Opinion ID: 1998184
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Breach of Contract and Negligence Claims

Text: Accordingly, our next task is to determine whether the trial justice was erroneous in her findings on plaintiff's breach of contract claim and defendants' counterclaims. It is well settled that the findings of fact by a trial justice sitting without a jury are entitled to great weight and will not be disturbed on appeal absent a record showing that the trial justice overlooked or misconceived material evidence or was otherwise clearly wrong. Donnelly v. Cowsill, 716 A.2d 742, 747 (R.I.1998). Moreover, [t]he task of determining the credibility of witnesses is peculiarly the function of the trial justice when sitting without a jury. Walton v. Baird, 433 A.2d 963, 964 (R.I.1981). During his or her fact-finding process, the trial justice may draw inferences from the testimony of witnesses, and such inferences, if reasonable, are entitled on review to the same weight as other factual determinations. Id. In this case, plaintiff asserts that the trial justice overlooked or misconceived material evidence in favor of plaintiff when she found that plaintiff had breached both contracts with defendants and was negligent in its workmanship on both projects. The evidence to which plaintiff refers, however, was not uncontradicted at trial. The trial justice found that plaintiff and James Colucci had a valid oral contract concerning the electrical work on the Iroquois Trail project. The plaintiff does not dispute this finding; but, plaintiff does dispute the price term in the oral contract, noting that plaintiff offered testimony that the price was not to exceed $9,500, while defendants asserted a fixed price of $6,800. The trial justice specifically found that the parties had mutually assented to a contract price of $6,800 for the Iroquois Trail project because she [did] not find persuasive [Mr.] DeSimone's varied explanations for the $4,500 discrepancy between the price at which he estimated the installation on the permit fee [on the electrical permit application] and the price upon which he claims the parties agreed. The trial justice apparently found the testimony of James and Thomas Colucci, who both said that the contract was for $6,800, to be more credible than Mr. DeSimone's testimony. Because this credibility determination deserves deference, we are satisfied that the trial justice did not overlook or misconceive evidence when she decided that the price agreed upon for the Iroquois Trail project was $6,800. The trial justice also found that plaintiff had failed to substantially perform the Iroquois Trail project contract and for that reason could not recover for a breach thereof. In so finding, the trial justice found credible James Colucci's testimony that 15 to 20 percent of the project was not finished when plaintiff ceased work. She also noted that although both parties testified that plaintiff had completed installing the 200 amp. service, rough wiring, all devices, and most of the fixtures, even Mr. DeSimone had conceded that the plaintiff corporation did not complete the job. Finally, the trial justice noted that James Colucci's $2,590 claim for damages for incomplete or unsatisfactory work, being comparably much lower than the agreed-upon price of $6,800, further demonstrated that plaintiff did not substantially perform. Based on this evidence, we are satisfied that the trial justice was not clearly wrong in determining that plaintiff had not substantially performed the contract for the Iroquois Trail project and thus could not recover on its breach-of-contract claim against James Colucci. The plaintiff also challenges the trial justice's findings on defendants' counterclaims that plaintiff breached both contracts and was negligent in failing to perform the work at either site in a skillful, careful, and workmanlike manner. The plaintiff maintains that defendants fabricated the claims of shoddy workmanship because they lacked sufficient funds to pay plaintiff for the work already performed. To support this claim, plaintiff points to the meeting on July 19, 2001, as evidence that defendants still were willing to hire plaintiff to work on a third development, Birchwood Estates, despite their allegations of shoddy workmanship on the other two projects. Again, however, this evidence was counterbalanced with conflicting evidence at trial. James Colucci denied that he failed to pay plaintiff because of cash-flow problems. He also said that the purpose of the meeting on January 19, 2001, was not to discuss the Birchwood Estates project, but rather to discuss completion of the City View project. The plaintiff also contends that the trial justice overlooked the testimony of Ms. Rainone when she said that she was not aware of any complaints about plaintiff. Similarly, Mr. DeSimone testified that he never received any complaints concerning either project until the day of his meeting at Birchwood Estates with defendants. It should not be overlooked, however, that Ms. Rainone also testified on cross-examination that she communicated with plaintiff concerning a failed inspection on at least one occasion. In addition, James Colucci testified that he made his concerns known to plaintiff and informed Mr. DeSimone when the electrical work failed inspections. Other evidence revealed that Ms. Rainone may not have been aware necessarily of all problems with contractors and that she did not leave her employment with CMG on good terms. We cannot say that the trial justice was clearly wrong in the manner in which she considered Ms. Rainone's inconsistent testimony in light of this additional evidence. The trial justice also found that there was credible evidence of unsatisfactory workmanship, failed inspections, and untidiness in the testimony of James and Thomas Colucci and in a series of photographs depicting plaintiff's work that were admitted at trial. Specifically, in ruling that plaintiff had breached the contract and performed negligently on the Iroquois Trail project, the trial justice found that plaintiff failed to install certain wires in the correct places leaving wire visible, broke plaster around the edge of a light switch box leaving a visible chip in the plaster, failed to center certain fixtures, installed some fixtures crookedly and at uneven heights, left the worksite untidy, and improperly wired the burner located on the home's boiler. The trial justice also ruled that plaintiff was not diligent in completing the work on the Iroquois Trail project because the evidence supported her finding that plaintiff left 15 to 20 percent of the project unfinished. Similarly, in finding that plaintiff also breached the contract and performed negligently on the City View project, the trial justice noted that a subcontractor whom defendants hired to complete and rectify plaintiff's work had listed a number of problems with plaintiff's work on an invoice he submitted to defendants. The trial justice also found that defendants had provided other evidence indicating that the lots on which plaintiff did perform had problems or failed inspections. This evidence included James Colucci's testimony that the work was sloppy, correspondence to plaintiff informing it that the work was incomplete or unsatisfactory, and expenses incurred by defendants as a result of plaintiff's incomplete or defective work. Additionally, the trial justice found that, [i]n total, Plaintiff's work failed inspection at Lots 3, 5, 7, and 8. On appeal, plaintiff asserts that the trial justice overlooked or misconceived evidence showing that all inspections performed on plaintiff's work passed. James Colucci testified, however, that there were a couple of instances when plaintiff's work did not pass. Although plaintiff offered documentary evidence that its work on the Iroquois Trail project passed at least one fire inspection, defendants offered documentary evidence of failed inspections on Lots 3, 5, 7, and 8 of the City View project, as well as evidence that some of the lots had to be inspected again. The trial justice further found that the evidence demonstrated that plaintiff failed to work diligently on the City View project, based on James Colucci's testimony that plaintiff was late in initiating work on a couple of occasions and the July 20, 2001 letter from CMG-Ashford to Mr. DeSimone informing him that plaintiff was holding up progress on Lots 3, 4, 5, and 7. Based on the conflicting evidence offered at trial that the trial justice thoughtfully considered throughout her decision, we are satisfied that the trial justice did not overlook or misconceive material evidence; nor was she clearly wrong in finding that the defendants were entitled to damages from the plaintiff. The trial justice simply carried out her task of determining which evidence was credible and which was not. See Walton, 433 A.2d at 964. She appropriately drew inferences from the testimony and evidence offered; and, finding those inferences to have been reasonable ones to draw, we afford her findings great weight. See id. Accordingly, we hold that the trial justice's findings were not clearly wrong, and we affirm her ruling in this case.