Sithon Maritime Co. v. Holiday Mansion

177 F.R.D. 504, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1695, 1998 WL 57408
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedJanuary 7, 1998
DocketNo. CIV. A. 96-2262-EEO
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 177 F.R.D. 504 (Sithon Maritime Co. v. Holiday Mansion) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sithon Maritime Co. v. Holiday Mansion, 177 F.R.D. 504, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1695, 1998 WL 57408 (D. Kan. 1998).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

EARL E. O’CONNOR, Senior District Judge.

This matter is before the court on plaintiffs motion for reconsideration of the court’s October 22, 1997 Memorandum and Order (Doc. # 174) and plaintiffs motion for leave to file an amended complaint (Doc. # 176). After careful consideration of the parties’ briefs and evidentiary materials, the court is prepared to rule. For the reasons stated below, plaintiffs motion for reconsideration is denied and plaintiffs motion to amend is granted.

I. Sithon’s Motion For Reconsideration.

A. Motion For Reconsideration Standards.

A motion for reconsideration is the opportunity for the court to (1) correct manifest errors of law or fact; (2) review newly discovered evidence; or (3) review a prior decision in light of a recent change in the law. See Cross Timbers Oil Co. v. Rosel Energy, Inc., 168 F.R.D. 649, 650 (D.Kan. 1996) (citing Major v.. Benton, 647 F.2d 110, 112 (10th Cir.1981)). Appropriate circumstances for a motion to reconsider are where the court' has obviously misapprehended a party’s position on the facts or the law, or the court has mistakenly decided issues outside of those the parties presented for determination. See Anderson v. United Auto Workers, 738 F.Supp. 441, 442 (D.Kan.1990); Refrigeration Sales Co., Inc. v. Mitchell-Jackson, Inc., 605 F.Supp. 6, 7 (N.D.Ill.1983), affd, 770 F.2d 98 (7th Cir.1985). A party’s failure to present its strongest case in the first instance does not entitle it to a second chance in the form of a motion to reconsider. Renfro v. City of Emporia, Kan., 732 F.Supp. 1116, 1117 (D.Kan.1990), affd, 948 F.2d 1529 (10th Cir.1991). The decision of whether to grant or deny a motion for reconsideration is committed to the court’s discretion. See Hancock v. City of Oklahoma City, 857 F.2d 1394, 1395 (10th Cir.1988).

B. Analysis.

The factual background of this matter is set forth in the court’s October 22 Order and is incorporated by reference. Sithon Maritime Company (“Sithon”) alleges in count IX of its complaint that Mercury Marine (“Mercury”) breached its contract with Sithon to repair and correct the mechanical problems with the propulsion systems in the Summer of 1995. The court previously granted Mer[506]*506cury’s motion for summary judgment on this claim. See Oct. 22 Order at 12-14. Sithon now moves for reconsideration based on the same evidence and arguments it previously advanced to the court in its opposition papers to Mercury’s motion for summary judgment.

Sithon bears the burden of proof to show the execution and existence of a contract for repairs with Mercury. See Van Brant v. Jackson, 212 Kan. 621, 623, 512 P.2d 517, 520 (1973). The Kansas Supreme Court, has held repeatedly that “[i]n order to form a binding contract, there must be a meeting of the minds on all essential terms.” Albers v. Nelson, 248 Kan. 575, 580, 809 P.2d 1194, 1198 (1991); see Sidwell Oil & Gas Co., Inc. v. Loyd, 230 Kan. 77, 79, 630 P.2d 1107, 1110 (1981). “To constitute a meeting of the minds there must be a fair understanding between the parties which normally accompanies mutual consent and the evidence must show with reasonable definiteness that the minds of the parties met upon the same matter and agreed upon the terms of the contract.” Sidwell, 230 Kan. at 84, 630 P.2d at 1113 (quoting Steele v. Harrison, 220 Kan. 422, 428, 552 P.2d 957, 962 (1976)). “Only reasonable certainty is required in a purported contract, but where the .purported contract is so vague and indefinite that the intentions of the parties cannot be ascertained, it is unenforceable.” Mohr v. State Bank of Stanley, 244 Kan. 555, 573, 770 P.2d 466, 480 (1989) (citing Jack Richards Aircraft Sales, Inc. v. Vaughn, 203 Kan. 967, 971, 457 P.2d 691 (1969)).

Once again, we have analyzed carefully all of the evidence Sithon referenced in support of its contract for repair claim. Sithon referenced at least 53 statements of fact in its original summary judgment opposition brief as support for its claim that a contract to repair existed between Sithon and Mercury. Now, Sithon requests the court to review 21 of the 53 statements of fact for evidence of a contract to repair sometime in the Summer of 1995. Sithon’s vague reference to the facts is illustrative of the vagueness of the terms and execution of the alleged contract. Sithon apparently claims that the terms of the contract were that Mercury would repair the engines on Sithon’s boats in exchange for Sithon’s agreement not to pursue legal action against Mercury. Sithon has presented the following relevant evidence in support of its claim:

1. On June 5, 1995, Holiday Mansion sent Mercury a letter stating that Sithon is ready to go to the American Embassy and their lawyers regarding the problems with the boats.
2. A Mercury representative stated in a June 5,1995 internal memorandum that Mercury is willing to do a customer relations repair on the boats at no cost to Sithon or Holiday Mansion.
3. On June 12, 1995, Mr. Vagianos of Sithon sent a letter to Holiday Mansion requesting Holiday Mansion to take “all necessary arrangements so that they [Mercury] keep their promise.”
4. A Mercury representative told a Sithon representative in July 1995 that the new Bravo III engines would allow the engines to work at the correct RPM.
5. Mr. LeClerre of Mercury’s Belgium office told Mr. Vagianos of Sithon in the Summer of 1995 that “I’m here, Mr. Vagianos, to repair the engines.” 1

[507]*507We find that no reasonable trier of facts could find the necessary “meeting of the minds” between Sithon and Mercury based on the evidence presented by Sithon. There is no evidence to show with reasonable certainty that the minds of the parties met upon the same matter and agreed upon the terms of the contract. See Sidwell, 230 Kan. at 84, 630 P.2d at 1113. Notably, only two of the above facts refer to direct conversations between Sithon and Mercury representatives. These conversations, however, establish only Mercury’s willingness to repair the engines. Proof of a manufacturer’s willingness to repair a warranted product alone is insufficient as a matter of law to establish that an independent contract to repair was created. In sum, the court finds that the alleged contract is so vague and indefinite that a reasonable trier of facts could not ascertain the intentions of the parties. See Mohr, 244 Kan. at 573, 770 P.2d at 480.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
177 F.R.D. 504, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1695, 1998 WL 57408, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sithon-maritime-co-v-holiday-mansion-ksd-1998.