Reid v. Climatemp, Inc. (In re 3RC Mechanical & Contracting Services, LLC)

505 B.R. 818
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedFebruary 20, 2014
DocketBankruptcy No. 10-BK-34781; Adversary No. 10-AP-2680
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 505 B.R. 818 (Reid v. Climatemp, Inc. (In re 3RC Mechanical & Contracting Services, LLC)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reid v. Climatemp, Inc. (In re 3RC Mechanical & Contracting Services, LLC), 505 B.R. 818 (Ill. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION DENYING CLIMATEMPS MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (DKT 69)

JACK B. SCHMETTERER, Bankruptcy Judge.

3RC Mechanical & Contracting Services (“3RC”) filed a petition for relief under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. N. Ne-ville Reid, the Chapter 7 Trustee (“Trustee”), filed this adversary proceeding against Climatemp, Inc. (“Climatemp”) seeking damages for breach of contract and unjust enrichment for work allegedly performed by 3RC under two construction subcontracts. Climatemp filed an answer and affirmative defenses.

Climatemp moved for summary judgment (Docket 69.) asserting that undisputed facts show that Trustee is not entitled to any payment because 3RC failed to satisfy all conditions precedent to payment, that certain sums of money are not owed to 3RC under theories of recoupment, and that a final 10% retainage payment is not due because performance was not complete. As explained below, summary judgment will be denied because affidavits submitted by Trustee are enough to demonstrate a genuine issue of material fact on all three theories.

The motion for summary judgment also begat ancillary motions to strike parts of motions and exhibits. They will likewise be denied, for reasons explained below.

Undisputed Facts

1. On or about September 2008, 3RC and Climatemp entered into a contract (the “Belmont Cragin Contract”) whereby 3RC as sub-subcontractor would provide services to Climatemp as subcontractor related to construction of the Belmont Cra-gin Area Elementary School. (Docket 64 ¶ 12.)

2. 3RC competed its work under the Belmont Cragin Contract. (Docket 100 ¶ 7.)

3. Climatemp has paid to 3RC $915,038.52 on the Belmont Cragin Contract to date.

4. Trustee alleges that the final contract price due to 3RC on the Belmont Cragin Contract was $919,184 after adjustments, (Docket 100 ¶ 8.) leaving a balance of $4,152.48 due to 3RC on that contract. (Docket 64 ¶ 13.)

5. Climatemp contends that the final contract price on the Belmont Cragin Contract was $916,872.00 after adjustments, leaving a balance due of $1833.48 on that contract.

6. On or about October 2008, 3RC and Climatemp entered into a contract (the “Kelly Curie Contract”) whereby 3RC as sub-subcontractor would provide services to Climatemp as subcontractor related to Kelly Curie High School. (Docket 64 ¶ 14.)

7. For the Kelly Curie Project, Clima-temp had a subcontract with F.H. Pas-chen, S.N. Nielsen & Assoc., LLC (“FHP”.)

8. 3RC provided services under the Kelly Curie Contract from October 2008 until June 2010. Trustee now alleges that [822]*822Climatemp owes $786,192.04 on the Kelly Curie Contract. (Docket 64 ¶ 15.)

9. On March 1 and 2, 2010, 3RC did not provide any personnel for the Kelly Curie Project, and Climatemp was put on notice about 3RC’s failure. 3RC personnel returned to work on March 3. (Docket 100 ¶ 12,15.)

10. On March 15, 2010, Climatemp was informed by FHP that one of 3RC’s own subcontractors on the Kelly Curie Project, Central Contractors, had sent out Notice of an Intent to Lien due to non-payment from 3RC regarding work performed by Central Contractors on the Project. (Docket 100 ¶ 18.) Climatemp paid Central Contractors directly to satisfy the lien claim, and deducted that payment from the next payment made to 3RC. (Docket 100 ¶ 19.)

11. On March 25, Climatemp met on-site with representatives of the Public Building Commission, FHP and 3RC concerning a recovery schedule for the Kelly Curie Project to bring construction progress up to schedule. At that time, 3RC presented a recovery schedule, which at the time appeared to be appropriate.

12. On May 20, 3RC’s employees walked off the Kelly Curie Project claiming that 3RC’s paychecks to them had bounced. (Docket 100 ¶ 28.)

13. On June 22, 3RC personnel all left the Kelly Curie Project and 3RC gave notice to Climatemp that it was going out of business. (Docket 100 ¶ 38.)

14. Climatemp alleges that when 3RC walked of the job, substantial portions of 3RC’s scope of work under the Kelly Curie Contract was incomplete. Trustee responds that 95% to 99% of 3RC’s scope of work was completed before 3RC walked off the job. (Docket 100 ¶ 39.)

15. Climatemp issued a Notice of Default to 3RC on June 23, 2010. (Docket 100 ¶ 40.)

16. 3RC’s bankruptcy filing followed, on August 3, 2010.

17. After 3RC walked off the Kelly Curie Project, Climatemp retained the services of various other contractors, including an entity called Quality Control Systems to complete 3RC’s scope of work and to correct asserted errors in 3RC’s work. (Docket 100 ¶ 42.)

18. Climatemp asserts that it spent at least $700,000 to complete 3RC’s contracted scope of work (Docket 70 ¶¶ 47-67.)

19. Climatemp also asserts that it is entitled to keep $111,828 for retainage under the Kelly Curie Contract. (Docket 70 ¶ 69.)

Further details appear in the discussion below.

Procedural History

Together with its motion for summary judgment, Climatemp filed its Statement of Undisputed Facts, as required by Local Bankruptcy Rule 7056-1. (Docket 70.)

In response to the summary judgment motion, 3RC filed its Response to Clima-temp’s Statement of Undisputed Facts (“Trustee’s Response”) (Docket 100.) as well as a Motion to Strike Exhibits and Portions of Affidavit (“Trustee’s First Motion to Strike”), arguing that invoices attached to Fred Adamitus’s affidavit (the “Adamitus affidavit”) were hearsay. (Docket 101.) Trustee’s First Motion to Strike was denied because a statement is not hearsay where offered to show its effect on the witness. Reid v. Climatemp, Inc. (In re SRC Mechanical & Contracting Services, LLC), 502 B.R. 548, 552 (Bankr.N.D.Ill.2013).

As a result of affidavits by Frank Cassa-no (the “Cassano affidavit”) and Abe Cor-[823]*823rea (the “Correa affidavit”) attached to Trustee’s Response, Climatemp sought leave to take depositions of Cassano and Correa prior to further briefing on summary judgment; that was granted. (Docket 114.) Together with its Reply brief, (Docket 137.) Climatemp filed a Response to 3RC’s Response, and its own Motion to Strike (“Climatemp’s Motion to Strike”), attaching the depositions of Cas-sano (the “Cassano deposition”) and Cor-rea (the “Correa deposition”).

Trustee then filed yet another Motion to Strike (“Trustee’s Second Motion to Strike”), seeking to exclude the use of the depositions of Cassano and Correa.

Separately, Trustee orally moved to dismiss Count II of the adversary complaint, which sought damages for unjust enrichment. By agreement, Count II has since been dismissed.

Discussion

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction lies over this Motion under 28 U.S.C. § 1334. The case and pleadings related to it are referred here by Internal Procedure 15(a) of the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. This matter is a trustee’s adversary complaint seeking damages for breach of contract under state law, and is therefore not a core proceeding, but is related to the bankruptcy case under title 11. “A bankruptcy judge may hear a proceeding that is not a core proceeding but that is otherwise related to a case under title 11.” 28 U.S.C.

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Bluebook (online)
505 B.R. 818, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reid-v-climatemp-inc-in-re-3rc-mechanical-contracting-services-llc-ilnb-2014.