Yor-Wic Constr. Co. v. Eng'g Design Techs., Inc.
Yor-Wic Constr. Co. v. Eng'g Design Techs., Inc.
Opinion of the Court
Before the Court is Plaintiff, Yor-Wic Construction Company, Inc., ("Yor-Wic") seeking a declaration of rights pursuant to La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1871 with regard to its subcontract with Defendant, Engineering Design Technologies, Inc. ("EDT"). More specifically, Yor-Wic is requesting this Court find the subcontract invalid, null, unenforceable, extinguished and/or without cause or consent. See Record Document 1-1 at p. 3, ¶¶ 14-17, State Court Petition. EDT filed a Partial Motion *325to Dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). See Record Document 30. However, the present Motion is more appropriately classified as a Partial Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(c), which will be discussed further infra. The Court having considered EDT's Partial Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (Record Document 30), the Motion is GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART .
I. BACKGROUND
On January 3, 2017, Yor-Wic filed the present lawsuit, styled as a "Petition for Declaratory Judgment with Reservation of other Actions and Defenses," against EDT in the 26th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana. See Record Document 1-1, Original Petition. This suit was initiated by Yor-Wic because EDT defaulted Yor-Wic for non-performance. According to the original Petition, EDT entered into a contract (the "prime contract") with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast ("NAVFAC") for construction of drainage improvements at Barksdale Air Force Base. See id. at p.1, ¶ 3. EDT, in turn, entered into a March 30, 2016, agreement (the "subcontract") with Yor-Wic to perform work under the prime contract. See id. at p. 2, ¶ 5.
The prime contract specified that EDT should not enter into any contract with a subcontractor who did not comply with the requisite Experience Modification Rate ("EMR"). See id. at ¶ 8. Prior to the execution of the subcontract, Yor-Wic alleges that it advised EDT that its EMR exceeded the maximum permitted by the prime contract. See id. at p. 3, ¶ 9. Thereafter, EDT submitted Yor-Wic's EMR to NAVFAC, but NAVFAC rejected Yor-Wic as a subcontractor. See id. at ¶ 10. Following the initial rejection, "EDT submitted a written request for additional consideration to the [c]ontracting [o]fficer due to Yor-Wic's failure to meet the specified acceptable EMR range, but NAVFAC refused to approve Yor-Wic as a subcontractor to EDT for the [p]roject." Id. at ¶ 11.
In its original Petition, Yor-Wic contends that the subcontract, by incorporating the EMR, included a suspensive condition that NAVFAC must approve Yor-Wic as a subcontractor for the project.
On February 1, 2017, EDT removed the case to federal court on the basis of diversity jurisdiction,
II. LAW AND ANALYSIS
As noted supra , this Court's subject matter jurisdiction rests on diversity, and the parties do not appear to dispute that Louisiana substantive law governs the issues at bar. Foradori v. Harris,
A. Pleading Standards and the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(c) Standard.
Rule 8(a)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure governs the requirements for pleadings that state a claim for relief, requiring that a pleading contain "a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." The standard for the adequacy of complaints under Rule 8(a)(2) is now a "plausibility" standard found in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly,
While EDT's Motion to Dismiss is couched as a Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12 (b)(6) Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim, it should more properly be construed as a Partial Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings pursuant to Rule 12(c). Under Rule 12(c)"[a]fter the pleadings are closed-but early enough not to delay trial-a party may move for judgment on the pleadings." Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(c). After the close of pleadings and prior to the start of trial, EDT filed its Motion to Dismiss, which due to the timing of filing, is construed as a Rule 12(c) judgment on the pleadings. However, this distinction does not affect the Court's legal analysis because the standards for motions under Rule 12(b)(6) and Rule 12(c) are identical. See In re Katrina Canal Breaches Litig.,
Accordingly, under Rule 12(c), courts must accept all allegations in a complaint as true. See Iqbal,
*327
Rule 12(c) is "designed to dispose of cases where material facts are not in dispute and judgment on the merits can be rendered by looking to the substance of the pleadings and any judicially noticed facts." Great Plains Trust Co. v. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co.,
Typically at the Rule 12(c) stage, courts may not go outside the pleadings. However, in the present action, the Court may consider the subcontract in assessing the Rule 12(c) Partial Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings because it was referred to in Yor-Wic's original and amended Petition, and it is central to Yor-Wic's claims. See New Orleans City v. Ambac Assur. Corp.,
B. Federal Declaratory Judgment Actions.
"When a declaratory judgment action is filed in state court and is subsequently removed to federal court, it is converted to one brought under the federal Declaratory Judgment Act." Bell v. Bank of America Home Loan Servicing LP, Civil Action No. 4:11-02085,
Yor-Wic is requesting the Court to rule on the validity of the subcontract with EDT. To support this request, Yor-Wic advances a number of legal claims/affirmative defenses including lack of consent due to error as to the cause, equitable estoppel, impossibility of performance due to a fortuitous event, subjective novation, and nullity based on an alleged False Claims Act violation. See Record Document 9-1 at p. 34, ¶¶ 15, 20-25. Therefore, the Court will analyze whether Yor-Wic has pleaded sufficient facts that would support the Court denying the present Motion before the Court.
*328C. Error as to Cause.
Yor-Wic asserts that it has made a plausible statement of a claim for vitiation of consent due to the lack of cause.
Under Louisiana law, formation of a valid and enforceable contract requires that "(1) the parties must possess the capacity to contract; (2) the parties' mutual consent must be freely given;
In Louisiana, "a party's contractual consent 'may be vitiated by error, fraud, or duress.' " Chalos & Co., P.C. v. Marine Managers, Ltd., Civil Action No. 14-2441,
bears on the nature of the contract, or the thing that is the contractual object or a substantial quality of that thing, or the person or the qualities of the other *329party, or the law, or any other circumstance that the parties regarded, or should in good faith have regarded, as a cause of the obligation.
La. Civ. Code art. 1950. "If error vitiates a party's consent, the contract may be rescinded." Chalos,
In Louisiana, error can vitiate consent in two ways, bilaterally, i.e., both parties are mistaken, or unilaterally, i.e., only one party is mistaken. See Peironnet v. Matador Res. Co., 2012-2292 (La. 6/28/13),
Therefore, the Court will examine whether Yor-Wic would have entered into the subcontract had it known about an undisclosed joint venture involving EDT. Yor-Wic pleads that subsequent to rejection by NAVFAC of Yor-Wic as the subcontractor, it learned that EDT was in an undisclosed joint venture with ACC Construction Co., Inc. ("ACC").See Record Document 9-1 at p. 35, ¶ 25. Yor-Wic argues that the principal cause for Yor-Wic in the subcontract was the payment of $6,578,183.46, which was solely in the hands of the undisclosed joint venture, ACC-EDT JOINT VENTURE LLC. See Record Document 39 at p. 21. Specifically, Yor-Wic argues that the payments made by EDT to Yor-Wic for bond premium reimbursement and nominal work while awaiting NAVFAC's approval were made from an account shown as ACC-EDT JOINT VENTURE LLC. See id. at 20.
However, the Court is not persuaded by Yor-Wic's argument that it would not have entered into the contract had it known of the joint venture nor has Yor-Wic alleged sufficient facts to meet this element. In fact, it is highly likely that Yor-Wic would have entered into the subcontract despite being paid by an undisclosed joint venture. Yor-Wic's willingness to enter into the subcontract despite its awareness that NAVFAC could potentially reject Yor-Wic due to its high EMR and the fact the subcontract was worth $6,578,183.46 supports the Court's conclusion. Accordingly, the Court rejects Yor-Wic's claim of error bearing upon the person or the qualities of EDT with whom Yor-Wic had subcontracted with. Therefore, EDT's Motion for Partial Judgment on the Pleadings as to Yor-Wic's error claim is hereby GRANTED .
D. Equitable Estoppel.
Louisiana recognizes both equitable estoppel and detrimental reliance *330under La. Civ. Code art.1967 and the elements for each are the same. See Barnett v. Saizon, 2008-0336 (La. Ct. App. 1st Cir. 9/23/08),
Equitable estoppel has been defined as the effect of voluntary conduct of a party whereby he is precluded from asserting rights against another who has justifiably relied upon such conduct and changed his position so that he will suffer injury if the former is allowed to repudiate the conduct. The doctrine is based on equitable considerations of good faith and is designed to prevent injustice by barring a party, under special circumstances, from taking a position contrary to his prior acts, admissions, representations or silence.
Knippers v. Dr. W.W. Lambard,
"Estoppel is not favored by Louisiana courts. It is invoked sparingly because it acts to bar the normal assertion of rights. Any party seeking to invoke estoppel must specifically plead and prove the factual elements of the doctrine." Knippers,
Yor-Wic in its amended Petition states that:
EDT is estopped from asserting the existence of an enforceable subcontract with Yor-Wic due to multiple misrepresentations in writing and conduct by EDT to NAVFAC subsequent to the rejection by NAVFAC of Yor-Wic as a subcontractor for the project due to non-compliance with the EMR specification and that other entities were to become the construction subcontractor to EDT for the scope of work originally included in Yor-Wic's scope of work....
Record Document 9-1 at p. 34, ¶ 20. However, Yor-Wic in its Memorandum in Opposition contends that "Yor-Wic's equitable estoppel claim may be admittedly more addressed as an affirmative defense to EDT's counterclaim." Record Document 39 at p. 22. Yor-Wic contends that it "was attempting to address the conduct whereby EDT claimed Yor-Wic was its subcontractor, after rejection by the government, but yet had already submitted other subcontractors for Yor-Wic's scope of work."
*331E. Impossibility of Performance.
La. Civ. Code art. 1873 introduces the defense of impossibility of performance. La. Civ. Code art. 1873, com. (c).
Louisiana courts have discussed fortuitous events as an "irresistible force" or "that which happens by a cause which we cannot resist." Mark Investments, Inc. v. Motwane's Am., Inc.,
Yor-Wic asserts that since it was not allowed to perform as a subcontractor by NAVFAC as defined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations and the subcontract, the Court should deem Yor-Wic's performance impossible and dissolve the subcontract. In its original and amended Petition, Yor-Wic alleges that it advised EDT prior to the execution of the subcontract that Yor-Wic's EMR exceeded the maximum allowed by the EMR specification. See Record Document 9-1 at p. 32, ¶ 9. Nonetheless, EDT submitted Yor-Wic's EMR to NAVFAC, but NAVFAC rejected Yor-Wic as a subcontractor due to non-compliance with the EMR specification. See id. at ¶ 10. Subsequent to the rejection, EDT submitted a written request for additional consideration to the contracting officer due to Yor-Wic's failure to fall within the specified EMR range, but the request was rejected by NAVFAC. See id. at ¶ 11.
The Court is not persuaded by Yor-Wic's argument that because it was not allowed to perform as a subcontractor by NAVFAC, its performance was impossible. It is true that Yor-Wic's performance was made impossible by NAVFAC's waiver rejection, but this was a business risk assumed by Yor-Wic, not an "act of God." See Payne,
F. Subjective Novation.
"Novation is the extinguishment of an existing obligation by the substitution of a new one." La. Civ. Code art. 1879. The intention to extinguish the original obligation must be clear and unequivocal; novation may not be presumed. La. Civ. Code art. 1880. Further, "the burden of proof for establishing novation is on the person who asserts it." Scott v. Bank of Coushatta,
Yor-Wic alleges that EDT made "multiple representations in writing and conduct ... to NAVFAC subsequent to the rejection ... of Yor-Wic as a subcontractor ... [and] confirm[ed] that other entities were to become the construction subcontractor." Record Document 9-1 at p. 34, ¶ 23. This allegation, at this stage in the litigation, can reasonably be construed as an express discharge by EDT of Yor-Wic as the subcontractor. Furthermore, this allegation, taken as true, supports Yor-Wic's claim under La. Civ. Code art. 1882 because new obligors were allegedly substituted for Yor-Wic, a prior obligor. Upon review of Yor-Wic's amended Petition and its Memorandum in Opposition, Yor-Wic has sufficiently pleaded facts that would support its subjective novation claim. See Record Document 9-1 at p. 34, ¶ 23; Record Document 39 at p. 21. Accordingly, EDT's Motion for Partial Judgment on the Pleadings as to Yor-Wic's subjection novation claim is hereby DENIED.
G. False Claims Act.
In its Memorandum in Opposition to EDT's Partial Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, Yor-Wic states that it did not assert a cause of action under the False Claims Act pursuant to
III. CONCLUSION
EDT's Partial Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (Record Document 30) is GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART . EDT's Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings is GRANTED as to Yor-Wic's claims for error as to cause, equitable estoppel, impossibility of performance, and False Claims Act. Thus, these claims are hereby DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE . EDT's Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings is DENIED as to Yor-Wic's subjective novation claim.
An order consistent with the terms of the instant Memorandum Ruling shall issue herewith.
THUS DONE AND SIGNED , in Shreveport, Louisiana, on this the 11th day of July, 2018.
The instant Rule 12(c) Motion is directed at every cause/theory asserted by Yor-Wic except its suspensive condition theory. EDT intends to address Yor-Wic's suspensive condition theory in a subsequent Fed. R. Civ. P. 56, motion for summary judgment. See Record Document 30-1 at p. 10, EDT's Memorandum in Support of Partial Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings.
Under Louisiana law the concepts of "error" and "failure of cause" are one in the same. See Chalos & Co., P.C. v. Marine Managers, Ltd., Civil Action No. 14-2441,
After review of the pertinent pleadings, Yor-Wic has failed to plead other causes for entering into the subcontract in its original and amended Petitions as well as its Memorandum in Opposition to EDT's Partial Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings. Furthermore, the only error that can be ascertained by the Court concerns Yor-Wic's contention that an undisclosed joint venture by EDT constitutes an error. See Record Document 9-1 at p. 35, ¶ 25. Accordingly, the Court finds that Yor-Wic's cause for entering into the subcontract with EDT was the $6,578,183.46 prospective payment and the error bears on the person or qualities of the other party. Since Yor-Wic has failed to raise and support with both facts and law other legal theories for its error claim in order to vitiate its consent to the subcontract, the Court deems any arguments in the future WAIVED . See Campbell v. City of San Antonio,
EDT fails to address Yor-Wic's contention in its original and amended Petition that the subcontract executed by Yor-Wic was changed by EDT subsequent to Yor-Wic's execution and prior to EDT's execution resulting in a counteroffer, which was not accepted by Yor-Wic and lacked Yor-Wic's consent. Yor-Wic advances this argument in order for the Court to find the subcontract null. Because this argument was not raised by EDT in its Memorandum in Support or its Reply Memorandum, the Court cannot address it sua sponte.
The Court recognizes that the Revision Comments to the Louisiana Civil Code are not law. Nonetheless, these comments are instructive, as "they were presented together with the proposed legislation and illuminate the understanding and intent of the legislators." Wartelle v. Women's & Children's Hosp., Inc., 97-0744 (La. 12/2/97),
Reference
- Full Case Name
- YOR-WIC CONSTRUCTION CO., INC. v. ENGINEERING DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published