Opinion ID: 2431380
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: procedural history with background facts

Text: Jones filed this suit against Firemen's seeking to recover on a payment bond issued by Firemen's as surety to Lawrence Brothers Incorporated, (hereinafter Lawrence Brothers) as principal and general contractor on Arkansas Highway Department Project No. 60447. Lawrence Brothers was to construct several bridges and appurtenances along Highways 46 and 222 in Grant County, Arkansas. Jones subcontracted with Lawrence Brothers to do the excavation work on the project. A dispute arose between Lawrence Brothers and Jones over Jones's completion of the subcontract and Lawrence Brothers declared Jones in default. Jones sued Lawrence Brothers for breach of contract and Lawrence Brothers counterclaimed for breach as well. A jury found both appellant and Lawrence Brothers in breach, but awarded damages only to appellant. Appellant won damages in the amount of $110,115.50 plus $46,891.97 in costs. This court dismissed Lawrence Brothers's appeal of the jury verdict for lack of jurisdiction due to an untimely notice of appeal. Lawrence Bros., Inc. v. R.J. Bob Jones Excavating Contractor, Inc., 318 Ark. 328, 884 S.W.2d 620 (1994). Lawrence Brothers satisfied the judgment two days after we dismissed its appeal. Firemen's was not a party to the suit between Lawrence Brothers and Jones. Jones demanded payment under the bond from Firemen's both prior to and after filing this suit against Lawrence Brothers and again after judgment was entered in that suit. Two days before Lawrence Brothers satisfied the judgment, Jones amended its complaint against Firemen's in this case to include a claim for the tort of bad faith. The trial court granted Firemen's motion for summary judgment in an order without explanation. At the hearing on the motion, however, the trial court stated that Firemen's was entitled to judgment on both claims because Jones did not recover twenty percent of the amount demanded or sought in the suit as required by section 23-79-208(d) and because the tort of bad faith did not apply to a surety and had not been shown in this case.