Opinion ID: 1394280
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The appropriate statute of limitations was KRS 413.245

Text: The central question in this case is whether or not the Gardiner Entities' claims against MLS fell within the one-year statute of limitations set forth in KRS 413.245. KRS 413.245 states in pertinent part: Notwithstanding any other prescribed limitation of actions which might otherwise appear applicable, except those provided in KRS 413.140, a civil action, whether brought in tort or contract, arising out of any act or omission in rendering, or failing to render, professional services for others shall be brought within one (1) year from the date of the occurrence or from the date when the cause of action was, or reasonably should have been, discovered by the party injured. Prior cases have recognized that engineering is a professional service under KRS 413.245. Vandevelde v. Falls City Builders, Inc., 744 S.W.2d 432, 433 (Ky. App.1988). See also Plaza Bottle Shop v. Al Torstrick Insurance Agency, Inc., 712 S.W.2d 349, 351 (Ky.App.1986) (stating that engineering is a profession). In Vandevelde , the engineer was performing a quantity survey, a forecast that is used to help a builder determine how much material he may need for a job to assist him in forecasting expenses. Id. at 432. It is undisputed that a non-professional or lay person could perform a quantity survey, but in Vandevelde the appellant wanted and hired a professional engineer to perform the work. Id. at 433. The Court of Appeals held that when determining which services are professional and which ones are not, setting aside those activities or trying to determine which of those activities could be performed by a lay person renders the statute ineffective. Id. Since the appellant is a professional [an engineer] and was performing a duty consistent with his profession, even though it might have been done by a client or another layman, we hold that it is the type of duty envisioned by KRS 413.245. Id. We find the reasoning set forth in Vandevelde to also be persuasive in this matter. While it is true that land surveying had not been expressly declared a professional service under KRS 413.245 at the time MLS performed its contract with GDD, land surveying is frequently necessary for the performance of engineering services. See KRS 322.010(4)(a)(5) (defining engineering work in part as the services of a professional engineer who engages in the practice of land surveying incident to the practice of engineering that does not relate to the location or determination of land boundaries.) In this regard, the relationship between engineering and land surveying is similar to the relationship between paralegals and lawyers and doctors and nurses  both relationships which have been held to be encompassed within the professional services statute of limitations. See Underhill v. Stephenson, 756 S.W.2d 459, 460 (Ky.1988) (holding that nursing is a professional service subject to KRS 413.245); Lapham v. Stewart, 137 Idaho 582, 51 P.3d 396, 403 (Id.2002) (holding that negligence on the part of a legal secretary is imputed to the supervising attorney and the statute of limitations for professional services applies to both). In this matter, GDD hired MLS to perform numerous tasks that require the services of a professional engineer. These tasks included designing the sanitary sewers and road system for the subdivision. KRS 322.010(4)(a) (Engineering shall include . . . engineering design and engineering work associated with design/build projects . . . engineering works and systems which involve earth materials, water or other liquids, and gases) To complete these engineering tasks, land surveying was required. While some tasks performed by MLS did not necessitate the use of a professional engineer, MLS held itself out as a professional engineering firm and had a professional engineer, Comer, overseeing work on the project  including the land surveying tasks. In addition, there is substantial evidence that the construction documents produced by MLS were to be approved by either Comer or another engineer. Gregory Gardiner in his deposition even stated that he believed the services performed by MLS were engineering by nature and that the surveying services were incidental to the engineering work. While his statements are not dispositive as to the nature of the contract, they show that Gardiner believed MLS was to perform engineering services for his company. Under such circumstances, we believe that both the engineering and land surveying services encompassed by the contract are properly classified as professional and thus, are subject to KRS 413.245. See Vandevelde, 744 S.W.2d at 433 (holding that since the performer of a task which could be performed by a layperson represented that he was in fact a professional engineer, KRS 413.245 applied). It is important to note that while this dispute is contractual by nature, it is not governed by KRS 413.090 as WHF has asserted. The express language of KRS 413.245 states that a civil action, whether brought in tort or contract, arising out of any act or omission in rendering, or failing to render, professional services for others shall be brought within one (1) year from the date of the occurrence or from the date when the cause of action was, or reasonably should have been, discovered by the party injured. (emphasis added) In this matter the dispute is regarding MLS's slow performance on the contract, potential errors in the work performed, and the ultimate breach of contract where MLS stopped all performance. Since the breach of contract stems from the performance or lack of performance of professional services, the proper statute of limitations is KRS 413.245.