Opinion ID: 2630272
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Plaintiffs' claims as purported third party beneficiaries.

Text: Lastly, plaintiffs contend they are entitled to recover unpaid wages as third party beneficiaries of the contract between Munoz and Apio. The claim has no factual basis. Nowhere in its contract with Munoz did Apio undertake to pay his employees under any set of conditions. There simply is no relevant obligation to enforce. In their contract, Apio and Munoz agreed that Munoz would be solely responsible for the selection, hiring, firing, supervision, assignment, direction, setting of wages, hours, and working conditions of his employees, among other things. In addition, Munoz warranted that he would comply with all provisions of federal, state and local laws applicable to [his] farming operations, including, without limitation, labor . . . . (Italics added.) Finally, Munoz and Apio each agreed to indemnify the other from claims concerning. . . the employment of individuals . . . to perform such party's functions under this Agreement, including . . . matters pertaining to . . . wages . . . . (Italics added.) The plain import of these contractual provisions is that Munoz agreed to pay his employees the wages required by law, assuming sole responsibility in the matter, and to indemnify Apio if his employees sued Apio for unpaid wages. Apio contends plaintiffs cannot establish standing to enforce the contract because no evidence shows the parties to the contract, Apio and Munoz, intended to benefit plaintiffs. (See Hess v. Ford Motor Co. (2002) 27 Cal.4th 516, 524 [117 Cal.Rptr.2d 220, 41 P.3d 46]; Civ. Code, § 1559.) We need not decide the point. Even if plaintiffs could establish standing, they would gain thereby only the right to stand in Apio's shoes and enforce the contract's terms by suing Munoz to compel him to pay their wages. This, Munoz's bankruptcy precludes. Nothing in the rules of law concerning third party beneficiaries permits us to rewrite the contract to impose on Apio an obligation to pay wages that it never undertook.