Pathman Construction Co. of Highland Park v. Drum-Co Engineering Corp.

402 N.E.2d 1, 74 Ind. Dec. 662, 1980 Ind. App. LEXIS 1378
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided March 24, 1980·No. 2-1276A489·Published·Cited by 18 cases

Opinion

BUCHANAN, Chief Judge.

CASE SUMMARY

Defendants-appellants Pathman Construction Company of Highland Park, Illinois, (Pathman-Ill.), Pathman Construction Corporation of Indiana (Pathman-Ind.) and the Home Indemnity Company (Home) appeal from a summary judgment granted to Drum-Co Engineering Company (Drum-Co) claiming there were genuine issues of material fact which rendered summary judgment improper.

We affirm.

FACTS

On August 21, 1968 Drum-Co entered a written contract with Pathman-Ill. in which Drum-Co was to perform certain labors and furnish certain materials as a sub-contractor in a project at the Good Samaritan Hospital (Hospital) in Vincennes. On April 5, 1972, Pathman-Ill. assigned all its rights and its obligations to enforce the contract with Drum-Co to Pathman-Ind.

In 1975, Drum-Co completed the required work and sought payment from Pathman-Ind. However, due to major construction damage, the Hospital withheld payment from Pathman-Ind., the general contractor, who in turn refused to pay Drum-Co, causing Drum-Co to file suit against Path-man-111., Pathman-Ind., the Hospital, and Home. 1

On March 9, 1976, Drum-Co filed its Request for Admissions addressed to each of the defendants with the proviso that they be answered in thirty-six' days. The requested admissions read:

1. Attached hereto as Exhibit “1” is a true and correct copy of the Plaintiff’s Verified Statement of Claim received by the Association and Governing Board.
2. Plaintiff was a sub-contractor under Pathman-Illinois and/or Pathman-In-diana to install the pneumatic tube system on the project.
3. Plaintiff has completed all work on the project required of it under its subcontract agreement with Pathman-Illi-nois and/or Pathman-Indiana.
4. Plaintiff had completed its work on the project within 60 days prior to March 13, 1975.
5. There are no back charges against Plaintiff on said project.
6. As of March 13, 1975 and as of the present time there is due and owing to Plaintiff from Pathman-Illinois and/or Pathman-Indiana the sum of $15,379.75 for work performed by Plaintiff on the project as sub-contractor for Pathman-Il-linois and/or Pathman-Indiana.
7. Attached hereto as Exhibit “2” is the Contractors Combination Bid Bond For Construction on said project executed by Surety.

Defendants Pathman et ál. and Home failed to make a response and on April 19, 1976, more than 36 days later, Drum-Co filed its Motion to Deem Matters in Request for Admissions Admitted, 2 which was granted by the trial court.

*3 On May 7, 1976, Drum-Co filed for summary judgment and three days later the Hospital responded to the interrogatories previously filed by Drum-Co (on March 9, 1976), which read in part as follows:

# 3 Is either the Association or the Governing Board retaining any other monies due Pathman-Illinois and/or Pathman-Indiana for work performed on the project? ANSWER: The Association and Board have retained monies in addition to the amounts described in response to Interrogatories No. 1 and 2, but state that these amounts are not due to Pathman-Illinois or Pathman-Indiana because of defective and incomplete work performed on the project.
# 12 Has the construction on the project been finally completed and accepted by the Association and/or governing Board?
ANSWER: No.

On May 27,1976, Pathman et al. filed the following Trial Rule 60(B) motion for relief from the court’s order deeming the matters in Drum-Co’s Request for Admissions admitted, claiming they had failed to respond because their attorney was under consideration for a judicial appointment, and that the delay was due to excusable neglect, a position rejected by the trial court without a hearing:

MOTION FOR RELIEF FROM ORDER

The defendants, Pathman Construction Company of Highland Park, Illinois, and Pathman Construction Corporation of Indiana, move for relief pursuant to Trial Rule 60(B) of the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure from “Order Deeming Matters in Request For Admissions Admitted” entered by this Court on April 19, 1976.
In support hereof, said defendants show to the Court the following:
1. The Plaintiff’s Request For Admissions were filed on March 9, 1976.
2. Upon receipt of said Request for Admissions, counsel for said defendants forwarded it to said defendants’ office for completion.
3. Between March 9, 1976, and April 19, 1976, the attorney of record for said defendants, Thomas M. Swain, was under consideration for the office of Judge of the Vanderburgh Superior Court; after a lengthy selection process, he was subsequently appointed to said office by the Honorable Otis R. Bowen, Governor of the State of Indiana.
4. On April 19, 1976, and before counsel for said defendants received the completed Request for Admissions, the plaintiff filed its Motion To Deem Matters In Request For Admission Admitted.
5. On April 19, 1976, the same day plaintiff filed said Motion, and before counsel for said defendants had the opportunity to respond or to be heard, the Court entered its Order Deeming Matters in Request For Admissions Admitted.
6. The failure of said defendants to file Answers to plaintiff’s Request For Admissions constitutes excusable neglect.
7. Said Motion and Order represent surprise against which ordinary prudence could not have guarded.
WHEREFORE, the defendants, Path-man Construction Company of Highland Park, Illinois and Pathman Construction *4 Corporation of Indiana, respectfully request that the Court grant relief from its •Order of April 19, 1976, vacating said Order and permitting said defendants to file their Answers to the plaintiff’s Request For Admissions.

On June 2, Pathman-Ill. filed the following affidavit by R. C. Buckman in opposition to Drum-Co’s request for a summary judgment:

R. C. Buckman, being first duly sworn upon his oath, alleges and says:
1. He is the Vice President of Path-man Construction Company of Highland Park, Illinois and Pathman Construciton [sic] Corporation of Indiana.
2. He makes this affidavit from personal knowledge and is competent to testify to the matters contained herein.
3. Although the Plaintiff has completed all work on the Good Samaritan Hospital Project required of it under the subcontract agreement, the work has not been accepted by the Owners.
4.

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Pathman Construction Co. of Highland Park v. Drum-Co Engineering Corp., 402 N.E.2d 1, 74 Ind. Dec. 662, 1980 Ind. App. LEXIS 1378 (Ind. Ct. App. 1980).

402 N.E.2d 1 (Pathman Construction Co. of Highland Park v. Drum-Co Engineering Corp.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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