Vecco Construction Industries, Inc. v. Century Construction Co. of Washington, D. C. (In re Vecco Construction Industries, Inc.)

19 B.R. 69, 1982 Bankr. LEXIS 4318
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedApril 15, 1982
DocketBankruptcy No. 79-224-A
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 19 B.R. 69 (Vecco Construction Industries, Inc. v. Century Construction Co. of Washington, D. C. (In re Vecco Construction Industries, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vecco Construction Industries, Inc. v. Century Construction Co. of Washington, D. C. (In re Vecco Construction Industries, Inc.), 19 B.R. 69, 1982 Bankr. LEXIS 4318 (E.D. Va. 1982).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

MARTIN V. B. BOSTETTER, Jr., Bankruptcy Judge.

The plaintiff, Vecco Construction Industries, Inc. (“Vecco”) has moved for summary judgment of its objection to claim and counterclaim against defendant, Century Construction Company of Washington, D. C., Inc. (“Century”). It is evident that factual disputes exist to such an extent that this Court can consider for purposes of summary judgment only the issue of Century’s standing to maintain its claim.

The project on which Century was the general contractor and Vecco the concrete subcontractor is known as The Flour Mill in Washington, D. C. Century terminated Vecco before Vecco had completed its work on The Flour Mill project. Century later filed a proof of claim in Vecco’s Chapter XI proceeding in the amount of $3,250,000.00. Of this total, Century attributed $1,150,-000.00 to cost of completing the concrete work and $2,100,000.00 to delay damages. These amounts were later amended to $3,721,579.89, broken down as $1,565,114.89 for the concrete cost overruns and $2,156,-465.00 for delay damages 1. Century, however, admits that the owner has reimbursed it for the concrete cost overruns. It further admits that its assertion of a claim for delay damages is based only upon a letter from the owner stating that the owner would look to Century for reimbursement of the concrete cost overruns and the delays. The owner has taken no further action to assert its claim2. Century’s president, Edward M. Crough, Jr., stated that Century planned to await the outcome of this litigation before deciding whether to meet the demands of the owner’s letter.

In a recent decision, the Supreme Court restated the elements required for a party to have standing to sue. Duke Power Company v. Carolina Environmental Study Group, Inc., 438 U.S. 59, 98 S.Ct. 2620, 57 L.Ed.2d 595 (1978). First, there must be a distinct and measurable injury to the party claiming standing, separate from any suffered by the general public. See also, Warth v. Seldin, 422 U.S. 490, 95 S.Ct. 2197, 45 L.Ed.2d 343 (1975). Second, the claimant must be able to trace the harm to the other party’s conduct or be able to show “but for” causation. See also, Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corporation, 429 U.S. 252, 97 S.Ct. 555, 50 L.Ed.2d 450 (1977). Third, the court, by the exercise of its powers, must be able to redress the claimed injuries. This element arises from the constitutional requirement of an actual case or controversy. See also, United States Constitution, Article III. The injury requirement is essential to establish that the claimant has an interest in the outcome. Century has alleged irijury in its pleadings and bears the burden of proof to substantiate such an injury. See, Citizens Concerned for Separation of [71]*71Church and State v. City and County of Denver, 628 F.2d 1289 (10th Cir. 1980).

Century alleges that Vecco’s default caused a delay which will make the general contractor liable to the owner, should the owner decide to sue. Thus, the question arises whether the potential of a law suit by a third party is sufficient to constitute an injury in fact. It has been held that a suit to preclude the possibility of future harm does not satisfy the injury in fact requirement. Young v. Klutznick, 652 F.2d 617 (6th Cir. 1981).

Assuming that Century seeks to pursue its claim on an indemnity theory, Century relied heavily on Section 7(f) of its contract with Vecco as the basis for its claim for the concrete cost overruns. Section 7(f), after reciting Century’s right to complete the job in the event of possible failure of Vecco to do so, reads in pertinent part:

“The expense incurred by the Construction Manager (Century) ... either for furnishing materials or finishing the work, any damage incurred through such default, shall be chargeable to the Contractor (Vecco).”

The thrust of Century’s argument is that it “incurred” the expense of completing Vec-co’s work and, based on the language of Section 7(f), may now assert a claim against Vecco for the amount of the cost overruns. This, in spite of the fact of having already received payment from the owner.

In opposing Century’s argument, Vecco relies upon the case of Mission Marble Works v. Robinson Tile & Marble Company, 20 F.2d 14 (9th Cir. 1927). In Mission Marble Works, as here, the general contractor attempted to pass through to the subcontractor a delay damages claim of the owner. The Court in Mission Marble Works refused to consider the claim because the owner was not a party to the suit. The question of damages between the owner and the general contractor remained unsettled and the general contractor had failed to establish that the owner ever would claim damages against him. The court ruled that the general contractor could claim damages against the plaintiff only on the basis that it had paid or would be compelled to pay damages to the owner. In support of this ruling, the court quoted a long-standing rule of law that a potential indemnitee “ ‘must prove actual payment, or that which the law considers the equivalent of actual payment; a mere liability to pay not being sufficient Mission Marble Works, supra, at 17 (citation omitted).

Where the parties have entered into a written contract for indemnity, the common law rule is that there can be no recovery until the indemnitee has made payment, is compelled to pay, or has suffered an actual loss or damage against which the covenant of the contract runs. 41 Am.Jur.2d, Indemnity, §§ 29, 30. Only where the contract for indemnity provides for recovery against mere liability by express terms to that effect may the indemnitee bring action prior to making payment. Even under such a contract, action for recovery is improper before liability has been legally imposed. 41 Am.Jur.2d, Indemnity, § 31. Where the indemnity arises only from an implied contract, the right to recover does not arise until the occurrence of actual loss or damage. Simple imposition of liability does not trigger a right to recovery where indemnity arises from an implied contract or by operation of law. 41 Am.Jur.2d, Indemnity, § 32.

This is the established rule in many jurisdictions. In Mack Trucks, Inc. v. Bendix-Westinghouse Automotive Air Brake Company, 372 F.2d 18 (3rd Cir. 1967), cert. denied, 387 U.S. 930, 87 S.Ct. 2053, 18 L.Ed.2d 992 (1967), the Third Circuit, applying Florida law, stated that a cause of action for indemnity arises when the claimant sustains the loss, an event marked in that case by the payment by Mack of a judgment against it. A New York court, exercising admiralty jurisdiction, ruled that a “cause of action for indemnification accrues ... when the judgment or settlement has been paid.”

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19 B.R. 69, 1982 Bankr. LEXIS 4318, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vecco-construction-industries-inc-v-century-construction-co-of-vaed-1982.