United States ex rel. General Iron Works Co. v. Maples

6 F. Supp. 354, 1934 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1708
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 13, 1934
DocketNo. 2406
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 6 F. Supp. 354 (United States ex rel. General Iron Works Co. v. Maples) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States ex rel. General Iron Works Co. v. Maples, 6 F. Supp. 354, 1934 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1708 (W.D. La. 1934).

Opinion

DAWKINS, District Judge.

This suit was filed in the name of the United States, on the relation of and for the use and benefit of General Iron Works & Supply Company, and its receiver, Charles Eisen, in which it was alleged that the “defendant, L. C. Maples, was at the time of the transactions hereinafter mentioned, doing business in the name of L. C. Maples Construction Company.” It was further alleged that the Hartford Accident & Indemnity Company had become the surety upon the bond of “L. C. Maples, doing business as aforesaid,” for the faithful performance of the contract with the government for the construction of “thirty-four sets of double non-commissioned officers quarters” at Barks-dale Flying Field, in Bossier parish, for the price of $383,303. It was alleged that the bond was in the sum of $191,651.50. The petition then proceeded to allege that the defendant L. C. Maples, contractor and principal in the original contract and bond with the government, later entered into a subcontract with the O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation, whose name was subsequently changed to Smith-Jones Company, “one of the defendants herein,” for the furnishing and installing of the plumbing and heating fixtures in said quarters; that relators “have no copy of said contract,” but its terms were recited in substance; further, that the relators, “at the instance and request of said O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation, entered into a contract in writing, wherein and whereby the said General Iron Works Company agreed to furnish said O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation” certain materials for installing in the said buildings, originally contracted for by Maples, and in which the O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation was to install the plumbing and heating fixtures; that the prices charged for said materials by relators were reasonable and proper, and the said O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation promised and agreed to pay the same within thirty days after the dates of the respective invoices; that the materials were furnished and partly paid for, but there [355]*355remained due and unpaid $11,356, as shown by “statement annexed and made a part hereof.”

Petitioner further alleged as “an additional cause of action” that O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation had made a contract with one “Marcus E. Warden, doing business as Warden Sheet Metal Works,” for the furnishing of certain materials and labor, “and which entered into the construction both of the non-commissioned officers’ quarters under said contract of said Maples with the United States government, and of-forty-two commissioned officers’ quarters under the contract of the Ashton-Glassell Company, Inc. with the United States.” Further, that the said Warden had contracted with Charles Johnson Company, Inc., of Peoria, Ill., to furnish certain materials for use in the said noncommissioned officers’ quarters under the contract of Warden with the Smith-Jones Company (formerly O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation), which materials were furnished to the extent of $2,992.87, “the reasonable prices thereof,” and which Warden furnished to Smith-Jones Company, and the latter in turn furnished to the said Maples, and to’ said Ashton-Glassell Company, Inc., and which “entered into the construction of said non-commissioned officers’ quarters,” as respectively contracted for by said Maples, and the said Ashton-Glassell Company, Inc.; that there was a balance due to said Charles Johnson Company, Inc., by Warden of $1,192.95, and “that the said General Iron Works Co., Inc., prior to the appointment of the said Charles Eisen as receiver, had guaranteed in writing to said Charles Johnson Company, Inc. the payment by the said Marcus E. Warden; that Warden had failed to pay said indebtedness and on August 2, 1932, the claim against him had been acquired by relators “for valid and sufficient consideration”; that the balance due for materials to Maples for use in the noncommissioned officers’ quarters amounts to the sum of $549.95.

Petitioners further alleged the completion by Maples of the contract with the government, the lapsing of the time required by the statute without the government having sued and prayed for service upon “L. C. Maples, the said Smith-Jones Company and the Hartford Accident & Indemnity Company,” and for judgment “against said defendants, individually and in solido,” in said sums of $11,356 and $549.95, with interest, “and such further amounts, under the penalty of said bond, in the sum of $191,651.50, as may on the trial hereof be shown to be due, either to relators or to any or all others who may intervene herein,” and for reasonable attorney’s fees.

This suit was filed on May 10, 1933, and on May 27th following Crane Company, alleging itself to be an Illinois corporation, domiciled at Chicago, intervened and alleged the same facts as to the name of Maples and O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Company, as in the original petition, and that the said “Smith-Jones Company, formerly O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation, L. C. Maples, doing business as L. C. Maples Construction Company, and Hartford Accident & Indemnity Company, are justly and truly indebted unto your petitioner in solido” in the sum of $3,693.5^, with interest. The Crane Company further alleged the same facts as to the making of the contracts “by L. C. Maples, doing business as L. C. Maples Construction Company,” with the government, for the erection of thirty-four noncommissioned officers’ quarters and the furnishing by Maples of “a standard government performance bond with the Hartford Accident & Indemnity Company as surety thereon”; that the O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation had entered'into a. contract with Maples to furnish the labor and materials for the installation of the plumbing and heating fixtures; that at various times shown on an itemized statement the Crane Company had furnished O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation plumbing and heating materials to the amount of $22,019, upon which payments had been made reducing the balance to the sum claimed in the intervention; that payments were to, be made on the 15th of each month following the month in which the materials were furnished; that all of the materials furnished “were used” under the subcontract in said noncommissioned officers’ quarters; and that demand had been made upon Smith-Jones Company, L. C. Maples, and the Hartford Accident & Indemnity Company, without avail.

On June 2d Peden Iron & Steel Company, a Texas corporation, also intervened. It likewise alleged the contract by Maples with the government, describing this defendant in the same manner as the other petitioners, as well as the giving of the bond with the Hartford Accident & Insurance Company, as surety; the subcontract between Maples and O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation which had “changed its name to Smith-Jones Company”; that O’Pry Heating & Plumbing Corporation had given a performance [356]*356bond in the sum of $61,300, “ * * * signed by the United States Fidelity Company, a corporation organized under the laws of the state of Maryland,” as surety for the faithful performance of the subcontract with Maples, and which had been duly recorded; that O’Ply Heating & Plumbing Corporation had sublet a portion of the work to be done for Maples to Marcus E.

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Bluebook (online)
6 F. Supp. 354, 1934 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1708, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-ex-rel-general-iron-works-co-v-maples-lawd-1934.