Opinion ID: 1392621
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: date from which interest runs

Text: Creech contends that the court erred in permitting the jury to run interest from any date prior to November 30, 1983, the day on which Norfolk Air made final payment to its last unpaid sub-subcontractor. Norfolk Air was embroiled in litigation with its sub-subcontractors throughout most of 1982 and 1983, and did not settle with those parties and pay the last one in full until November 30, 1983. Norfolk Air's subcontract provides: Before issuance of the final payment the Subcontractor if required shall submit evidence satisfactory to the Contractor that all payrolls, material bills, and all known indebtedness connected with the Subcontractor's work have been satisfied. Norfolk Air did not, and could not, supply evidence of payment until November 30, 1983, because it had not paid its sub-subcontractors in full. Conceding the truth of the foregoing, Norfolk Air nevertheless contends that its delay in paying its sub-subcontractors was Creech's fault. Creech had written letters to Norfolk Air in October 1980 and in February 1981, complaining of delays and additional expenses caused by Norfolk Air's sub-subcontractors. Norfolk Air was concerned that if it paid its sub-subcontractors before receiving payment from Creech, Norfolk Air would be exposed to the loss of any amount Creech might decide to deduct as delay damages. At trial, Mr. J.W. Creech, president of the company during construction, testified that Creech had not in fact had a problem with the work of Norfolk Air's sub-subcontractors, and that the letters mentioned above were just pep letters that I write all the time. He added, [s]ometimes it does some good and sometimes it don't. But as a general contractor, you have to be after them all the time. Norfolk Air says that as soon as it discovered that this was truly Creech's attitude, it paid its sub-subcontractors in full, and that it would have paid them as soon as the job was completed in July 1982 if it had known that Creech was not seeking delay damages. We need not decide the merits of this controversy. The conflicting evidence was submitted to the jury, which fully resolved the matter by its decision to run interest from July 6, 1982, the date when payment would normally have been due to Norfolk Air under the terms of the contract. On appeal, that factual determination is binding and will not be disturbed.