Opinion ID: 182383
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Dismissal of Diesel's Other Claims

Text: Diesel's challenges to the district court's posttrial dismissal of its other claims do not require extended discussion. In light of the agreements among the parties, the district court properly dismissed Diesel's claims that it was entitled to recover from Greystone for unjust enrichment as a result of GBMI's receiving Diesel shoes for which Diesel was not paid. The theory of unjust enrichment lies as a quasi-contract claim. It is an obligation the law creates in the absence of any agreement. Goldman v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., 5 N.Y.3d 561, 572, 807 N.Y.S.2d 583, 587, 841 N.E.2d 742 (2005); see, e.g., In re First Central Financial Corp., 377 F.3d 209, 213 (2d Cir.2004); Clark-Fitzpatrick, Inc. v. Long Island R.R. Co., 70 N.Y.2d 382, 388, 521 N.Y.S.2d 653, 656, 516 N.E.2d 190 (1987) (The existence of a valid and enforceable written contract governing a particular subject matter ordinarily precludes recovery in quasi contract for events arising out of the same subject matter.). The court also properly dismissed Diesel's claims against Greystone for account stated. The viability of such a claim depends on the existence of some indebtedness between the parties, or an express agreement to treat the statement as an account stated. It cannot be used to create liability where none otherwise exists. M. Paladino, Inc. v. J. Lucchese & Son Contracting Corp., 247 A.D.2d 515, 516, 669 N.Y.S.2d 318, 319 (2d Dep't 1998). The district court found that the e-mails on which Diesel relied for this claim were statements of amounts owed to Diesel by GBMI, not by Greystone, a finding that is not clearly erroneous. Further, given that Diesel has failed to establish Greystone's liability under the TPAs for the unpaid amounts, an account-stated claim against Greystone is untenable. Finally, we note Diesel's contention that if the dismissal of its claims against Greystone is upheld on the basis that GBMI failed to perform a condition precedent to Greystone's duty to pay, GBMI should be held liable for breach of the TPAs. Diesel's one-paragraph presentation of this argument contains neither a citation to the record nor a citation of law and provides us with no basis for reversal. In any event, the district court found that although GBMI's delivery of Customer Purchase Orders to Diesel and Greystone was a condition precedent to Greystone's obligation to pay, GBMI's failure to provide such purchase orders did not constitute a material breach. See Diesel, 2009 WL 2514033, at  n. 13. The finding of lack of materiality insofar as Diesel is concerned is supported by the very fact that, despite GBMI's failure to supply those documents, Diesel persisted in making many millions of dollars worth of shipments to GBMI.