Rush v. Jacksonville State University

439 So. 2d 9, 14 Educ. L. Rep. 406, 1983 Ala. LEXIS 4664
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedJuly 22, 1983
Docket82-398
StatusPublished

This text of 439 So. 2d 9 (Rush v. Jacksonville State University) 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
Rush v. Jacksonville State University, 439 So. 2d 9, 14 Educ. L. Rep. 406, 1983 Ala. LEXIS 4664 (Ala. 1983).

Opinion

SHORES, Justice.

George Rush, d/b/a Rush Engineers (Rush), appeals from summary judgment entered against him in this declaratory judgment action. This case was before us previously on a writ of mandamus. Ex parte Rush, 419 So.2d 1388 (Ala.1982).

Jacksonville State University (JSU) filed this action requesting the court to determine the ownership rights to money represented by a certificate of deposit issued by The First National Bank of Anniston (First National).

The following facts are undisputed: The parties entered into a contract on August 16, 1977, for the construction of a building at the University. Rush agreed to construct the building for the fixed sum of $865,740.53. Under the express terms of the contract and § 39-2-12, Ala.Code (1975), as it existed prior to amendment effective May 4, 1978, JSU withheld a ten percent retainage from payments due Rush for work completed and materials furnished until the value of the in-place construction reached fifty percent of the contract value. The total amount of retainage withheld was $36,042.73.

On June 2, 1978, JSU issued a check to Rush in the amount of $36,042.73, at his request. This money represented the re-tainage. That same day, First National issued a certificate of deposit in the same amount, made payable to JSU and Rush. This is the certificate in question. Thereafter, Rush allegedly defaulted on the contract and left the job. JSU made a claim against The Home Insurance Company (Home) as the surety of Rush’s performance bond. The claim was ultimately settled for $50,762.84. A clause of the settlement agreement between JSU and Home states:

“3. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the University and the Surety, for themselves, their agents, assigns and successors, hereby release and forever discharge the other from any and all claims, demands and causes of action arising out of the aforesaid Construction Contract, and Bonds, or otherwise, and whether arising- before or after the execution of this Agreement.”

Prior to the Home-JSU settlement, a petition of involuntary bankruptcy was filed against Rush by a number of his creditors. Home agreed to settle the claims made against Rush by his creditors. Rush agreed to the following assignment to Home as part of the consideration:

[11]*11“10. ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFER OF CONTRACT FUNDS TO HOME “The parties agree to Rash’s assignment and transfer of contract funds to Home in the following manner:
“A. Subject to the provisions of this paragraph 10, Rush hereby assigns, transfers and conveys to Home the following:
“(1) Any and all right, title and interest, other than matured claims against subcontractors and suppliers which Rush may have in any contract bonded by Home and in which Rush was principal and Home was surety; and
“(4) Any and all right, title and interest which Rush may have in and to any and all sums due or arising out of any such contracts, subcontracts or purchase orders for materials and suppliers.”

Because the certificate represents the re-tainage withheld from the contract, JSU contends that Rush’s assignment to Home of all rights in and to “sums due or arising out of” the building contract as a matter of law included the retainage. Home, thereafter, relinquished to JSU any claim it had to the certificate of deposit by the JSU-Home settlement. Furthermore, it is undisputed that the fixed price of $865,740.53 has been paid to Rush for the building. Therefore, Rush has been paid all he was due on the contract. If Rush were to receive the certificate in addition, he would be overpaid according to the contract.

In opposition to these facts, Rush simply says that on June 2, 1978, he purchased the certificate with his own money. He does not deny that he received a check from JSU in the same amount, representing the re-tainage. Rush states in his affidavit that he agreed to maintain the funds for security for the completion of the construction. He contends that he completed the project in all material respects and that there remained only minor cleanup when he left, for which JSU was more than adequately compensated by Home. Furthermore, because the money came out of his own pocket, Rush argues that the certificate did not contract and was not included in the assignment to Home. He argues that JSU is, therefore, entitled to the certificate only if it can prove default and that default is a factual determination within the province of the jury. Therefore, his argument is that summary judgment was improper because the question of whether he defaulted or not presents a genuine issue of material fact. arise out of the

The trial court found on the undisputed facts that JSU had paid Rush, exclusive of the certificate, all that he was entitled to receive under the contract and that JSU had fulfilled its obligations and was the sole owner of the certificate.

We affirm.

JSU’s argument that the rights of the parties have been determined by the agreements and assignments contained therein is correct. The central issue is to determine what was included in Rush’s assignment to Home of “sums due and arising out of the contract.”

Absent evidence to the contrary, “the words of agreement will be given their ordinary meaning.” Flowers v. Flowers, 334 So.2d 856, 857 (Ala.1976). We look to our sister court in New Mexico for a general definition of “arising out of.”

“The words ‘arising out of’ are very broad, general and comprehensive terms, ordinarily understood to mean ‘originating from,’ ‘having its origin in,’ ‘growing out of’ or ‘flowing from.’ ”

Baca v. New Mexico State Highway Dept., 82 N.M. 689, 486 P.2d 625, 628 (1971).

Rush argues that “sums arising out of a contract” are synonymous with “proceeds” as defined by Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. He suggests that proceeds are essentially accounts and contract rights. We agree that the broader definition offered by the Supreme Court of New Mexico is closer to the meaning most people would attribute to the phrase.

It is undisputed that the money evidenced by the certificate of deposit was the retainage provided for in the contract as security for the completion of the building. [12]*12The certifícate was given in direct exchange for the original retainage.

It makes no difference whether the certificate represents the original retainage or Rush’s own money as he claims. If it is the original retainage, it is by its very definition a “sum arising out of the contract.” Section 39-2-12, Ala.Code 1975 (amended May 4, 1978), defines retainage as:

“(3) RETAINAGE. That money belonging to the contractor which has been retained by the awarding authority conditioned on final completion and acceptance of all work in connection with a project or projects by the contractor.”

If the money was in fact from Rush’s own account, it was put up to replace the retain-age.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Baca v. New Mexico State Highway Department
486 P.2d 625 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1971)
Flowers v. Flowers
334 So. 2d 856 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1976)
Ex Parte Rush
419 So. 2d 1388 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1982)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
439 So. 2d 9, 14 Educ. L. Rep. 406, 1983 Ala. LEXIS 4664, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rush-v-jacksonville-state-university-ala-1983.