Tennisland, Inc. v. Precision Tennis Systems, Inc.

437 F. Supp. 339, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14875
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJuly 21, 1977
DocketCiv. A. 75-1598
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 437 F. Supp. 339 (Tennisland, Inc. v. Precision Tennis Systems, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tennisland, Inc. v. Precision Tennis Systems, Inc., 437 F. Supp. 339, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14875 (W.D. Pa. 1977).

Opinion

OPINION

MARSH, District Judge.

This is a breach of contract action. Jurisdiction is founded on diversity of citizenship. The case was presented to the court in a two-day non-jury trial.

The court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. The plaintiff, Tennisland, Inc. (Tennisland), is a Pennsylvania corporation having its principal place of business in Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania.

2. Tennisland’s principal officers are Rocco V. Ragano and Joseph P. Moses.

3. The defendant, Precision Tennis Systems, Inc. (Precision), is a New York corporation with its principal place of business in New York City.

4. Defendant Vladimir Kranz is the president of Precision. He has been Precision’s only officer and sole shareholder since August, 1974.

5. On September 22, 1975, Tennisland ordered three air structures and related equipment from Precision. The structures were to cover three existing outdoor tennis courts located on Tennisland’s property in Castle Shannon so that the courts could be rented for indoor tennis during the cold weather months. The structures were designed so that after installation they could be dismantled in one day and stored in a garage during the outdoor tennis season.

6. The terms of the order are spelled out in Tennisland’s letter of September 22, 1975, which was dictated by Ted Weiner, Precision’s sales representative. The letter states: “Precision agrees that upon approval of order, installment will be complete prior to November 15, 1975.”

7. Precision’s letter of confirmation dated October 2, 1975 makes no mention of a completion date. The letter indicates that Precision would assist Tennisland in securing a five-year leasing agreement. If Tennisland did not secure financing approval “within the immediate period,” Precision itself would handle the financing so long as certain listed conditions were fulfilled by Tennisland, including: (1) that Tennisland send Precision a deposit in the form of a $10,000 certified check; and (2) that Tennis-land furnish Precision with the “necessary collateral to secure the air structure lease”, including personal guarantees of the lease by the owners of Tennisland.

8. On October 7,1975, Tennisland sent a certified check for $10,000 to Precision.

9. The total cost for the purchase, delivery, and installation of the air structures with all related equipment was $73,146.00. This includes $4,000 worth of installation labor to be provided by Precision.

10. On October 16, 1975, Ted Weiner, Precision’s sales representative, wrote to Tennisland that preparation of various materials was:

“ . . . proceeding according to schedule so that we can help you with your November 15th opening date. “So far, everything is in order from a manufacturing point of view, and the only thing which remains undone is the *342 finalizing of your leasing approval which is being processed since we received your approval yesterday. I am pleased at the progress at this time, so please don’t worry about anything . . .

11. Between September 22, and October 20, 1975, Precision made calls to Tennisland requesting that Ragano and Moses send to Precision property appraisals, financial statements, and personal guarantees of the proposed lease. By October 22,1975, Precision had received the requested items.

12. On October 21, 1975, Dennis Popp and Fred Popp, employees of Precision, arrived at Tennisland to assist for two days in laying out the anchoring system required for the air structures.

13. On October 27,1975, Ragano, Inc., a construction company owned by Rocco Ragano, completed drilling the holes and digging the trenches needed to anchor Precision’s air structures.

14. On October 28,1975, Precision wrote an invoice to A.I.D. Leasing of Philadelphia because A.I.D. Leasing had approved the financing for the Tennisland lease.

15. On October 27, 1975, Weiner told Ragano in a telephone conversation that Dennis Popp would be leaving New York the next day with a truckload of anchors. Popp arrived at Tennisland on October 29 with five anchors.

16. On October 29, Popp told Ragano that Precision could not complete installation of the air structures by November 15. Popp told Ragano that the rest of the anchors were being manufactured and that much of the equipment had not been ordered by Precision. In a telephone conversation later that day, Weiner told Ragano that the furnace and lights required for the air structures had not been ordered and that the anchors had not been made.

17. On November 5,1975, Moses arrived unannounced at Precision’s office in New York in an effort to substantiate the statements about Precision’s shortage of equipment.

18. While in New York, Moses was told by Weiner that the only available equipment consisted of three harness-type systems which fit over the air structures, and that two of these systems were damaged. Moses met Precision’s bookkeeper, Mr. Horak, and was shown purchase order receipts indicating that Precision had ordered one furnace, one standby generator, some plastic, and some lighting fixtures. Moses found no indication on the receipts that the items which had been ordered were identified with the Tennisland job, which required three complete air domes and three complete heating units. Moses called one of Precision’s lighting suppliers and was told that Precision’s order could not be delivered for six to eight weeks. Moses then asked Weiner to give him the $10,000 worth of equipment Tennisland had paid for with its certified check of October 7. Weiner said he could not do this because he did not know where the equipment was located.

19. Other than the five anchors delivered on October 29, Precision never delivered or installed the air structures or any of the related equipment ordered by Tennis-land.

20. On November 17, 1975, Vladimir Kranz wrote to Tennisland stating that all of the main parts were ready for delivery and that anchoring and installation could begin immediately. Tennisland then sent a mailgram to Precision on or about November 20, cancelling Tennisland’s order.

21. Between November 10 and November 15, Tennisland contacted Cid Air, Incorporated, another air structure manufacturer, and purchased a single air structure designed to cover three courts. The Cid Air structure was delivered, installed, and in operation on Tennisland’s premises by November 29, 1975.

22. The total cost of the Cid Air structure with related equipment and labor supervision was $71,000.

23. Under the purchase agreements with both Precision and Cid Air, Tennisland was to drill the holes and dig the trenches required for anchoring the air structures.

24. Ragano testified that Tennisland was charged $5,566 by Ragano, Inc., for *343 drilling the holes and digging the trenches needed for Precision’s anchoring system. Tennisland paid Ragano, Inc., only $1,925. Ragano testified that Tennisland spent $3,719 renting various tools and equipment needed by Ragano, Inc., in order to drill the holes and dig the trenches for Precision’s anchoring system.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
437 F. Supp. 339, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14875, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tennisland-inc-v-precision-tennis-systems-inc-pawd-1977.