Opinion ID: 2403622
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Remaining Issues of Fact

Text: The appellees were subcontractors to the appellant B.G. Coney Company (Coney), which had a general contract to build a shopping center. Coney sued the owners of the shopping center for money allegedly due under the general contract. Some subcontractors were joined as parties to the case, and others intervened. The appellees, who were among those subcontractors who became parties, cross-claimed against Coney, asserting they were entitled to be paid by Coney for their work, and asserting liens. Coney contended the appellees were not entitled to be paid until Coney had been paid by the owners. The contract provisions presented to the trial court as controlling are: ARTICLE V Progress Payments  Based upon applications for payment submitted by contractor to owner, and payments by owner to contractor, contractor shall make progress payments to subcontractor, on or about the tenth day of each month of ninety percent (90%) of the portion of the contract sum properly allocable to labor, materials and equipment incorporated in the work, less the aggregate of previous payments; and upon substantial completion, a sum sufficient to increase total payments to ninety percent (90%) of contract sum less such retainage as contractor shall determine for all incomplete work and unsettled claims. ARTICLE VI Final Payment  Final payment, constituting the entire unpaid balance of contract sum, shall be paid by contractor to subcontractor thirty (30) days after all work of subcontractor has been completed and accepted by the contractor and this contract fully performed. The chancellor ruled that, as there was no dispute over whether the work of the appellees had been completed and accepted and the contract had been fully performed, Article VI was controlling, and the appellees were entitled to summary judgment. Coney earnestly contends the chancellor should have looked to Articles V and VI, as both apply to final payment. One need only read those articles to see that is not so. Coney then contends that, reading these contract articles together, there is a latent ambiguity in the contract, and the chancellor should have considered affidavits from Mr. B.G. Coney and a Mr. Toland which showed the company policy and practice was not to make final payments to subcontractors until Coney had been paid. The chancellor was entirely correct in not allowing these affidavits to dissuade him from entering summary judgments. When there is no ambiguity in the contract, such testimony is irrelevant. It certainly raises no genuine issue of material fact. We can see no ambiguity in this contract, latent or otherwise. Article VI controls final payments. Final payments are the subject of the appellees' claims. There being no ambiguity, extrinsic evidence as to the terms of the instrument was not admissible. Arkansas Rock and Gravel Co. v. Chris-T-Emulsion, 259 Ark. 807, 536 S.W.2d 724 (1976); C & A Construction v. Penning Construction, 256 Ark. 621, 509 S.W.2d 302 (1974). The mere raising of an unfounded charge of ambiguity in a written contract does not bar summary judgment, as it is for the court to decide whether the contract is ambiguous. Freeman v. Continental Gin Co., 381 F.2d 459 (5th Cir.1967); U.S. v. Northern Pacific Railway Co., 188 F.2d 277 (8th Cir.1951). The appellant adds nothing to its argument by citing Ark.Stat.Ann. § 85-2-208 (Add. 1961). Even if we could construe these subcontracts as ones for the sale of goods, thus making the cited statute applicable, we would find it not controlling. Nor is it applicable by analogy. Section 85-2-208 says express terms of a contract are controlling over course of performance, and course of performance is controlling over course of dealing and usage of trade. Again, the express terms are clear.