Serafini Construction Co. v. State

35 Misc. 2d 83, 230 N.Y.S.2d 334, 1962 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3035
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedJune 26, 1962
DocketClaim No. 36956
StatusPublished

This text of 35 Misc. 2d 83 (Serafini Construction Co. v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Serafini Construction Co. v. State, 35 Misc. 2d 83, 230 N.Y.S.2d 334, 1962 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3035 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1962).

Opinion

Richard S. Heller, J.

This claim arises out of a contract for the reconstruction of 1.54 miles of State highway running through the Village of Waterloo. The contract was dated June 1, 1956, and had a completion date of June 1, 1957. Claimant commenced work under the contract in June, 1956.

By September, 1956, claimant was prepared to commence pouring concrete pavement and had sufficient men and equipment on the job to complete the paving by November, 1956. On September 10, 1956, claimant was notified that it would not be permitted to commence paving until a decision had been reached in regard to the relocation or the relocation and replacement of curb valves for individual water services in the area covered by the contract.

[85]*85On September 17, 1956, the claimant was directed to relocate all curb box valves outside the pavement area and to replace ail water service connecters between the water mam ana tne curb box valves whether or not the curb box vaives were to be relocated. The notification specihcally referred to a supplemental agreement to be prepared and asserted that all items involving excavation and gravel backfill for this purpose would be paid for at the unit price contained in the original contract and all other work would be paid for at a cost plus 15 °/o for overhead and profit as there was no contract price for such additional work as ‘ ‘ removing old pipe, installing new pipe and relocating curb box valves, etc.” Claimant immediately wrote to the Department of Public Works protesting that the extra excavation could not properly be included under the unit price as bid in the original contract since it was a different type of excavation necessarily performed under different conditions and with different equipment, and further objecting to the limitations placed upon the costs to be included in arriving at the 15 Jo in excess of costs.

Subsequently, and on October 17 there was forwarded to the claimant a proposed supplemental agreement No. 3 covering this additional work with excavation and fill provided for at the bid price of those items in the original contract with the additional work involved in water service pipes and relocation of valves to be paid at force account. On October 19, 1956, claimant returned this agreement executed by it with a letter which read in part :

“We have executed and return to you herewith the original and copies of the Agreement. However, we have executed the Agreement and forward it to you herewith upon the express condition and understanding that we protest the proposed allowance of $2.15 per yard for excavation and do not consent or agree that we be paid or receive this amount in full satisfaction for the excavation proposed by the supplemental contract. * * *

‘ ‘ If the State is agreeable to execution of the Supplemental Agreement, subject to the protest, reservations and exceptions contained above this is agreeable to us.”

On Anril 25, 1957, the claimant received a letter sent bv the District Engineer to the Denuty Thief Engineer of the Denartmeut of Public Works in which reference was made to awnroval of the Sunni errmntal Agreement bv the Oomntroller’s Office on December 6. 1956. with a simulation that a denosit of moneys required from the Village of Waterloo be obtained a.nd adding: [86]*86“ Since receipt of the approved Agreement by the contractor, he has empioyecl qualified plumbers who have duigentiy progressed this work, and deferring payment pending reimbursement for the specinc items of work in the partial payment estimates.

“ This additional work, being progressed on a force account basis, is approximately 90% complete. Nonpayment for the completed work has caused a definite financial hardship on the plumbing firms and the contractor and has, indirectly, created tense working relations with the local citizenry and our contractual parties.”

On June 19, 1957, there was finally forwarded to the claimant Supplemental Agreement No. 3 to which the claimant’s letter of protest transmitting the Supplemental Agreement executed by it dated October 19,1956, had been physically attached. The Supplemental Agreement showed approval on October 29, 1956, and execution by the Deputy Chief Engineer, approval for the Director of the Budget on November 5, 1956, and approval for the State Comptroller on December 6, 1956.

As a result of the requirement that claimant perform this extra work, paving could not be completed in November, 1956 as planned but was finally completed about June, 1957. The State referred to this delay in its Supplemental Agreement No. 4 dated June 17, 1957, which modification of the contract is not in dispute here.

The contract was finally completed in October, 1957 and was accepted by the Department of Public Works on November 19, 1957.

Thereafter, on April 9, 1958, the State forwarded to the claimant a completely executed Supplemental Agreement No. 5 which further modified the contract in regard to the items which had been previously modified by Supplemental Agreement No. 3. This Supplemental Agreement was apparently executed by the claimant sometime after November 23, 1957, the date of the Sunn1 ementa! Agreement, and it was approved for execution by the Deputy Chief Engineer on January 2, 1958. This Supplemental Agreement had no letters, riders, statements or other efforts of reservations of rights by the claimant. It did have attached to it however, a letter dated September 14. 1956, from the District Engineer to the Deputy Chief Engineer which reviewed the situation involving some 190 service connections to the water mains which were specific,aliv provided for in Ihe oriofinal contract. The letter in part ronO. The enn+^actor is presently laying foundation course E.O.B. gravel in this area. [87]*87Forms for concrete pavement foundation are ready for installation and cement tor tins pirase oí tne work has been procured. However, we nave ordered, tne contractor to defer paving until tms proba.em.is resolved.”

On May 15,1958, tne State forwarded to the claimant a “ final agreement ’ ’. On May 22, 1958 the claimant returned the final agreement with a letter reading in part: “We have executed and return herewith eight copies of tire final agreement, to each of which we have added a rider reserving our right to make claim for damages upon the grounds stated therein. The enclosed agreements are each executed and delivered to you with the express reservation of our rights as stated in the rider attached to the last sheet of the agreement.” The rider referred to was physically attached on the face of the signature sheet for this final agreement and specifically stated that “ the undersigned ’ ’ reserved rights and claims against the State and the right to file and prosecute claims in the Court of Claims for adequate compensation for the additional work involved in the house service connections and for the delay of approximately four months in completion of the paving work because of the extra work and the unreasonable delay of the State of approximately six months in preparing and presenting a final estimate on the contract. The final agreement with the rider attached was approved for the District Engineer on May 29, 1958, by the Deputy Chief Engineer on June 5, 1958, for the Director of the Budget on June 23, 1958, and for the State Comptroller on July 25, 1958. When the final estimate wns returned to the claimant on July 29, 1958 so executed with the rider attached there was also physically attached a copy of claimant’s letter of May 22, 1958.

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Related

Scott v. State
4 Misc. 2d 179 (New York State Court of Claims, 1956)
D'Angelo v. State
7 Misc. 2d 783 (New York State Court of Claims, 1957)
Buffalo Electric Co. v. State
27 Misc. 2d 527 (New York State Court of Claims, 1961)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
35 Misc. 2d 83, 230 N.Y.S.2d 334, 1962 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3035, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/serafini-construction-co-v-state-nyclaimsct-1962.