Opinion ID: 2514285
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Recovery of Delay Damages

Text: [ś 42] The City claims next that, once the jury found that it did not breach the contract, it was not appropriate to utilize the total cost method of proving damages for breach of the implied covenant. The City contends that the total cost method of calculating damages is disfavored even in breach of contract cases and there is no authority for its use in determining damages where, as here, there was no breach of contract. Even assuming such damages were recoverable for breach of the implied covenant, the City claims HCI did not establish the elements necessary to recover under the total cost method. The City also asserts the exclusive remedy available to HCI was an extension of time, not monetary damages. [ś 43] HCI responds that the contract allowed the contractor to recover money damages, the jury properly awarded monetary damages for breach of the implied covenant and HCI proved the elements necessary for recovery under the total cost method. These same arguments were made twice during the trial and again after the verdict. The district court ruled against the City and for HCI each time.