Montauk Bus Co., Inc. v. Utica City School Dist.

30 F. Supp. 2d 313, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18591, 1998 WL 824489
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedNovember 24, 1998
DocketCivil Action 96CV1706(RSP/GJD)
StatusPublished

This text of 30 F. Supp. 2d 313 (Montauk Bus Co., Inc. v. Utica City School Dist.) 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
Montauk Bus Co., Inc. v. Utica City School Dist., 30 F. Supp. 2d 313, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18591, 1998 WL 824489 (N.D.N.Y. 1998).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-DECISION AND ORDER

POOLER, District Judge. *

INTRODUCTION

Montauk Bus Company, Inc. (“Montauk”), brought this lawsuit pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and New York state law, following the termination of its bus contract with the Utica City School District (“School District”). The School District and Board of Education of the Utica City School District (“Board of Education”) moved to dismiss the amended complaint pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6). Central New York Coach Sales & Service, Inc. (“CNY Coach”) moved for summary judgment-or 12(b)(6) dismissal of the second, third, and fifth causes of action. Birnie Bus Service, Inc. (“Birnie Bus”) moved for Rule 12(b)(1) dismissal. I grant defendants’ motions to dismiss Montauk’s federal claims for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted and dismiss the state law claims for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

BACKGROUND

In 1994, Montauk, a Long Island company, attempted to expand its business by bidding on bus transportation contracts in the Central New York area. Am. Compl., Dkt. No. 13, ¶ 11. In April 1996, the School District solicited bids and distributed bid specifications for a contract to transport its students to school in the morning and home in the afternoon during the 1996-1997 school year (the “AM/PM contract”). Id. ¶¶ 12-14. On April 12,1996, Montauk submitted the lowest of several bids to perform the AM/PM contract. Id. ¶¶ 17, 18, 20. Montauk claims that all of the other bidders, including second-lowest bidder Birnie Bus Service, Inc. (“Birnie”), were based in or had substantial business relationships in Central New York. Id. ¶¶ 19, 21.

Because Montauk was a responsible bidder and submitted the lowest bid, the School District accepted plaintiffs bid. However, Montauk claims that defendants “disapproved” of plaintiff receiving the contract because Montauk was not a Central New York company. Am. Compl. ¶ 23. Montauk contends that, as part of a scheme among defendants to prevent plaintiff from receiving the AM/PM contract, the School District rejected all bids on the pretext that it wished to change bid specifications, 1 and the district solicited new bids on April 24, 1996. Id. ¶¶ 24-27. On May 3, 1996, plaintiff again submitted the lowest bid for the AM/PM contract. Id. ¶¶ 28, 30. Birnie again submitted the second lowest bid. Id. ¶ 31. The School District awarded the AM/PM contract to plaintiff on May 8, 1996. Id. ¶ 33. Plaintiff posted a 100 percent performance bond, as'the contract required, to ensure that Mon-tauk would faithfully perform all of its AM/PM contract obligations. Am. Compl. 135.

Montauk alleges in conclusory fashion that defendants engaged in conduct designed to prevent Montauk from performing the contract. See id. '1137 (defendants “embarked upon a scheme to create conditions and circumstances that would render Plaintiffs performance of the contract impossible or impracticable”), 38 (CNY Coach “engaged in a campaign and in conduct designed to prevent Plaintiff from conducting business in Central New York”), 39 (the School District “imposed new, additional requirements upon Plaintiff that were not ... [in] the contract”), 40 (the School District “imposed regulations, rules, decrees, policies and procedures which impaired its obligations, and the obligations of Plaintiff, under the AM/PM Contract”), 41 *316 (the school district imposed new requirements “in furtherance of its scheme to discredit and defame Plaintiff, and to create circumstances and conditions that would render Plaintiffs performance ... impossible or impracticable”). Montauk also claims that the School District breached the contract by failing to provide certain information and materials necessary to plaintiffs performance, failing to perform conditions precedent to plaintiffs performance, and then wrongfully declaring plaintiff to be in default. Am. Compl. ¶¶ 44^-45.

Montauk alleges that defendants spread false rumors in an attempt to discredit plaintiff. Am. Compl. ¶ 46. Montauk claims that in May, June or July 1996, Birnie contacted plaintiffs bus supplier and falsely represented that Montauk would not be able to fulfill its obligations under the AM/PM contract and that Birnie would be performing those duties. Id. ¶ 47. Montauk also alleges that in July or August 1996, the School District contacted plaintiffs performance bond underwriter and falsely represented that Montauk was not performing its obligations under the contract and likely would not perform its future obligations. Id. ¶49. Montauk contends that it fulfilled all its obligations under the contract except where the School District’s conduct prevented it from doing so. Id. ¶ 51.

On July 29, 1996, the School District publicly solicited bids from other companies to perform the same services covered by Mon-tauk’s AM/PM contract. Am. Compl. ¶ 52. Some time after August 2, 1996, the School District awarded a contingency contract to Birnie to perform the services for the AM/PM contract in the event Montauk did not perform. Id. ¶ 54. As a result of the solicitation of bids and award of the contingency contract, Montauk was unable to obtain financing to pay for a sufficient number of buses to perform the AM/PM contract. Id. ¶¶ 53, 55. In August 1996, the School District declared Montauk in default and terminated its AM/PM contract. Id. ¶¶ 57.

Montauk filed a complaint on October 28, 1998. Compl., Dkt. No. 1. On March 17, 1997, after the defendants answered the complaint, Magistrate Judge Gustave J. Di Bian-co granted plaintiff leave to file an amended complaint asserting additional causes of action for defamation. Dkt. No. 12. Plaintiff filed its amended complaint on March 25, 1997. Am. Compl, Dkt. No. 13.

Montauk asserts six causes of action in its amended complaint. First, plaintiff alleges that the School District breached its contract with Montauk by imposing conditions that rendered performance impossible in violation of state contract law. Am. Compl. ¶ 61-63. Second, Montauk alleges that the School District and School Board violated plaintiffs rights under the Contract Clause, Article I Section 10, of the United States Constitution by imposing regulations, rules, decrees, policies, and procedures that impaired plaintiffs contractual obligations. Id ¶¶ 66-68. Third, plaintiff alleges that the School District deprived plaintiff of a constitutionally protected property interest in continued performance of and payment for services under the AM/PM contract for the period September 1996 through June 1998 without due process of law in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Id ¶¶ 70-74. Fourth, plaintiff alleges that Birnie Bus intentionally interfered with Montauk’s contract with the School District by spreading false rumors and acting in concert with CNY Coach to render plaintiff unable to perform, in violation of state tort law. Id ¶¶ 76-81.

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Bluebook (online)
30 F. Supp. 2d 313, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18591, 1998 WL 824489, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/montauk-bus-co-inc-v-utica-city-school-dist-nynd-1998.