Opinion ID: 865310
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether greenwood’s providing personnel and

Text: INSTRUMENTATION FOR ON-SITE TESTING WAIVED THE CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENT FOR TRICONEX TO PROVIDE ALL PERSONNEL AND INSTRUMENTATION. ¶30. Triconex argues that the contract allowed for assistance by Greenwood personnel. Further, Triconex argues that Greenwood never objected to Shaw’s assistance and, therefore, waived the contractual requirement for Triconex to provide all personnel and instrumentation. This Court has stated that the actions and pattern of conduct of the parties determine if a waiver or modification occurred. Sanderson Farms v. Gatlin, 848 So. 2d 828, 837 (Miss. 2003). To determine the point at which any waiver occurs, the Court should look to the actions of the relevant party after that party has sufficient information to be on notice 18 of the alleged deviation from the contractual duty. Brent Towing Co., Inc. v. Scott Petroleum Corp., 735 So. 2d 355, 358 (Miss. 1999). If, after acquiring knowledge of the deviation from a known right articulated in the contract, a party fails to insist on its contractual rights, or acts inconsistently with such rights, then that party waives the right to require such performance. Id.; Sanderson Farms, 848 So. 2d at 837-38. ¶31. Triconex argues that Greenwood had notice of deviation from the contract on the date of testing and, by failing to object to providing Shaw for testing, waived Triconex’s obligation to provide all personnel for testing. However, Greenwood argues that the trial judge did not base his decision on the personnel issue, but instead upon Triconex’s design and installation of a defective control system. Furthermore, Greenwood argues that no “known deviation” occurred because the contract specifically states when a waiver or amendment may occur. Greenwood also argues that, according to the language of the contract, only the engineer6 for Greenwood had the authority to modify the contract. Greenwood directs this Court to three sections of the contract: ARTICLE 3 – CONTRACT DOCUMENTS: INTENT, AMENDING, REUSE B. AMENDING AND SUPPLEMENTING CONTRACT DOCUMENTS: 1. The Contract Documents may be amended to provide for additions, deletions and revisions in the Work or to modify the terms and conditions thereof in one or more of the following ways:

.... 6 Greenwood’s engineering firm was Burns and McDonnell of Kansas City, Missouri, which also wrote the contract. 19 3. In addition, the requirements of the Contract Documents may be supplemented, and minor variations and deviations in the Work may be authorized, in the following way: a. A Field Order (pursuant to Paragraph 9.E). b. Engineer’s written interpretation or clarification (pursuant to Paragraph 9.D). .... ARTICLE 9–ENGINEER’S STATUS DURING CONSTRUCTION: E. AUTHORIZED VARIATIONS IN WORK: Engineer may authorize minor variations in the Work from the requirements of the Contract Documents which do not involve an adjustment in the Contract Price or the Contract Time and are consistent with the overall intent of the Contract Documents. These may be accomplished by a Field Order and will be binding on Owner, and also on Contractor who shall perform the Work involved promptly. ....