United States of America, for the use and benefit of Sustainable Modular Management, Inc. v. JE Dunn Construction Company

District Court, D. Nevada·Decided March 21, 2024·No. 2:20-cv-00790·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, for the ) use and benefit of SUSTAINABLE ) MODULAR MANAGEMENT, INC., ) Case No.: 2:20-cv-00790-GMN-NJK ) Plaintiff, ) ORDER GRANTING MOTION vs. ) FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY ) JUDGMENT JE DUNN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, et ) al., ) ) Defendants. ) Pending before the Court is the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, (ECF No. 106), filed by Plaintiff United States of America for the use and benefit of Sustainable Modular Management, Inc. (“SMM”). JE Dunn Construction Company (“JE Dunn”) filed a Response, (ECF No. 116), to which SMM filed a Reply, (ECF No. 122). For the reasons discussed below, the Court GRANTS SMM’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. This dispute arises out of SMM’s alleged abandonment and repudiation of its subcontract with JE Dunn, which required SMM to design and construct a temporary phasing facility (“TPF”) during the renovation of a hospital at Nellis Air Force Base (“Nellis AFB”). SMM’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment contends it is entitled to summary judgment on the “narrow but large issue of JE Dunn’s damage[s]” attributable “to the cost of adding a second [TPF],” a cost SMM argues was “never contemplated, considered, or intended” when the parties entered the Subcontract. (SMM Partial Mot. Summ. J. (“MSJ”) 2:10–13, ECF No. 106). The specific facts underlying JE Dunn’s inclusion and implementation of the second TPF are outlined below. A. The Prime Contract JE Dunn entered into a contract (the “Prime Contract”) with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (the “Government”) to design and construct renovations to the Mike O’Callaghan Federal Medical Center at Nellis AFB. (Prime Contract, Ex. 1 to Eli Kaldahl Decl. to Ex. A to JE Dunn Partial MSJ, ECF No. 104-2). The Prime Contract required JE Dunn to construct TPFs to house hospital departments during the renovation of hospital. (Id. at 4). JE Dunn was obligated to “perform the work required . . . in strict accordance with the terms of [the] solicitation . . . .” (Id. at 3). JE Dunn planned to perform the hospital renovations in two phases. First, the emergency department, trauma room, and certain administrative offices would move into the TPF while JE Dunn renovated those departments. (Eli Kaldahl Decl. ¶ 7, Ex. A to Partial MSJ, ECF No. 104-1). Second, after these renovations were completed, those departments would return to the hospital and the remaining departments would move into the TPF while JE Dunn completed the remaining renovations. (Id. ¶¶ 8–9). JE Dunn would then dismantle and remove the TPF once the renovations were completed. (Id. ¶ 14). B. The Subcontract JE Dunn and SMM entered into a Subcontract under which SMM would design, construct, deliver, and install the TPF at Nellis AFB, reconstruct the TPF in between the two phases of work, and then remove the TPF upon completion of the renovations. (See generally Subcontract, Ex. 3 to Eli Kaldahl Decl. to Ex. A to JE Dunn Partial MSJ, ECF No. 104-4). The agreement incorporated the Prime Contract and included a term specifying that the “[t]ime limits stated in the [a]greement are of the essence.” (Id. at 7). The TPF consisted of approximately 20 modular units that SMM agreed to lease to JE

Dunn through the Government. (Id. at 24). The Subcontract provided, in part, that SMM would “prove all engineering design and stamped documents required for modular buildings structures,” and would renovate the TPF “to meet requirements of Phase 2 TPF based on design developed by [JE Dunn].” (Id. at 23). Sections 5.7 and 14.1 of the Subcontract pertained to damages recoverable by JE Dunn in the event SMM delayed completion of the project. These damage-for-delay provisions respectively state, in pertinent part: 5.7 Damage for delay shall be assessed against [SMM] only to the extent caused by the [SMM] or any person or entity for whose acts the [SMM] may be liable. To the extent [JE Dunn] is assessed damages for delay or suffers other damages as a result of [SMM’s] performance or non-performance of the Work of this Contract, [JE Dunn] shall be entitled to assess [SMM] for [JE Dunn’s] damages attributable to [SMM] and reduce the Contract Sum by such amount.

14.1 . . . In any case, if the unpaid of the amount to be paid under this Contract exceeds the expense incurred by [JE Dunn] to finishing the Work, such excess shall be paid by [JE Dunn] to [SMM], but if such expense shall exceed the unpaid balance, [SMM] shall pay the difference to [JE Dunn].

(Id. at 8, 19). According to SMM, the scope of “Work” in the damage-for-delay provisions is limited by its definition located at Section 1.1.3 of the Subcontract. (Reply 4:24–5:3, ECF No. 122). Subsection 1.1.3 defines “Work” as the “construction services required by the Contract Documents, whether completed or partially completed, and includes all labor, materials, equipment, services and other items required to fulfill the Contractor’s obligations.” (Subcontract at 3, Ex. 3 to Eli Kaldahl Decl. to Ex. A to JE Dunn Partial MSJ). SMM contends the Subcontract considered that its “Work” was limited to providing one TPF for both phases of the project. (Reply 5:1–3). Finally, the Subcontract contained a reciprocal disclaimer of damages codified at Section 12.14. This Section stated that JE Dunn and SMM waived “claims against each other for their consequential damages arising out of or relating to this Contract, including without limitation, any consequential damages due to either party’s termination.” (Subcontract at 18, Ex. 3 to Eli Kaldahl Decl. to Ex. A to JE Dunn Partial MSJ). C. Change Order In May 2019, the Government changed the occupancy requirements for the phase one TPF. (Occupancy Letter at 2–4, Ex. 4 to Eli Kaldahl Decl. to Ex. A to JE Dunn Partial MSJ, ECF No. 104-5). Specifically, the Government advised JE Dunn it would need the TPF to have what is known as “I-2, an occupancy required needed for certain medical facilities.” (JE Dunn Counterclaim ¶ 13, ECF No. 73). JE Dunn communicated to the Government that after discussions with other modular vendors, it was “unable to confirm that this type of occupancy has been achieved in a modular building.” (JE Dunn & Government Occupancy Letter at 2, Ex. 12 to SMM Partial MSJ, ECF No. 107-12); (Eli Kaldahl Dep. 58:22–24, Ex. 3 to SMM Partial MSJ, ECF No. 107-2) (expressing that it was his first time working on a TPF that required I-2 compliance). This new occupancy requirement resulted in a Change Order to the Subcontract in October 2019. (Change Order One, Ex. 15 to SMM Partial MSJ, ECF No. 107-15). This Change Order, among other things, extended the scheduled completion deadline of phase one to January 31, 2020, and increased SMM’s payment under the Subcontract from $1,465,718.00 to $2,065,718.00. (Id. at 2). According to SMM, it is notable that no date was inserted in the Change Order for when substantial completion of phase one was expected. (SMM Partial MSJ 5:17–18). JE Dunn disputes the significance of this purported omission, and highlights that regardless of when it had to substantially complete phase one, SMM knew that total completion was due by January 31, 2020. (Resp. 6:6–10, ECF No. 116). D. JE Dunn Assumes SMM’s Work Agreed to Under the Subcontract As set forth in the Court’s Order on JE Dunn and the Surety Defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, numerous issues with SMM’s performance arose after it began

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United States of America, for the use and benefit of Sustainable Modular Management, Inc. v. JE Dunn Construction Company, (D. Nev. 2024).

United States of America, for the use and benefit of Sustainable Modular Management, Inc. v. JE Dunn Construction Company (United States of America, for the use and benefit of Sustainable Modular Management, Inc. v. JE Dunn Construction Company) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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