Opinion ID: 2334723
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Contract Claims Against IPC

Text: Plaintiff, of course, is not a signatory party to the IPC contract. The validity of her claim rests up whether she can make her claim as a third party beneficiary. A third party beneficiary is one who is not privy to a contract or its consideration but who may nonetheless maintain a cause of action for breach of the contract. Andes v. Albano, 853 S.W.2d 936, 942 (Mo. banc 1993). Only those third parties for whose primary benefit the parties contract may maintain an action. Id. [I]t is not necessary for the parties to the contract to have as their `primary object' the goal of benefiting the third parties, but only that the third parties be primary beneficiaries. Id. The intention of the parties is to be gleaned from the four corners of the contract, and if uncertain or ambiguous, from the circumstances surrounding its execution. Terre Du Lac Ass'n. v. Terre Du Lac, Inc., 737 S.W.2d 206, 213 (Mo.App.1987). Third party beneficiary rights depend on, and are measured by, the terms of the contract between the promisor and the promisee. Id. Although it is not necessary that the third party beneficiary be named in the contract, the terms of the contract must express directly and clearly an intent to benefit an identifiable person or class. Id. There are three types of third party beneficiaries: donee, creditor and incidental. The first two categories may recover, the third may not. Kansas City N.O. Nelson Co. v. Mid-Western Construction Co. of Missouri, Inc., 782 S.W.2d 672, 677 (Mo.App.1989). A person is a donee beneficiary if the purpose of the promisee in obtaining the promise of all or part of the performance thereof is to make a gift to the beneficiary or to confer upon him a right against the promisor to some performance neither due nor supposed nor asserted to be due from the promisee to the beneficiary. Id. A person is a creditor beneficiary if the performance of the promise will satisfy an actual or supposed or asserted duty of the promisee to the beneficiary. Id. Finally, if the person is neither a donee beneficiary nor a creditor beneficiary, he is an incidental beneficiary. As previously indicated, the owners and the operators of the mall had a duty to take reasonable precautions to protect mall customers from violent crime. The Ward Parkway Group contracted with IPC for this very purpose. Brief review of certain provisions of the IPC contract make this clear. First, IPC security officers are empowered to detain suspects when necessary to protect mall customers from risk of serious injury: I. 3. H. Under normal circumstances, an employee or agent of the CONTRACTOR, shall avoid making an arrest of any kind; provided, however, the employees or agents of the CONTRACTOR may detain an individual when necessary to protect either that individual or mall customers or employees from risk of serious injury. [emphasis supplied] Second, IPC and mall management both agreed to cooperate to determine the proper work hours and staffing to provide adequate security to the mall. I. 4. Hours & StaffingThe daily and weekly schedule of security man-hours and coverage at each location shall be determined by the Manager, subject to input from CONTRACTOR. The hours and number of Security Officers required will change periodically. The Manager has the right to change hours and personnel coverage.    VI. 5. Manager and Contractor shall agree upon the proper level of staffing needed to provide adequate security to the mall. Upon agreement, the staffing level shall be conclusively deemed for all purposes to be a material representation by Contractor to Manager that the staffing level is one which will provide full and adequate security to Mall [sic]. CONTRACTOR will be able to provide additional security staff for grand opening events on an as needed basis. Officers will be in uniform, and ready for duty at the start of their assigned shifts. [emphasis supplied] The contract also assigns specific duties to IPC security officers, including making frequent, random rounds of the premises to check for safety hazards. Security officers are required to be watchful for criminal activities and report any such observations to mall management: I. 3. B. Report immediately to representatives designated by the Manager any unusual incidents, hazardous conditions, accidents, defects, suspicious activities, or criminal activities observed during the shift. C. Prepare for the Manager at the end of each shift, a security log report noting therein all incidents, accidents, suspicious activities, hazardous conditions or criminal activities observed. Unless other provisions are made by the parties, all reports shall be prepared on standard log forms, provided by the Manager. D. Perform such other duties and enforce rules and regulations as are mutually agreed upon by the parties that are reduced to writing, and that are made available to the Security Officers assigned to each location by representatives of the Manager. IPC agreed to bind its employees to a policy and procedures manual published by IPC: I. 3. J. Manager has adopted a comprehensive Security Orders Policy and Procedures Manual (herein the manual.) The manual includes Manager's instructions to CONTRACTOR and a copy of Manager's Safety Regulations. CONTRACTOR and its employees shall be familiar with and will adhere to those instructions and regulations at all times. CONTRACTOR shall disseminate such manual to all Security Officers and shall insure that said Security Officers comply with the content thereof. The contract references the policy and procedures manual, published by IPC, which provides: The ultimate goal of any successful shopping center Owner, Developer or Manager is the continued patronage of customers to the mall. In each Center, Mall Management endeavors to create a safe, orderly atmosphere in which customers may relax and shop without undue concern for their own safety. In order to sustain and insure this positive atmosphere, the management of your Center has retained the services of IPC International Corporation to provide Mall Public Safety Services. You have been chosen to be a member of the Public Safety Staff by individuals who feel that you have the potential to be a true asset to the organizationone who has the right combination of knowledge, experience, education, judgment and positive appearance to understand and perform the varied responsibilities of an IPC Mall Public Safety Officer. Given the proper tools of knowledge which follow in this manual, you will have everything that you need to perform your duties in an effective and professional manner. It is up to you to earn the respect and confidence of those for whom and with whom you work. There can be no doubt that the Ward Parkway Group contracted with IPC to assist it in its duty to take reasonable measures to protect mall customers from criminal activity. We especially note the language of the IPC contract, paragraph VI. 5, indicating that Upon agreement, the staffing level shall be conclusively deemed for all purposes to be a material representation by Contractor to Manager that the staffing level is one which will provide full and adequate security to Mall [sic]. As such, plaintiff is a creditor beneficiary of the contract and has a right to bring suit and recover if she can also establish breach that caused damages. ii.