Stafford Const. Co., Inc. v. Terrebonne Parish School Bd.

612 So. 2d 847, 1992 La. App. LEXIS 4222, 1992 WL 410172
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 23, 1992
Docket92 CA 1320
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 612 So. 2d 847 (Stafford Const. Co., Inc. v. Terrebonne Parish School Bd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stafford Const. Co., Inc. v. Terrebonne Parish School Bd., 612 So. 2d 847, 1992 La. App. LEXIS 4222, 1992 WL 410172 (La. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

612 So.2d 847 (1992)

STAFFORD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC.
v.
TERREBONNE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD, et al.

No. 92 CA 1320.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

December 23, 1992.
Writ Denied March 19, 1993.

*848 J. Donald Cascio, Denham Springs, for plaintiff and appellant—Stafford Const.

Collins C. Rossi, Metairie, for defendant and appellee—Terrebonne Parish School Bd.

Craig L. Kaster, Baton Rouge, for defendant and appellee—Acadian Builders.

Before CARTER, LeBLANC and CHIASSON,[1] JJ.

CARTER, Judge.

This is an appeal from a trial court judgment maintaining peremptory exceptions raising the objection of no cause of action.

FACTS

On August 20, 1989, in accordance with the provisions of LSA-R.S. 38:2211, et seq., the Terrebonne Parish School Board ("School Board") advertised for bid proposals for renovations and additions to Acadian Elementary and Broadmoor Elementary schools. According to the advertisement, all bids were to be submitted to the School Board by September 20, 1989, and were to include a power of attorney, if the bidder was a corporate entity.

On September 20, 1989, the School Board reviewed the bid proposals and accepted the bid of Acadian Builders of Gonzales, Inc. ("Acadian"). Although Acadian's bid did not contain a power of attorney upon its initial submission, after being contacted by the School Board, Acadian forwarded a power of attorney to them.

On October 6, 1989, the School Board entered into a contract with Acadian, and construction pursuant to this contract began shortly thereafter. On October 16, 1989, the next lowest bidder, Stafford Construction Company, Inc. ("Stafford"), filed suit against the School Board and Acadian, challenging the award of the contract to *849 Acadian. In its petition, Stafford alleged that Acadian's bid was null and void because it had not been properly prepared in accordance with the specifications and that the School Board should not have accepted the flawed bid. Accordingly, Stafford requested that the court declare the Acadian bid to be null and void, that Stafford be awarded the public contract, that preliminary and permanent injunctions be issued, and that a mandamus be issued to award Stafford the public contract.[2] A hearing for the preliminary injunction was set for November 10, 1989. After arguments, the trial judge denied Stafford's request for a preliminary injunction.

Thereafter, Stafford immediately requested relief with the First Circuit Court of Appeal by applying for writs of certiorari, which were denied on November 22, 1989. In denying Stafford's writ application, the appellate court noted that the judgment complained of was an appealable judgment. On December 8, 1989, Stafford filed a motion for expedited appeal, which was granted by the court, and the matter was docketed for the February, 1990 docket of the appellate court. On April 10, 1990, this court determined that the trial court erred in denying Stafford's request for a preliminary injunction on the basis of its erroneous legal conclusion that the omission of the corporate resolution from Acadian's bid was only a "minor, insignificant formality" rather than an error of substance. See Stafford Construction Company v. Terrebonne Parish School Board, 560 So.2d 558, 560-61 (La.App. 1st Cir.1990). However, because this court was unable to determine from the record the status of the work under the contract and whether to reverse the trial court judgment and issue the injunction or to grant other relief as provided by law, the matter was remanded to the trial court.

After the remand, on May 30, 1990, Stafford filed a supplemental petition asserting that the contract sought to be enjoined provided for the completion of construction by the first week of June, 1990. Stafford also alleged that its failure to request a temporary restraining order or injunction at this stage of the proceedings would not adversely affect its damage claim. Stafford then set forth the specific items of damages it contends that it suffered as a result of its failure to receive the contract. In its answer to the supplemental petition, Acadian admitted that the work pursuant to the contract was substantially complete, but denied that Stafford was entitled to any relief. The School Board also admitted that the work was substantially complete, but denied that Stafford was entitled to any relief.

Thereafter, the School Board filed a peremptory exception raising the objections of no cause of action and no right of action. The School Board contended that Stafford's petition does not state a cause of action because Stafford failed to seek injunctive relief timely, citing Hartman Enterprises, Inc. v. Ascension-St. James Airport and Transportation Authority, 582 So.2d 198 (La.App. 1st Cir.), writ denied, 582 So.2d 195 (La.1991) and Airline Construction Company, Inc. v. Ascension Parish School Board, 568 So.2d 1029 (La.1990). The School Board contended that Stafford does not have a right of action because LSA-R.S. 38:2220, as it existed at the time Acadian was awarded the contract, authorized civil penalty action only when the action is brought by the District Attorney or Attorney General.

On November 14, 1992, the trial judge maintained the School Board's peremptory exception raising the objection of no cause of action and dismissed Stafford's suit for damages against the School Board.[3] The trial judge noted that although Stafford *850 had done everything legally required of it to preserve its action against the School Board prior to its appeal, after the appellate court rendered its opinion, Stafford permitted too much time to elapse. Accordingly, the trial judge determined that, by failing to request a temporary restraining order or to request that a hearing on the preliminary injunction be set immediately after the appellate court's ruling, Stafford waived any claim for damages against the School Board.[4] By judgment dated April 27, 1992, the trial court denied Stafford's motion for a new trial.

Acadian, likewise, filed a peremptory exception pleading the objections of no cause of action and no right of action. Acadian contended that Stafford's petition does not state a cause of action because it failed to timely seek injunctive relief. Acadian contended that Stafford did not have a right of action against Acadian because the law does not recognize an aggrieved bidder's position to seek damages against a successful bidder. By judgment dated April 27, 1992, the trial court determined that Stafford failed to meet the requirements set forth in Airline Construction Company, Inc. v. Ascension Parish School Board, 568 So.2d at 1029, and Hartman Enterprises, Inc. v. Ascension-St. James Airport and Transportation Authority, 582 So.2d at 198. Accordingly, the trial court maintained the peremptory exception raising the objection of no cause and/or no right of action and dismissed Stafford's claims against Acadian.[5]

From these adverse judgments, Stafford appeals asserting two assignments of error:

1. The Trial Court was in error when it held that the stipulation by all parties to this proceeding to the effect that construction of the project was substantially complete was an issue of law and not an issue of fact, and rendering judgment against appellant without affording to it an opportunity to submit testimony on the subject.
2.

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Bluebook (online)
612 So. 2d 847, 1992 La. App. LEXIS 4222, 1992 WL 410172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stafford-const-co-inc-v-terrebonne-parish-school-bd-lactapp-1992.