Parrett Trucking, Inc. v. Telecom Solutions, Inc.

989 So. 2d 513, 2008 Ala. LEXIS 32, 2008 WL 400438
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedFebruary 15, 2008
Docket1061528 and 1061618
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 989 So. 2d 513 (Parrett Trucking, Inc. v. Telecom Solutions, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Parrett Trucking, Inc. v. Telecom Solutions, Inc., 989 So. 2d 513, 2008 Ala. LEXIS 32, 2008 WL 400438 (Ala. 2008).

Opinion

989 So.2d 513 (2008)

PARRETT TRUCKING, INC.
v.
TELECOM SOLUTIONS, INC.
Parrett Trucking, LLC
v.
Telecom Solutions, Inc.

1061528 and 1061618.

Supreme Court of Alabama.

February 15, 2008.

*514 Paul A. Clark of Balch & Bingham, LLP, Montgomery, for appellants.

Scott Anderson, Decatur; and Donald A. Chapman, Decatur, for appellee.

*515 STUART, Justice.

Parrett Trucking, Inc. ("PTI"), and Parrett Trucking, LLC ("PTL"), the purchaser of PTI's assets, appeal from the judgment of the trial court holding that PTI breached its contract with Telecom Solutions, Inc. ("TSI"), and holding PTI and PTL, as the corporate successor to PTI, liable for damages resulting from that breach. PTI argues that there was no breach of contract, and PTL argues that TSI failed to establish that it was the corporate successor to PTI and thus liable for any breach. We affirm the judgment as to PTI (case no. 1061528) and reverse it as to PTL (case no. 1061618).

I. Factual and Procedural Background

On January 29, 2003, PTI, a Scottsboro-based trucking company, entered into a consulting agreement with TSI, pursuant to which TSI would assist PTI in lowering the costs of its telecommunications services. TSI was to accomplish this by analyzing PTI's past invoices and then: 1) securing refunds and/or credits for past overcharges and 2) identifying options to reduce future telecommunications expenses. In return, PTI was to remit to TSI: 1) 50% of the value of all credits and refunds received for past overcharges, and 2) 50% of the "total amount saved during the first twenty-four full months following the implementation of new programs or other changes to [PTI]'s telecommunication arrangements." Among the terms and conditions included in the consulting agreement were the following:

• "[Client shall] [b]e assessed consultant's fees if any telecom cost saving services are implemented any time during the first 24 months from the date TSI's recommendation report has been rendered."
• "[Client shall] [r]emit consulting fees to consultant according to `Schedule A' herein, after reviewing for accuracy with consultant. Consultant receives a fee only if the client receives a positive benefit from cost saving services."
• "Fees for cost reductions will be derived from the actual invoice after changes have been implemented. Savings will be based on an average of the old telecom phone bill vs. new cost for each individual item, based on the invoices analyzed by consultant."
• "At one month intervals, consultant shall calculate the actual savings and collect a fee of 50% of the actual savings on those items implemented by consultant or client."
• "The client understands consultant has been granted exclusive right to act as the telecommunications auditing department for the term of the agreement. The client will consult with consultant before making any moves, additions, or changes, if time allows. Failure to do so does not preclude any compensation set forth in this agreement."
• "Fees are due and payable for all implemented changes made by the consultant, by the client, or by the client's telecom vendors, whether implemented by the consultant, by the client, or by the vendor on any telecom related items implemented within 24 months of the date consultant provides a `recommendation report' but no sooner than 24 months from the date first set forth below. If client declines to carry out proposed cost savings recommendations by consultant, then client must do so in writing. If, within 2 years of the date of the written notice presented to consultant, the client performs the recommended changes or a portion thereof, then the client is subject to the consultant's compensation arrangement described above."
*516 • "Should the client fail to comply with any part of this agreement or pay any fee or part thereof when due:
"1) Will result in client being charged fees as determined by initial cost estimate comparison or from the last previous check up (whichever is available) through the remainder of the term of this agreement. Payment is due immediately.
"2) If payment is not received and when litigation is necessary, consultant is entitled to recover all costs associated with that action, including but not limited to, reasonable attorney's fees and 1.5% interest per month, if and only if client is found liable for consultant's fees. Client waives venue to the courts of Morgan County, Alabama."

After entering into the consulting agreement with PTI, TSI spent approximately a year working on the PTI account, reviewing past billing statements, seeking refunds, and then modifying services and changing service providers. It was not until February 17, 2004, that TSI submitted its first invoice to PTI. That invoice indicated that TSI had obtained $12,651.56 in refunds and credits from service providers as compensation for past overcharging of PTI's account, and that PTI had saved $4,113.56 on its local and long-distance telephone service the previous month because of changes implemented by TSI.[1] Pursuant to the terms of the consulting agreement, PTI paid TSI 50% of both figures, $6,325.78 and $2,056.78, respectively, for its work. Using billing statements forwarded to it by PTI, TSI calculated PTI's monthly savings in March, April, and May 2004 as well. Upon receiving TSI's invoices for those months, PTI promptly paid TSI 50% of the amount saved.

On May 17, 2004, PTI entered into an asset-purchase agreement with PTL, an Arkansas limited-liability company previously known as Classic Leasing LLC. PTL was a wholly owned subsidiary of Maverick Transportation, Inc. Pursuant to the terms of the asset-purchase agreement, PTL acquired virtually all PTI's assets.[2] PTL also assumed some obligations and liabilities of PTI; however, it disclaimed all obligations that were not specifically assumed under the terms of the asset-purchase agreement. PTI's consulting agreement with TSI was not listed as one of the liabilities that PTL assumed.

PTI immediately ceased operating its trucking business after the asset sale; it voluntarily gave up the licenses and permits that it held, and it canceled its insurance. However, although PTI was no longer operating as a licensed motor carrier, business continued as usual at the PTI facilities and for PTI employees; PTL merely took over the operations. PTL continued to operate out of the same location and used the same telephone number, Web site, personnel, assets, and equipment that PTI had used.

After the asset sale, PTI took the position with TSI that it no longer had any telecommunications systems or services (having all been transferred to PTL) and *517 that PTI was accordingly not receiving any monthly savings as a result of TSI's services. Therefore, it made no payments to TSI for any savings that would have been achieved after May 17, 2004.

On June 1, 2005, TSI sued PTI in the Morgan Circuit Court, alleging breach of contract. PTL and Maverick Transportation were also named as defendants under a theory of successor-corporation liability. A bench trial was held on March 5, 2007. At the close of TSI's case-in-chief, the trial court entered a judgment as a matter of law for Maverick Transportation. On March 8, 2007, the trial court entered a judgment in favor of TSI and against PTI and PTL in the amount of $111,060.84, plus court costs.

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Bluebook (online)
989 So. 2d 513, 2008 Ala. LEXIS 32, 2008 WL 400438, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parrett-trucking-inc-v-telecom-solutions-inc-ala-2008.