Reynolds v. Preferred Mutual Insurance

49 Mass. App. Dec. 97
CourtMassachusetts District Court, Appellate Division
DecidedSeptember 21, 1972
DocketNo. 27018; No. 27126; No. 27, 126
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 49 Mass. App. Dec. 97 (Reynolds v. Preferred Mutual Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts District Court, Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reynolds v. Preferred Mutual Insurance, 49 Mass. App. Dec. 97 (Mass. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

Covett, J.

This is an action in contract with a third party action in contract and tort. The issues raised on appeal involve only the third parties.

At the trial there was evidence tending to show that the plaintiff, Anna L. Reynolds, contracted with Certified Remodeling Associates, Inc., the third party defendant, on February 5, 1969, to install new gutters on her house. The work was completed and on July 29, 1969, while the third party plaintiff, Preferred Mutual Insurance Co., had a Homeowner’s Policy in force with the plaintiff, she sustained water damage loss to her house. The court found that this was caused by rain water which leaked into the attic as a result of negligent installation of gutters by the third party defendant.

The contract between plaintiff and the third party defendant contained the following provision:

“Contractor will do all said work in a good workmanlike manner. Upon written notification from the owner of a defect in workmanship or material, the contractor will repair the same if such a defect exists but in no event shall the contractor be liable beyond the cost to it of labor and materials.”

The third party defendant repaired the gut[100]*100ters on October 31, 1969, without charge, and no claim was ever made by the plaintiff against the third party defendant.

The parties by stipulation agreed to treat the action of Preferred Mutual Insurance Co. against Certified Remodeling Associates, Inc., as a third party action.

The third party plaintiff’s action against the third party defendant is in two counts, in contract and tort respectively:

(1) that the third party defendant has breached the contract made between themselves and the plaintiff, and to which the plaintiff’s rights thereunder have been subrogated to the third party plaintiff;

(2) that the third party defendant owed a duty of reasonable care to all persons holding an interest in plaintiff’s house in constructing gutters on plaintiff’s house, that third party plaintiff, by virtue of insuring plaintiff’s house under the Homeowner’s Policy then in force was thus within the class of persons to whom the third party defendant owed a duty of reasonable care, and that the third party defendant negligently selected and installed materials, thereby breaching the duty of reasonable care owed to the third party plaintiff.

' The answer of the third party defendant is a1 general denial and it has not been amended.

At the close of the trial and before the final arguments the third party plaintiff made the [101]*101following requests for rulings of law material to the appeal of the third party action:

“9. Where the seller at the time of contracting has reason to know any particular purpose for which goods are required and that the buyer is relying on the seller’s skill or judgment there is unless modified under General Laws Chapter 106, section 2-316, an implied warranty that the goods shall be fit for such purpose.”

“10. The provisions of General Laws Chapter 106, Section 2-316 do not apply to sales of consumer goods, services or both.”

“11. Any language oral or written, used by a seller or manufacturer of consumer goods and services, which attempts to exclude - or modify any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or to exclude or modify the consumer’s remedies for breach of those warranties is unenforceable.”

“12. Injury to property is a proper element of consequential damages recoverable as a result of any breach of warranty.”

“13. The evidence is insufficient as a matter of law to warrant a finding for the third party defendant, Certified Eemodeling Associates, Inc., against the third party plaintiff, Preferred Mutual Insurance Co.”

The court denied only requested ruling #13.

The third party defendant duly made the following requests for rulings:

[102]*102“Four:— Where the evidence shows that after the third party defendant had performed repair work on property of the original plaintiff and thereafter a dispute arose between those two parties as a consequence of which the third party defendant did additional repair work, the third party defendant cannot have a finding or judgment entered against it in an action in which it has been impleaded where the court finds an accord, later satisfied, as between the original plaintiff and the third party defendant.”

“Five: — Where the agreement between the original plaintiff and the third party defendant provided, ‘upon written notification from the owner of a defect in workmanship or material, the contractor will repair the same if such a defect exists but in no event shall the contractor be liable beyond the cost of labor and materials, ’ no finding or judgment can be made against the third party defendant beyond the scope of that limit of liability.”

“Six:— As a matter of law, a finding must be entered in favor of the third party defendant.”

“Seven:— As a matter of law, the evidence does not support a finding that the third party defendant did or failed to do anything that caused or contributed to plaintiff’s alleged damage.”

The court allowed all of the above requests for rulings [of the third party defendant].

[103]*103The court, at the request of the third party plaintiff, made the following findings of fact material to the third party action:

“14. The evidence warrants a finding that the subject matter of the contract between Anna L. Reynolds and the third party defendant, Certified Remodeling Associates, Inc., was consumer goods and services.”

“16. The evidence warrants a finding that at the time of the sale, the seller, Certified Remodeling Associates, Inc., had reason to know that the siding and gutters to be installed by it were to be used for the purpose of protecting the home and its contents from the weather and that the buyer, Anna L. Reynolds, was relying on its skill in selection and installation.”

“18. The evidence warrants a finding that the goods and services selected and performed by the third party defendant, Certified Remodeling Associates, Inc., allowed water to come into the house between March and October of 1969.”

“20. The evidence warrants a finding that the work performed, removal and installation of gutters, as it existed between March and October, 1969, would not pass without objection in the trade under the contract description.”

“24. The evidence warrants a finding that the third party defendant, Certified Remodeling Associates, Inc.,.was acting as a seller of [104]*104consumer goods and services in its dealings with Anna L. Reynolds.”

The court found that the third party defendant, Certified Remodeling Associates, Inc., made the repairs correctly when requested and complied with its contract with the plaintiff hy doing so. The court further found that if the defendant insurance company was subrogated to any rights that the plaintiff had against the third party defendant, they were limited by the contract between the plaintiff and the third party defendant. The court found for the defendant, Certified Remodeling Associates, Inc., in the third action of Preferred Mutual Insurance versus Certified Remodeling Associates, Inc.

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Bluebook (online)
49 Mass. App. Dec. 97, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reynolds-v-preferred-mutual-insurance-massdistctapp-1972.