S.C. Nestel, Inc. v. Future Construction Inc.

836 N.E.2d 445, 2005 Ind. App. LEXIS 2033, 2005 WL 2840279
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 31, 2005
Docket49A05-0411-CV-633
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 836 N.E.2d 445 (S.C. Nestel, Inc. v. Future Construction Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
S.C. Nestel, Inc. v. Future Construction Inc., 836 N.E.2d 445, 2005 Ind. App. LEXIS 2033, 2005 WL 2840279 (Ind. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

OPINION

BAKER, Judge.

Appellant-defendant S.C. Nestel, Inc. d/b/a Advantage Design Build (Neste!) appeals the trial court's judgment in favor of appellee-plaintiff Future Construction, Inc. (Future) regarding Future's claims for negligence and breach of contract. Specifically, Nestel contends that the trial court erred in denying its motion for summary *447 judgment and in failing to enforce the contractual waiver of subrogation clause in its judgment. Finding that the waiver of subrogation clause is controlling, we reverse the judgment of the trial court.

FACTS

The parties stipulated to the following relevant facts. Future, a general contractor, contracted with the Metropolitan School District of Perry Township (MSD Perry Township) on August 23, 1999, to construct a post frame warehouse in Indianapolis. On September 28, 1999, Future contracted with Nestel as a subcontractor to build the warehouse. The subcontract incorporated the MSD Perry Township/Future contract by reference. On November 30, 1999, Nestel contracted with Coffey Construction, Inc. (Coffey) as a sub-subcontractor to construct the warehouse. Future was not a party to the contract between Nestel and Coffey, nor did Future have a contract with Coffey. On February 24, 2000, the warehouse collapsed while Coffey was building it. MSD Perry Township paid Nestel $17,214 for demolition and removal of debris, and Future reimbursed MSD Perry Township through Cincinnati Insurance, the builder's risk insurance provider for Future. In May 2000, Future issued Change Order #2 to the subcontract in the amount of $106,350 for rebuilding the warehouse to its pre-collapse condition. The total claim paid by Cincinnati Insurance was $143,164.70.

The contracts at issue are standard form American Institute of Architects (AIA) contracts. The general conditions are those contained in AIA document A401, 1978 edition. Article 11 of the general conditions sets out the requirements for who is to provide what type of insurance. Article 11.1 provides that the contractor would provide liability insurance and Worker's Compensation insurance for claims arising out of the construction. Paragraph 11.1.2 forbids Nestel from assigning or subcontracting its subcontract without the written consent of Future and from subcontracting portions of the subcontract without the written consent of Future "when such notification is requested by the Contractor." Appellant's App. p. 277. Paragraph 11.2.1 provides that the owner is responsible for purchasing the owner's usual liability insurance. Paragraph 11.3.1 provides:

Unless otherwise provided, [MSD Perry Township] shall purchase and maintain, in a company or companies lawfully authorized to do business in the jurisdiction in which the Project is located, property insurance in the amount of the initial Contract Sum as well as subsequent modifications thereto for the entire Work at the site on a replacement cost basis without voluntary deductibles. Such property insurance shall be maintained, unless otherwise provided in the Contract Documents or otherwise agreed in writing by all persons and entities who are beneficiaries of such insurance, until final payment has been made as provided in Paragraph 9.10 or until no person or entity other than [MSD Perry Township] has an insurable interest in the property required by this Paragraph 11.3 to be covered, whichever is earlier. This insurance shall include interests of [MSD Perry Township), [Future], Subcontractors and Sub-subcontractors in the Work.

Appellant's App. p. 316. 11.8.1.1 states: Paragraph

Property insurance shall be on an all-risk policy form and shall insure against the perils of fire and extended coverage and physical loss or damage including, without duplication of coverage, theft, vandalism, malicious mischief, *448 collapse, false-work, temporary buildings and debris removal including demolition occasioned by enforcement of any applicable legal requirement, and shall cover reasonable compensation for Architect's services and expenses required as a result of such insured loss. Coverage for other perils shall not be required until otherwise provided in the Contract Document.

Id. (emphasis added).

The MSD Perry Township/Future contract, which was incorporated into the Nestel/Future contract, provided for waivers of subrogation in Paragraph 11.8.7:

[MSD Perry Township] and [Future] waive all rights against (1) each other and any of their subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, agents and employees, each of the other, and (2) the Architect, Architect's consultants, separate contractors described in Article 6, if any, and any of their subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, agents and employees, for damages caused by fire or other perils to the extent covered by property insurance obtained pursuant to this Paragraph 11.3 or other property insurance applicable to the Work, except such other rights as they have to proceeds of such insurance held by [MSD Perry Township] as fiduciary. [MSD Perry Township] or [Future], as appropriate, shall require of the Architect, Architect's consultants, separate contractors described in Article 6, if any, and the subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, agent and employees of any of them, by appropriate agreements, written where legally required for validity, similar waivers each in favor of other parties enumerated herein. The policies shall provide such waivers of subrogation by endorsement or otherwise. A waiver of subrogation shall be effective as to a person or entity even though they person or entity would otherwise have a duty of indemnification, contractual or otherwise, did not pay the insurance premium directly or indirectly, and whether or not the person or entity had an insurable interest in the property damaged.

Appellant's App. p. 817.

The Nestel/Future subcontract contained the following relevant provisions:

9.1 Prior to starting work, [Nestel] shall obtain the required insurance from a responsible insurer, and shall furnish satisfactory evidence to [Future] that [Nestel] has complied with the requirements of this Article 9. Similarly, [Future] shall furnish to [Nestel] satisfactory evidence of insurance required of [Future] by the Contract Documents.
9.2 [Future] and Subcontractor waive all rights against each other and against [MSD Perry Township], and Architect, separate contractors and all other subcontractors for damages caused by fire or other perils to the extent covered by property insurance provided under the General Conditions, except such rights as they may have to proceeds of such insurance.

Appellant's App. p. 276.

On December 26, 2001, Cincinnati Insurance, by and through Future, filed a complaint alleging that Nestel and Coffey were negligent and responsible for the collapse and damage to the warehouse and that they breached their contracts by not covering the loss of the damages by way of Nestel's insurance coverage. Essentially, the action was brought as a subrogation claim with Cincinnati Insurance asserting that it is subrogated to the rights of Future.

On December 6, 2002, Nestel moved for summary judgment on the issue of the *449

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

Related

Holcim (US) Inc. v. ACMS Group, Inc.
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2025
Stephen Turner v. KLS Services, LLC
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2025
MercAsia USA, LTD v. Zhu
N.D. Indiana, 2020
Phila. Indem. Ins. Co. v. Lend Lease (U.S.) Constr., Inc.
282 F. Supp. 3d 368 (D.C. Circuit, 2017)
RQAW Corporation v. Dearborn County, Indiana
83 N.E.3d 745 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2017)
J.H. v. School Town of Munster
160 F. Supp. 3d 1079 (N.D. Indiana, 2016)
Jerry French v. Rebecca (French) Lambert
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2014
Board of Commissioners v. Teton Corp.
3 N.E.3d 556 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2014)
State Farm Fire and Casualty Company v. Riddell National Bank
984 N.E.2d 655 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2013)
Dennis and Jeremy Cochran v. Zeroffos Hoffman and John Dye
971 N.E.2d 670 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2012)
Richmond State Hospital v. Brattain
935 N.E.2d 212 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2010)
McKeighen v. Daviess County Fair Board
918 N.E.2d 717 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2009)
Niezer v. Todd Realty, Inc.
913 N.E.2d 211 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2009)
Bailey v. Mann
895 N.E.2d 1215 (Indiana Supreme Court, 2008)
Four Seasons Manufacturing, Inc. v. 1001 Coliseum, LLC
870 N.E.2d 494 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
836 N.E.2d 445, 2005 Ind. App. LEXIS 2033, 2005 WL 2840279, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sc-nestel-inc-v-future-construction-inc-indctapp-2005.