Transamerica Insurance v. McKeesport Housing Authority

309 F. Supp. 1321, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13155
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 20, 1970
DocketCiv. A. No. 68-1181
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 309 F. Supp. 1321 (Transamerica Insurance v. McKeesport Housing Authority) 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
Transamerica Insurance v. McKeesport Housing Authority, 309 F. Supp. 1321, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13155 (W.D. Pa. 1970).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW, and ORDER OF COURT

MARSH, Chief Judge.

After non-jury trial, the court makes the following

FINDINGS OF FACT and CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

1. Plaintiff, Transamerica Insurance Company, is a corporation engaged in the business of writing labor and performance bonds, is a citizen of the State of California, and does not have a principal place of business in Pennsylvania.

2. Plaintiff is successor by merger to the American Surety Company of New York and as such has succeeded to all rights and liabilities of said American Surety Company.

3. Defendant is a public Authority, organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a citizen of that state, and has its principal place of business therein.

4. The United Construction Company (United) was a general contractor with whom the defendant originally contracted on or about October 19, 1959, to perform general construction work on apartments known as McKeesport Housing Project, said project being officially identified as PA-5-6.

5. The plaintiff’s predecessor, American Surety Company, became the surety on United’s performance bond to the Authority. (The designation of plaintiff or plaintiff-surety is used hereafter to include the American Surety Company, as well as its successor Transamerica Insurance Company.)

6. United was unable to perform, and on October 27, 1960, defendant placed said company in default in accordance with the contract. The plaintiff-surety was notified of the default. The defendant demanded that plaintiff-surety complete the work in accordance with the contract which United had failed to complete.1 The plaintiff then notified the defendant that it had engaged the Arthur Venneri Company to complete the construction in accordance with the contract.

7. Plaintiff assumed the obligations and responsibilities of United as set forth in the construction contract, and also became entitled to all the rights and emoluments properly due and owing United thereunder.

8. By letter dated November 16, 1960 (defendant’s Ex. 8), defendant terminated United’s right to proceed under the contract2

9. The final adjusted contract price was in the amount of $2,887,157.54.

10. It is stipulated that the amount in dispute is $83,711.15 and plaintiff-surety claims this amount with interest. The Authority denies any liability therefor. The disputed amount consists of the following items:

(a) Defendant has assessed liquidated damages for failure to complete on time and has withheld the sum of $39,900.
(b) Defendant has withheld the sum of $7,250 which it claims is the cost of repairing defective doors installed by plaintiff.
(c) Defendant has withheld the sum of $307.46 which it claims are costs incurred by it in eliminating roof vibration.
[1323]*1323(d) Plaintiff claims the remainder of the disputed item for extra work it performed above and beyond the contract price. The defendant refutes this item and contends that the work which the plaintiff has claimed as extra was actually work necessary for the performance of the contract, and, further, the defendant does not agree that the amount claimed is a fair and reasonable figure for the work represented thereby.

11. The original date for the completion of the contract was January 8, 1961.

12. Defendant extended the completion date to June 20, 1961.

13. The actual date of completion and acceptance was October 31, 1961.

14. The defendant withheld the sum of $51,900 from the agreed contract price, assigning as reasons therefor:

(a) Liquidated damages at the rate of $300 per day for 133 days totaling $39,900.
(b) The sum of $7,250 which defendant claimed as cost of repairing doors installed by plaintiff.
(c) The sum of $307.46 which defendant claims was incurred in installing a vibration eliminator on the roof.

15. The plaintiff was responsible for the installation of vibration eliminators, and, accordingly, the defendant was justified in withholding the sum of $307.46 from the agreed contract price.

16. Defendant had no right to withhold any sum for alleged defective doors, and defendant owes the plaintiff the sum of $7,250, with interest from October 31, 1961.

17. During the year 1963, plaintiff installed 126 new doors under protest, at the cost to plaintiff of $3,493.60 and this sum is due plaintiff with interest from January 1, 1964.

18. Plaintiff furnished screen door closers and transformers after the guarantee period and under protest; the defendant owes plaintiff the sum of $255.32, with interest from March 20, 1963.

19. Plaintiff repaired spalled sidewalks, under protest, for which work defendant owes plaintiff the sum of $442, with interest from September 20, 1963.

20. Plaintiff incurred the sum of $9,177 for extended overhead occasioned by performing work beyond the contract term, but inasmuch as only 20 percent of this work was on items for which the plaintiff has a right of recovery, the defendant owes plaintiff the sum of $1,835.40, with interest from January 1, 1964.

21. As stated at Finding 15, the plaintiff was responsible for the installation of vibration eliminators and, accordingly, the plaintiff’s claim for the installation of the additional vibrator eliminator on the roof shall not be allowed.

22. Plaintiff failed in its responsibility to properly slope the laundry room floors, and its claim for resurfacing same shall, not be allowed.

23. It was plaintiff’s responsibility to install proper arches and charging gates in proper working condition, and its claim for repairs to same shall not be allowed.

24. Under the contract plaintiff was responsible for the installation of a properly designed and operating electrical control system for the incinerators; accordingly, its claim for the cost of redesign and installation of controls shall not be allowed.

25. Jurisdiction is founded on diversity of citizenship, and the claim of the plaintiff is in excess of $10,000, exclusive of interest and costs.

26. The defendant had no right to withhold any amount as liquidated damages for delay, and defendant owes the plaintiff the sum of $39,900, with interest from October 31, 1961.

[1324]*1324DISCUSSION

Whether the defendant is entitled to withhold $39,900 as liquidated damages for delay is the legal issue involved, the solution of which depends upon the interpretation of Section 13 of the contract.3

This section provides in effect that: First — If the Contractor refuses or fails to prosecute the work with diligence or complete the work “within the time specified in the Special Conditions * * * ”, the Authority may by written notice “terminate his right to proceed with the work * * * ”.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
309 F. Supp. 1321, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13155, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/transamerica-insurance-v-mckeesport-housing-authority-pawd-1970.