Twin City Shipyard, Inc. v. United States

36 Cont. Cas. Fed. 75,952, 21 Cl. Ct. 582, 1990 U.S. Claims LEXIS 387, 1990 WL 152103
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedOctober 11, 1990
DocketNo. 299-87C
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 36 Cont. Cas. Fed. 75,952 (Twin City Shipyard, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Twin City Shipyard, Inc. v. United States, 36 Cont. Cas. Fed. 75,952, 21 Cl. Ct. 582, 1990 U.S. Claims LEXIS 387, 1990 WL 152103 (cc 1990).

Opinion

OPINION

REGINALD W. GIBSON, Judge:

Introduction

Twin City Shipyard, Inc. (Twin City) and its purported assignee, Packer River Corporation (Packer River), seek payment of $123,414.33 allegedly wrongfully withheld by the Panama Canal Commission (PCC) under a contract between Twin City and the PCC for the construction and delivery of a tugboat. The single claim for relief in plaintiffs’ complaint is for breach of contract. Plaintiffs have filed a motion for summary judgment asserting that — Twin City has performed all of its obligations under the contract including delivery, and final payment is due.

In opposition, defendant has filed a motion to dismiss the complaint as to Packer River and a cross-motion for summary judgment as to Twin City. Defendant first asserts that Packer River has no standing to sue for contract funds allegedly wrongfully withheld, since it lacks privity of contract with the United States. Defendant argues in the alternative that even if the contract was validly assigned to Packer River, it cannot sue for contract funds withheld when it is undisputed that no part of the funds has been paid out to third parties.

With respect to its motion for summary judgment, defendant argues that Twin City is obligated under modification # 4 of the contract to pay the subcontractors which contributed to the tugboat as a condition of release of the final payment. In support of its position, defendant cites contract language stating that Inland Holding Company (Inland Holding), a corporation with close ties to Twin City, will verify that subcontractors have been paid. Because the parties agree that not all of the subcontractors have been paid, defendant concludes that Twin City is not entitled to final payment.

For the reasons discussed hereinafter, defendant’s motion to dismiss Packer River’s claim is granted. As there are genuine issues of material fact relative to whether [585]*585the court should pierce the corporate veil and treat Twin City as the obligor under paragraph (3) of modification #4, with a duty to pay its subcontractors, the court denies the cross-motions for summary judgment.

Facts1

The PCC, an agency of the United States Government, awarded contract no. PC-lp1648 to Twin City, a Delaware corporation with its principal office in St. Paul, Minnesota, for a firm fixed price of $2,596,000. The contract required Twin City to build a harbor tugboat, the Paz, and to deliver same in Panama. Construction began in the spring of 1985.

In December of 1985, Packer River took a security interest in the Paz contract proceeds, based upon a $2,400,000 loan extended to Twin City by Packer River in 1984. Plaintiffs aver that Packer River has the senior security interest in the contract proceeds under Minnesota law and therefore is entitled thereto. Although Packer River has received some satisfaction of its loan to Twin City, Twin City’s indebtedness to Packer River still exceeds the amount withheld under the contract in issue.

In the spring of 1986, the government learned that several subcontractors which had contributed to the construction of the Paz had not been paid. Twin City and the contracting officer exchanged several telexes, which ultimately led to the execution of modification # 4 on April 2, 1986. Modification #4 provided in pertinent part as follows:

(2) Page 5, clause 1-06. TITLE AND INSURANCE.
***>!'**
Add a new item as part “e.”, to read as follows: “Twin City Shipyard, Inc. (TCS) and Inland Holding Company (IHC) will provide the [PCC] with certification that the Paz is free of all liens and judgments. This certification will include a search of the files of the Secretary of State for the state of Minnesota to determine all filings made under the Uniform Commercial Code that touch and concern the Paz. Any lien recorded shall be released and duly recorded. Evidence of this event shall be provided to the [PCC]. A similar search of the county files in which Twin City Shipyard resides shall be made and a similar determination regarding judgments, liens, or any other matters of record which touch and concern the Paz shall be made. Any finding which would cloud the clear passage of title to the Paz shall be similarly removed and evidence of this shall be provided to the [PCC]. No release of funds shall be made until these certifications have been made by both Twin City Shipyard, Inc. and Inland Holding Co.”
(3) Page 5, Clause 1-08. PERFORMANCE BOND. Add a new item as part “c.”, to read as follows: “Inland Holding Company (IHC) will provide evidence in the form of a Letter of Certification indicating that the individual owners of IHC are indemnifiers of the performance bond issued by Employers Insurance of Wausau.”
Add a new item as part “d.”, to read as follows: “Inland Holding Company (IHC) will provide the Commission with letters of agreement with the subcontractors of the tug Paz that verify payment to these firms in a timely manner.”

Inland Holding, Packer River, and Twin City have close ties. Inland Holding, Packer River, and TCS Holding Company appear to be the sole owners of Twin City. Packer River is Twin City’s senior secured creditor with respect to the contract proceeds. Moreover, Lee Valenta apparently concurrently held the posts of Treasurer of Inland Holding, Treasurer of Packer River, Treasurer and Secretary of Twin City, and Secretary of TCS Holding Company; he later served as President of Twin City. Robert Tidball concurrently served as President of Inland Holding and President of Packer River. Robert J. Keith was one of the two individual stockholders of Inland Holding, as well as Secretary of Packer River; he later served as President of Packer River. Lee Valenta is the sole sig[586]*586natory to the virtually identical resolutions of the boards of directors of Inland Holding, TCS Holding Company, and Packer River, which authorized Twin City to execute an indemnity agreement with Wausau. The three resolutions and the indemnity agreement were all signed on the same day, and all of the signatures were notarized by the same person.

On or about June 13, 1986, Packer River “took over” Twin City. In that connection, on June 25, 1986, Packer River and Twin City executed an assignment agreement, under which Packer River agreed to assume Twin City’s rights and duties under the Paz contract. Paragraph 7 of the assignment agreement required a novation among Twin City, Packer River, and the PCC, the effect of which was to cause a substitution of Packer River for Twin City as a party to the construction contract for the Paz, within 180 days thereof. Under paragraph 7, in the absence of a novation within said 180 days, the assignment agreement was to “be null and void.” On June 26, 1986, relying upon the assignment agreement, the PCC released $1,052,991.25 in progress payments to Packer River.

At about the same time, the Paz underwent sea trials. The PCC believed that the Paz’s propulsion and rudder system was damaged in a collision with some floating debris during the trials, and requested that the Michigan Wheel Corporation (Michigan Wheel) perform an inspection of the Paz. Michigan Wheel had been a subcontractor on the Paz contract, and was owed $61,-539.33 by Twin City. Michigan Wheel refused to perform the inspection until it was paid for its prior work on the Paz.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
36 Cont. Cas. Fed. 75,952, 21 Cl. Ct. 582, 1990 U.S. Claims LEXIS 387, 1990 WL 152103, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/twin-city-shipyard-inc-v-united-states-cc-1990.