Nash Finch Co. v. Caspar

813 F. Supp. 1497, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2514, 1993 WL 51119
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedFebruary 4, 1993
DocketNo. 91-1330-MLB
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 813 F. Supp. 1497 (Nash Finch Co. v. Caspar) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nash Finch Co. v. Caspar, 813 F. Supp. 1497, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2514, 1993 WL 51119 (D. Kan. 1993).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

BELOT, District Judge.

This case comes before the court on Nash Finch’s motion for summary judgment. (Doc. 33)

Nash Finch is a corporation that sells wholesale food products to retail stores. Caspar owns and operates a grocery store in Scott City, Kansas. He previously operated a Nash-affiliated store in Turón, Kansas, from 1981 until 1985. In 1985, Nash Finch informed Caspar it was in the process of acquiring several grocery stores from Allied Supermarkets, Inc. (Allied). It offered Caspar an opportunity to purchase and/or operate one of the newly acquired stores. Caspar looked at several of the prospective stores, and Nash Finch later advised him the Scott City store was available.

Caspar thereafter met with Nash Finch representatives in Liberal to discuss the Scott City store. Nash Finch showed Caspar the sales history of the store compiled by Allied for the years 1983, 1984, and the first 28 weeks of 1985. At that meeting, Caspar and Nash Finch entered into an agreement whereby Caspar would operate the Scott City store and lease the building from Nash Finch. Caspar also purchased the store’s inventory and equipment from Nash Finch.

Caspar took over the operation of the Scott City store immediately thereafter. After operating the store for less than a month, he received information that the sales performance of the store was less favorable than the report he had received in the Liberal meeting. A few weeks later, Caspar met with a Nash Finch representative to plan a budget for the upcoming year. The parties decided to base their budget on an average weekly sales figure of $45,000. In February, 1986, the parties revised this figure to $39,000.

Caspar operated the grocery store under the lease agreement from 1985 until November, 1989. During this time, Caspar voiced complaints about Nash Finch’s prices, products and service. In November, 1989, the parties terminated the lease agreement and in its place executed a contract for deed arrangement whereby Caspar purchased the land and building from Nash Finch. The parties also executed a Retail Sales and Service Agreement (hereinafter “Agreement”), under the terms of which Caspar agreed to purchase inventory from Nash Finch “in an amount not less than 60% of the retail sales volume of the Store’s business, with such purchases being made as normally done thru a food wholesaler.” The term of the Agreement was to run through March 31, 1995.

Caspar continued to voice complaints with Nash Finch after the Agreement was executed. In April, 1991, he stopped purchasing inventory from Nash Finch and entered into a supply agreement with Affiliated Foods of Norfolk, Nebraska. Caspar did not provide Nash Finch written notice of nonconformity as provided in the Agreement.1 At the time Caspar discontinued [1499]*1499his inventory purchases from Nash Finch, 203 weeks remained on the Agreement. Nash Finch thereafter commenced this lawsuit. Caspar filed a counterclaim alleging Nash Finch has misrepresented the gross weekly sales of the Scott City store in March, 1985.

[1498]*149814. Early Termination. This Agreement is subject to early termination, but only in part, with respect to particular categories of service(s) of Product group(s) if Nash-Finch’s performance does not conform to the agreed service level. In the event of such nonconformity, Caspar shall give written notice of it to Nash-Finch which shall have sixty (60) days in which to

[1499]*1499STANDARDS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Summary judgment is appropriate when the moving party can demonstrate that there is no genuine issue of material fact and is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c).

DISCUSSION

In this breach of contract action, Nash Finch has the burden to show: (1) execution and existence of a contract; (2) sufficient consideration to support the contract; (3) performance or willingness to perform in compliance with the contract alleged; and (4) Caspar’s breach of the contract. Van Brunt, Executrix v. Jackson, 212 Kan. 621, 623, 512 P.2d 517 (1973).

Nash Finch argues Caspar has breached the terms of the Agreement by failing to purchase at least 60% of the store’s retail sales volume from it. Caspar does not contest this allegation, but contends Nash Finch breached its duty of good faith and fair dealing by failing to be competitive in its pricing. Nash Finch’s conduct, according to Caspar, justifies a rescission of the Agreement.

To warrant rescission, a breach of contract must be material and the failure to perform so substantial as to defeat the object of the parties in making the agreement in the first place. Kohn v. Babb, 204 Kan. 245, 251, 461 P.2d 775 (1969) (quoting In re Estate of Johnson, 202 Kan. 684, Syl. ¶ 3, 452 P.2d 286 (1968)). In support of his contention, Caspar has submitted an affidavit stating that since he discontinued purchasing inventory from Nash Finch, he has been able to realize cost savings on various items in his inventory, as well as on delivery expense. His average weekly gross sales have increased approximately 11% since that time, apparently in response to the more competitive prices Caspar has been able to offer his customers.

Caspar’s affidavit does not raise any genuine issue of material fact concerning Nash Finch’s performance of the Agreement. Under, the terms of the Agreement, Nash Finch agreed to sell Caspar inventory “at such prices and upon such terms as may be established from time to time by Nash-Finch for the distribution center, for customers having sales volume similar to that of Caspar.” In the court’s view, the fact that other suppliers sell certain selected items to Caspar at a cheaper price than Nash Finch charges does not establish that Nash Finch is breaching its contractual obligation of good faith and fair dealing.2 In the market of food suppliers, there will always be competitors attempting to undercut their rivals’ prices. This is the paradigm of free enterprise. Caspar had been doing business with Nash Finch for nearly a decade at the time he entered into the Agreement in 1989. The fact that it later turned out to be less advantageous than he anticipated does not afford him grounds for relief. See Willman v. Ewen, 230 Kan. 262, 265-66, 634 P.2d 1061 (1981).

The breach of the Agreement having been established, the question then becomes what damages flow from the breach. The general rule in Kansas is that a plaintiff can recover for loss of profits resulting [1500]*1500from a breach of contract when it proves such profits with “reasonable certainty” and shows that “they may reasonably be considered to have been within the contemplation of the parties.” Vickers v. Wichita State University, 213 Kan.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
813 F. Supp. 1497, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2514, 1993 WL 51119, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nash-finch-co-v-caspar-ksd-1993.