Mid Atlantic Framing, LLC v. Varish Construction, Inc.

117 F. Supp. 3d 145, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96493, 2015 WL 4508590
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedJuly 24, 2015
DocketNo. 3:13-CV-01376 (MAD/DEP)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 117 F. Supp. 3d 145 (Mid Atlantic Framing, LLC v. Varish Construction, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mid Atlantic Framing, LLC v. Varish Construction, Inc., 117 F. Supp. 3d 145, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96493, 2015 WL 4508590 (N.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-DECISION AND ORDER

MAE A. D’AGOSTINO, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff commenced this action on November 5, 2013, seeking damages in connection with a construction project in which Plaintiff performed work as a subcontractor of Varish Construction, Inc. (together with owner/principal, Tom Varish, collectively “Varish”) on property owned at the time by AVA Realty Ithaca, LLC (together with AVA Development LLC and Ajesh Patel, collectively “AVA”); Varish and AVA are co-defendants in this action. See Dkt. No. 1.

Currently before the Court are (1) AVA’s motion for partial judgment on the pleadings pursuant to Rule 12(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and (2) Plaintiffs cross-motion for leave to file a second amended verified complaint.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Procedural Posture

AVA filed the instant Rule 12(c) motion on June 2, 2014. See Dkt. No. 31. In response to Plaintiffs letter motion submitted on June 6, 2014, the Court issued a Text Order on June 9, 2014, resetting the deadlines as to the pending motion for judgment on the pleadings. See Dkt. No. 37. The deadlines for the responsive pleading and reply were reset to July 30, 2014, and August 5, 2014, respectively. See id. Both the responsive cross-motion and the reply were timely filed. See Dkt. Nos. 48-50.

On September 9, 2014, the Court issued a Text Order staying this case pending the resolution of the U.S. Bankruptcy Case in the Middle District of Pennsylvania1 involving Varish Construction, Inc. See Dkt. No. 57. The bankruptcy case has since been resolved, and this Court accordingly lifted the stay on June 11, 2015. See Dkt. No. 63. Varish has not appeared to defend against the present action.

B. Factual Background

In September 2012, Plaintiff entered into a subcontract with Varish, whereby Plaintiff would furnish and install certain framing and carpentry work for the construction of “Fairfield Inn and Suites,” located at 359 Elmira Road, Ithaca, New York 14850. See Dkt. No. 48-3 at ¶¶ 17-18. The primary contract was executed between Varish and AVA; the subcontract price was $721,000. See id.

[149]*149“During the course of the project, Varish directed Plaintiff to perform extra work in the amount of $11;740.00, thereby adjusting the ‘ contract price upward .to $732,740.00.” Id. at ¶ 19. Plaintiff claims that it substantially completed the work required under the subcontract, but was paid only $115,000, leaving a remaining balance of $617,740 still due to Plaintiff. Id. at ¶20. On March 28, 2013, Plaintiff filed a Notice of Mechanic’s Lien in Tompkins County against the property in the amount of $600,960. See id. at ¶ 92.

On June 12, 2013, AVA filed a petition in the state supreme court in Tompkins County seeking summary discharge of the mechanics lien. See id. at ¶ 102. The court dismissed the petition because it did not find the lien to be facially defective. See Dkt. No. 31-7. Plaintiff claims that Varish and AVA falsely represented, both to the state supreme court "and the Wilmington Savings Fund Society (“WSFS”),2 that AVA had paid Varish in full for Plaintiffs work. See id. at ¶ 104. Plaintiff alleges that these false statements were fraudulently made to give the appearance that-no funds were due to Varish from AVA at the time Plaintiffs lien was filed; the purpose of the fraud being to procure the discharge of the lien. See id. at ¶¶ 105-06. Plaintiff asserts that (1) AVA knew of the falsity of the statements or had' a hand in crafting them; (2) AVA submitted these false certifications to WSFS to obtain advances on the building loan; and (3) these advances were due in trust to Plaintiff but never paid. See id. at ¶¶ 112-14.

AVA commenced a state-court action in Tompkins County on September 24, 2014, seeking a declaratory judgment that the mechanics lien asserted by Mid Atlantic is null and void because all contractual obligations between AVA and the primary contractor (Varish) had been fulfilled. See Dkt. No. 31-8. On August 14, 2015, Plaintiffs counsel informed this Court that its motion to dismiss the state-court action had been granted. See Dkt. No. 54.' Consequently, AVA’s abstention argument for the dismissal of Plaintiffs ninth count for foreclosure is moot.

■ The remainder of AVA’s motion for partial judgment on the pleadings seeks dismissal of Plaintiffs tenth and twelfth counts of the amended complaint and the denial of Plaintiffs motion for leave to file a second amended complaint. Specifically, AVA argues that the tenth cause of action for fraud and the twelfth cause of action for aiding and abetting fraud and breach of fiduciary duty should be dismissed on the grounds of res judicata, or in the alternative, for failure to state a claim. See Dkt. No. 31-1.

III. DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

1. Judgment on the Pleadings

The standard of review for a Rule 12(c) motion for judgment on the pleadings is the same as for a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6). See Johnson v. Rowley, 569 F.3d 40, 43-44 (2d Cir.2009). A motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure challenges the legal sufficiency of the non-movant’s claim for relief, without regard to the merits of the claim. See Patane v. Clark, 508 F.3d 106, 111-12 (2d Cir.2007); Global Network Commc’ns, Inc. v. City of New York, 458 F.3d 150, 155 (2d Cir.2006). When determining the legal sufficiency of a claim, a court must accept as true all well-pleaded [150]*150allegations contained within the- pleading as construed most favorably to the claimant. See ATSI Commc’ns, Inc. v. Shaar-Fund, Ltd., 493 F.3d 87, 98 (2d Cir.2007) (citation omitted). This presumption of truth does not extend to “mere conclusory” legal statements. See Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (citation omitted).

To withstand a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, a pleading must contain “a short and plain statement of the .claim,” with sufficient factual:“heft to ‘sho[w] that the pleader is entitled, to relief.’ ” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555-57, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (alterations in original) (quoting Fed. R.Civ.P. 8(a)(2)). “Factual allegations [contained in the pleading] must be enough to raise a right of relief above the speculative level.” Id. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955.

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117 F. Supp. 3d 145, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96493, 2015 WL 4508590, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mid-atlantic-framing-llc-v-varish-construction-inc-nynd-2015.