Pelco Construction Company v. Chambers County, Texas, Kurt Amundson, and Amundson Consulting, Inc.

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 28, 2015
Docket01-14-00317-CV
StatusPublished

This text of Pelco Construction Company v. Chambers County, Texas, Kurt Amundson, and Amundson Consulting, Inc. (Pelco Construction Company v. Chambers County, Texas, Kurt Amundson, and Amundson Consulting, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pelco Construction Company v. Chambers County, Texas, Kurt Amundson, and Amundson Consulting, Inc., (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

ACCEPTED 01-14-00317-CV FIRST COURT OF APPEALS HOUSTON, TEXAS 1/28/2015 4:31:00 PM CHRISTOPHER PRINE CLERK

01-14-00317-CV FILED IN In the 1st COURT OF APPEALS HOUSTON, TEXAS First Court of Appeals 1/28/2015 4:31:00 PM CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE Houston, Texas Clerk

Pelco Construction, Co. Appellant, v. Chambers County, Texas, Kurt Amundson and Amundson Consulting, Inc. Appellees.

On Appeal from the 334th Judicial District Court Chambers County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. CV26356

Appellee’s Brief

Mills Shirley L.L.P. 2228 Mechanic St., Ste. 400 Galveston, Texas 77550 409.761.4001

Robert E. Booth Texas Bar No. 24040546 rbooth@millsshirley.com

Attorney for Appellees Kurt Amundson and Amundson Consulting, Inc.

Oral Argument Requested IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

Appellate Counsel for Plaintiff/Appellant

Pelco Construction Company:

Appellate Counsel:

Daryl L. Moore Texas Bar No. 14327420 daryl@heightslaw.com Daryl L. Moore, P.C. 1005 Heights Boulevard Houston, Texas 77008 713.529.0048

Trial Counsel:

Fredrick L. McGuire Texas Bar No.24001190 rickmcguire@rickmcguire.com Etta Davidson Texas Bar No. 07495750 etta@rickmcguire.com Law Office of Frederick L. McGuire 714 Main Street Liberty, Texas 77575 936.336.9809

-i- Defendant/Third-party plaintiff/Appellee

Chambers County, Texas

Trial and Appellant Counsel:

Nathan M. Brandimarte Texas Bar No. 24026915 nmb@obt.com James H. Chesnutt Texas Bar No. 04187500 jhc@obt.com Robert L. Florance Texas Bar No. 24087520 rflorance@obt.com Orgain, Bell & Tucker, LLP 470 Orleans Street Beaumont, Texas 77701 409.838.6412

- ii - Defendants/Appellees

Kurt Amundson and Amundson Consulting, Inc.

Counsel at trial:

Jack C. Brock Texas Bar No. 03040800 jbrock@millsshirley.com Robert E. Booth Texas Bar No. 24040546 rbooth@millshirley.com Mills Shirley L.L.P. 2228 Mechanic St., Ste. 400 Galveston, Texas 77550 409.763.2341

Counsel on appeal:

Robert E. Booth Texas Bar No. 24040546 rbooth@millsshirley.com Mills Shirley L.L.P. 2228 Mechanic St., Ste. 400 Galveston, Texas 77550 409.761.4001

- iii - TABLE OF CONTENTS

Identity of Parties and Counsel ..................................................................... i

Table of Contents ....................................................................................... iv

Index of Authorities ................................................................................... vi

Statement of the Case .................................................................................. 1

Issues Presented ........................................................................................... 2

Responsive Statement of Facts ..................................................................... 2

A. Chambers County contracts with Dannenbaum to design the Oaks Island Fire Station. ................................................................ 3

B. Dannenbaum contracts with Amundson Consulting for staff support services. ............................................................................ 3

C. Chambers County moves forward to the construction phase of the Project. .................................................................................... 4

D. Pelco Construction submits a winning bid and contracts directly with Chambers County...................................................... 5

E. The Project construction begins. ..................................................... 5

F. Chambers County temporarily suspends the Project at its discretion. ...................................................................................... 6

G. The course of proceedings at the trial court. ................................... 6

Summary of Argument ................................................................................ 9

Argument and Authorities ........................................................................... 9

- iv - 1. The Standard of Review ..................................................................... 9

2. Kurt Amundson cannot be individually liable to Pelco because he provided services to Chambers County and the Project under Amundson Consulting’s contract with Dannenbaum Engineering. ...... 9

3. Kurt Amundson and Amundson Consulting cannot be liable to Pelco for misrepresentations as a matter of law. ................................ 13

A. Pelco appeals claims arising from the pre-bid conference and abandons claims arising from the suspension of work. ................. 13

B. Pelco cannot justifiably rely on pre-contract oral statements regarding FEMA funding because its contract with Chambers County does not provide that payments are contingent upon FEMA reimbursement. ................................................................. 14

C. Amundson established that his statements could have been fraud because the dispute regarding reimbursement arose after the pre-bid conference. ................................................................. 16

D. If the Court correct granted summary judgment for Chambers County, than Pelco cannot maintain claims against Amundson because Pelco’s improper termination of the contract is the proximate cause of its damages. ................................................... 16

Conclusion and Prayer............................................................................... 17

-v- INDEX OF AUTHORITIES Cases

DeClaire v. G & B Mcintosh Family Ltd. P’ship, 260 S.W.3d 34 (Tex. App. —Houston [1st Dist.] 2008, no pet.) ........................................................ 15

Dew v. Crown Derrick Erectors, Inc., 208 S.W.3d 448 (Tex. 2006). .................. 18

Formosa Plastics Corp. USA v. Presidio Engineers & Contractors, Inc., 960 S.W.2d 41, 46-48 (Tex. 1998). .......................................................... 10

Gulf Liquids New River Project, LLC v. Gulsby Eng'g, Inc., 356 S.W.3d 54 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st District] 2011, no pet.) ........................... 17

H2O Solutions, Ltd. v. PM Realty Grp., LP, 438 S.W.3d 606 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2014), reh'g overruled (Aug. 14, 2014), review denied (Jan. 16, 2015). .......................................................................... 15

IKON Office Solutions, Inc. v. Eifert, 125 S.W.3d 113 (Tex. App.— Houston [14th Dist.] 2003, pet. denied ............................................................ 16

In re HRM Holdings, LLC, 421 B.R. 244 (Bankr. N.D. Tex. 2009 ..................... 11

Menetti v. Chavers, 974 S.W.2d 168 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1998, no pet.). ............................................................................................................ 10

Ocram, Inc. v. Bartosh, 2012 WL 4740859 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Oct. 4, 2012) .......................................................................................... 11

Rutherford v. Atwood, No. 01-00-0113-CV, 2003 WL 22053687 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Aug. 29, 2003, no pet).

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Related

Valence Operating Co. v. Dorsett
164 S.W.3d 656 (Texas Supreme Court, 2005)
Dew v. Crown Derrick Erectors, Inc.
208 S.W.3d 448 (Texas Supreme Court, 2006)
IKON Office Solutions, Inc. v. Eifert
125 S.W.3d 113 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004)
DeClaire v. G & B McIntosh Family Ltd. Partnership
260 S.W.3d 34 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008)
Menetti v. Chavers
974 S.W.2d 168 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1998)
Gulf Liquids New River Project, LLC v. Gulsby Engineering, Inc.
356 S.W.3d 54 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011)
Pelco Construction, Inc. v. Dannenbaum Engineering Corp.
404 S.W.3d 48 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013)
H2O Solutions, Ltd. v. PM Realty Group, LP
438 S.W.3d 606 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014)

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Pelco Construction Company v. Chambers County, Texas, Kurt Amundson, and Amundson Consulting, Inc., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pelco-construction-company-v-chambers-county-texas-kurt-amundson-and-texapp-2015.