Macintyre v. Moore

335 F. Supp. 3d 402
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 28, 2018
Docket6:15-CV-06660 EAW
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 335 F. Supp. 3d 402 (Macintyre v. Moore) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Macintyre v. Moore, 335 F. Supp. 3d 402 (W.D.N.Y. 2018).

Opinion

ELIZABETH A. WOLFORD, United States District Judge *407INTRODUCTION

Pro se Plaintiffs Stephen R. MacIntyre ("MacIntyre") and Scott E. Sullivan ("Sullivan") (collectively, "Plaintiffs") commenced this action on October 30, 2015, alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 201 et seq. ("FLSA"), and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 1001 et seq. ("ERISA"), against defendant Jack W. Moore ("Moore"). (Dkt. 1). Following this Court's July 28, 2017, Decision and Order, dismissing the complaint and granting Plaintiffs leave to file an amended complaint (Dkt. 15), on September 15, 2017, Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint, alleging FLSA violations against Moore and defendant Town of Henrietta ("the Town") (collectively, "Defendants") (Dkt. 18). In addition, Plaintiffs added a new cause of action for unjust enrichment against Defendants. (Id. at 12-14).

Presently before the Court is Defendants' motion to dismiss, which seeks to dismiss both claims as asserted against Moore and to dismiss the unjust enrichment claim as asserted against the Town. (Dkt. 20). For the following reasons, Defendants' motion is granted insofar as it seeks to dismiss Plaintiffs' unjust enrichment cause of action against both Defendants, but it is otherwise denied.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND 1

Plaintiffs were employed by the Town as Engineering Inspectors until their employment was terminated on January 23, 2015. (Dkt. 18 at 3). Plaintiffs were responsible for inspecting construction project sites to ensure that private developers adhered to the Town's standards. (See id. at 4-5). The Town classified Plaintiffs as independent contractors. (Id. at 3).

Plaintiffs were paid an hourly wage, but they received no employment benefits. (Id. at 4). Wage increases did not occur regularly, and "in one case, Plaintiffs waited several years for a wage increase." (Id. ). The Town Engineer directed Plaintiffs' workload and priorities, and, as the years passed, Plaintiffs were required to take on additional office duties. (Id. at 5). Plaintiffs "would sometimes" work more than 40 hours a week, but as of 2012, Plaintiffs were not paid an overtime rate for those work hours exceeding the standard 40 hours per week. (See id. at 5-6). Plaintiffs were informed that the Town Board had decided to stop paying an overtime rate for qualifying work hours. (Id. at 5).

In 2013, the New York State Comptroller (the "Comptroller") completed an audit of the Town, entitled "Financial Management and Purchasing," which concluded that three individuals who performed construction site inspections, and one individual who provided advice to the Town Supervisor "did not meet the majority of the 20 common law criteria for classification as independent contractors, and should likely have been treated as employees." (Dkt. 18-1 at 21 (the Comptroller's report); see Dkt. 18 at 7).2 Plaintiffs hoped that they would *408eventually be reclassified as "Town Employees." (See Dkt. 18 at 7-8).

Subsequently, in January of 2014, Moore assumed the position of Town Supervisor. (Id. at 7). Beginning in October of 2014, Plaintiffs were asked to provide "a concept plan of what [they] would charge for inspection services if they began their own business." (Id. at 8). In December of 2014, Plaintiffs learned that the Town Engineer had been asked to compare the costs submitted by Plaintiffs with the costs of inspections performed by three engineering firms. (Id. ). Plaintiffs also alleged that Moore had told an unidentified individual that he did not want to hire Plaintiffs as full-time employees because, " 'I don't want to pay the benefits.' " (Id. ). In January of 2015, Plaintiffs were notified that they would no longer be employed as Engineering Inspectors for the Town, and that the engineering firms would be utilized to satisfy the Town's needs. (Id. ).

In April of 2015, MacIntyre filed an unemployment claim with the New York State Department of Labor ("NYSDOL"). (Id. at 9). Although MacIntyre's claim was initially denied, he was given a form to complete on his administrative appeal that "addressed the terms and conditions" of his employment. (Id. ). The NYSDOL subsequently approved MacIntyre's unemployment claim. (Id. ).

Plaintiffs claim that they were misclassified as independent contractors because: (1) Plaintiffs' "services were crucial to the Town to ensure that the Town's construction standards were met"; (2) Plaintiffs "had no opportunity for profit or loss" in their positions as Engineering Inspectors; (3) "the tools required to perform the Town's inspection services were provided by the Town"; (4) Plaintiffs' positions as Engineering Inspectors "were fairly basic" and did not require "any specialized skills, licenses or certification"; (5) Plaintiffs held "continuous employment with the Town that lasted several years"; and (6) "Plaintiffs were expected to follow the same work schedule as regular town employees," and their work priorities and tasks were managed by the Town Engineer. (Id. at 9-11). Plaintiffs also claim that Moore and the Town each meet the definition of an "employer" under the FLSA. (Id. at 11-12).

Plaintiffs further allege that Defendants were unjustly enriched by Plaintiffs' performance of their job requirements. (Id. at 12). Plaintiffs argue that, by misclassifying them as independent contractors rather than employees, Defendants were able to save over $100,000 per year on salary payments and employment benefits. (Id. at 12-13). Plaintiffs allege that their relationship with Defendants was "wholly one-sided and existed without a mutually agreed, enforceable contract" (id. at 12), and that by failing to take action after the Comptroller concluded that Plaintiffs were misclassified as independent contractors, Defendants did not act in good faith (id. at 13).

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Plaintiffs filed a complaint on October 30, 2015, alleging that Moore had violated the FLSA and ERISA. (Dkt. 1). On September 19, 2016, Moore filed a motion to *409dismiss for failure to state a claim. (Dkt. 4). On October 13, 2016, Plaintiffs filed a motion to amend/correct their initial complaint. (Dkt. 8).

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Bluebook (online)
335 F. Supp. 3d 402, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/macintyre-v-moore-nywd-2018.