $237.52, representing the value of vpork expended by subcontract personnel in moving a crane operated by plaintiff which work was not a part of said subcontract. The Court therefore finds that the amount due the plaintiff by defendant for completing said subcontract is in the amount of $25,841.-23. The claim of the defendant for credit regarding workmen’s compensation and PL and PD insurance is denied for the reason that the evidence discloses that the plaintiff actually paid for such insurance protection as to the subcontract in the amount of $1,695.69, and that any such insurance previously purchased by Western was never paid for by Western and same was cancelled. Since plaintiff, in fact, paid for the aforesaid insurance coverage it would be a proper completion cost. The claim of defendant for credit for alleged premature payments made on estimates to Western to the prejudice and injury of the defendant is denied by the Court for the reasons, first, that said estimates and amounts paid thereunder were only intended to be estimates and under the record herein and the circumstances involved the estimates submitted by Western were reasonably accurate and payments thereof were made in good faith and the same only being estimates they must be treated as such, and second, that if Western’s estimates Nos. 1 and 2 for 352 tons of steel erected were excessive or premature, as claimed by defendant, that the same were not approved or paid by the plaintiff with knowledge at the time that they were excessive or premature, and when later discovered by plaintiff to be excessive the plaintiff brought such fact to the attention of Western and refused to pay estimate No. 3 for 141 additional tons of steel erected as submitted by Western, and third, the defendant has shown no prejudice to it as a result of any overpayments. See 127 A.L.R. 10.

Therefore, plaintiff is entitled to judgment against the defendant in the amount of $25,841.23.

[877]*877With reference to the claim in intervention of the intervenor against the defendant, the Court finds that this controversy must be decided on the basis of the intent and understanding between the intervenor and the defendant regarding the contractual relationship and obligations brought about by the defendant making the intervenor a co-obligee in its payment and performance bond involved herein. 17 Am.Jur.2d, Contractors Bonds, Sec. 3, pages 193 and 194.

In this connection, the Court finds from the evidence and all the facts and circumstances involved that it was the intent, understanding and agreement of the intervenor and the defendant in making the intervenor a co-obligee on the payment and performance bond, that defendant would guarantee to the inter-venor, in view of loans to Western, that Western itself would perform the subcontract and thereby entitle the inter-venor to receive and apply the proceeds due Western from the subcontract to the extent of its loans to Western under and by virtue of the assignment of such subcontract proceeds from Western to in-tervenor.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
247 F. Supp. 874, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6125, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lippert-bros-v-national-union-fire-insurance-okwd-1965.