Northampton Borough Municipal Authority v. Remsco Associates Inc.

22 Pa. D. & C.3d 541, 1981 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 182
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County
DecidedDecember 4, 1981
Docketno. 79-C-3410
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 22 Pa. D. & C.3d 541 (Northampton Borough Municipal Authority v. Remsco Associates Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Northampton Borough Municipal Authority v. Remsco Associates Inc., 22 Pa. D. & C.3d 541, 1981 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 182 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1981).

Opinion

DIEFENDERFER, J.,

This matter is before the court pursuant to petitioner’s motion for sanctions. Oral argument was heard before the court on August 26, 1981.

[542]*542On June 24, 1980, plaintiff filed a complaint in assumpsit pursuant to a construction contract between plaintiff and Remsco Associates, Inc. (hereinafter respondent), alleging late performance and seeking $18,994.00 in liquidated damages. On September 3, 1980, respondent filed an answer, new matter and counterclaim. On October 13, 1980, respondent joined Fischer & Porter Company as an additional defendant. On December 9, 1980, plaintiff joined Gannett Fleming Corddry and Carpenter, Inc., (hereinafter petitioner) as an additional defendant. Petitioner filed an answer, new matter and counterclaim.

The parties have pursued discovery through depositions, requests for documents, inspection of documents and written interrogatories.

On February 2, 1980, petitioner served respondent with written interrogatories. After being granted several extensions of time, respondent on or about June 24, 1981, filed answers in which certain objections were stated in lieu of answers.

On July 23 and 24, 1981, a Mr. Warren Doscher was deposed at the office of counsel for petitioner. During the depositions, Mr. Doscher identified two documents, an “analysis of delay” and a “chart” which had not been previously identified by respondent in its partial answers to interrogatories. While petitioner was questioning Mr. Doscher with respect to the amount of delay allegedly attributable to certain events during the construction project, Mr. Doscher indicated that while in the employ of respondent, he had determined the amount of delay and that this information was contained in the “analysis of delay” which he prepared. Mr. Doscher indicated he could not remember the amount of delay and that the “analysis of delay” was the only document which could refresh his [543]*543recollection. Counsel for respondent objected to the questions relating to the “analysis of delay” and the chart based upon the attorney-client privilege, the work-product privilege as set forth in Pa.R.C.P. 4003.1 and 4003.3, and that discovery as to the amount of delay was not yet complete.

I.

MOTION FOR SANCTIONS — INTERROGATORIES

Petitioner contends that respondent’s answers to the interrogatories listed below are for various reasons insufficient. Accordingly, on August 11, 1981, petitioner filed a motion for sanctions pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 4019.

Interrogatory 33(c): Identify all documents which describe, refer, relate to, show, support or deny such contention. (See question and answer to No. 32 contention.)

Respondent answered this question by referring to Addendum II, Item 31, from which the applicable section (Item 31(b)) reads as follows: “Various letters of transmittal of Remsco and the engineer, minutes of pre-construction job conference dated February 21, 1975 Item (9).”

Petitioner maintains that this answer is incomplete in that no specific documents are identified and, therefore, runs afoul of Pa.R.C.P. 4006(b).

Rule 4006(b) provides that where the requested information may be devised or ascertained from a party’s records, the requested party has an option to produce the records for inspection rather than detailing the information in his answer. The purpose of this subdivision is to place the burden of discovery upon the party to be benefited where the burden is substantially the same for both parties. [544]*544Rule 4006(b) substantially copies F.R.C.P. 33(c) however, goes beyond F.R.C.P. 33(c) by making the option applicable to all records and not just business records.

The interrogating party is protected against abuse of this subdivision through the requirement that the burden of ascertaining the answer be substantially the same for both parties. Accordingly, the answering party must “specify the records from which the answer may be derived.”

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Bluebook (online)
22 Pa. D. & C.3d 541, 1981 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 182, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/northampton-borough-municipal-authority-v-remsco-associates-inc-pactcompllehigh-1981.