Opinion ID: 1897349
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: contribution and indemnification

Text: [¶ 24] St. Laurent argues that the court erred in granting a summary judgment on St. Laurent's claim in favor of Maloney, Inc. for equitable indemnification or contribution with respect to any brokerage fee owed Daigle, Inc. We disagree. [¶ 25] Both the Maloney-St. Laurent agreement and the Daigle-St. Laurent agreement provided that the broker could enter into a co-brokerage agreement. In his opposition to the summary judgment, St. Laurent alleged, inter alia, that (1) when the Daigle-St. Laurent agreement was in force, Roger Daigle informed Maloney that Daigle, Inc. was listing Meadowbrook and encouraged a co-brokerage agreement, (2) St. Laurent listed the property with Maloney after the Daigle-St. Laurent agreement expired, and (3) Maloney failed to identify Andrews's identity to St. Laurent even though Maloney knew that Andrews was already familiar with Meadowbrook. Although St. Laurent conceded that Maloney did not have any fault or commit misconduct, he alleges that Maloney was on notice of facts suggesting that Daigle might have and assert a competing claim for a commission, which facts include . . . the existence of Daigle's prior listing, Daigle's invitation for Maloney to co-broke, and Mr. Andrews' preexisting familiarity with Meadowbrook. On these facts, the court granted a summary judgment for Maloney, Inc. [3] [¶ 26] The doctrine of equitable contribution requires that when parties assume a common obligation, those parties must share equally that obligation and burden. See Bragdon v. Worthley, 155 Me. 284, 288-89, 153 A.2d 627, 629-30 (1959). Indemnity is appropriate to do justice within the law so that one guilty of an active or affirmative act of negligence or intentional act will not escape liability, while another whose fault was only technical or passive assumes complete liability. Northeast Bank of Lewiston & Auburn v. Murphy, 512 A.2d 344, 351 (Me.1986) (quoting 41 AM. JUR. 2D Indemnity § 20, at 706 (1968)). [¶ 27] The court did not err in entering a summary judgment on St. Laurent's claims against Maloney, Inc. First, with respect to the claim for contribution, no common obligation existed between St. Laurent and Maloney, Inc. to require Maloney, Inc. to share any burden or liability arising to Daigle. See Bragdon, 155 Me. at 288-89, 153 A.2d at 629-30. To the extent that St. Laurent alleges that a common obligation existed between Maloney, Inc. and Daigle, such a common obligation would not give rise to a claim for contribution by St. Laurent. Second, with respect to the claim for indemnity, Maloney did not commit an affirmative act of negligence that gives rise to a duty to indemnify  Maloney's knowledge that St. Laurent and Daigle once had a listing agreement and Maloney's failure to reconcile the possible conflict did not create such a duty. See Northeast Bank of Lewiston & Auburn, 512 A.2d at 351. Moreover, the co-brokerage provisions in the contracts here only permit the broker to arrange a co-brokerage agreement, these provisions do not require the broker to indemnify another broker. See id. Consequently, the court did not err when it granted a summary judgment in favor of Maloney, Inc. The entry is: Judgment affirmed.