Court Opinion

ID: 9687224
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 16:19:18.02978+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:24.926599
License: Public Domain

J. H. Gillis, P. J.
(dissenting). Judge Leo W. Corkin, serving in the Court of Claims, handed down the following opinion:
"Plaintiff and defendant entered into a contract dated June 3, 1969 whereby plaintiff agreed to construct a bituminous surfaced. road over existing gravel and resurface existing bituminous surfaced road with sheet asphalt overlay on the grounds of the Ypsilanti State Hospital.
"The 'proposal’ portion of the contract contained the following language with amounts inserted, by the plaintiff.
" 'BASE PROPOSAL.......Contract Award $16,607.70
" 'The Base Proposal Sum in [sic] solicited and the amount is to be inserted by the Bidder in the blank space provided above for the performance of the work described herein. It is to be computed on the basis of the unit prices, inserted by the bidder, applied to the estimated quantities stated. In case of variation between the unit price and the extension, the unit price will govern. Award of contract, if made, will be to the bidder whose Base Proposal Sum is to the best interest of the State.
" 'Quantities as listed have been carefully estimated but are not guaranteed. The State reserves the right to increase or decrease the quantity of work to be performed at the unit prices by amounts up to 25 per cent of the quantities stated.
*139Est. Unit Description_Quantity_Unit Price Amount
1. Install 350 pound bituminous base course over gravel drives plus 60 pound wearing course 4,130 sq. yds. sq. yd. $2.10 $8,673.00
2. Surface preparation and application of a tack coat 14,130 sq. yds. sq. yd. $ ,19 $2,684.70
3. Resurface existing bituminous road with 60 pound sheet asphalt course 10,000 sq. yds. sq. yd. $ .525 $5,250.00’
"No plans accompanied the proposal form because the roads requiring the work were to be pointed out to plaintiff by defendant’s Inspector, a Mr. Don Drew who was Plant Superintendent at the hospital.
"Plaintiff was awarded the contract on the basis of its Base Proposal Sum in the amount of $16,607.70; the total of its unit price bid.
"Following the execution of the contract and before the work was commenced Mr. Banker, plaintiff’s foreman, met with Mr. Drew to ascertain the roads to be surfaced. Mr. Banker testified that Mr. Drew showed him the area to be surfaced if there was a sufficient quantity of material within the contract limits to do the work. Mr. Drew testified that he told Mr. Banker that they had about $Í6,000.00 to spend, showed him the area they wanted surfaced, and indicated the area to be deleted if and when the funds available were exhausted.
"Apparently plaintiff commenced work and surfaced the entire area pointed out by Mr. Drew resulting in a total cost billed to defendant in the amount of $23,506.28. The State paid $16,607.70 and admits liability for a 5% overrun in the amount of $830.38, but refuses to pay the balance.
"Neither party kept a running account of the area of surfacing laid as the work progressed. Delivery tickets accompanied each load of bituminous material delivered to the job site showing the net weight in pounds of the material delivered. By the terms of the contract these tickets were to be initialed by the driver and Inspector, but this was not done.
*140"Plaintiff bases its claim for full recovery on the . theory that the State by giving its agent, Mr. Drew, the authority to point out the roads to be surfaced made it appear to plaintiff that he had authority to transmit all information to plaintiff; that the plaintiff could reasonably believe that the agent was acting within the scope of his authority since no plans accompanied the specifications; that prior dealings had showed plaintiff that the State often enlarged or reduced the area to be covered between the time that the proposal issued and the contractor actually started work, where the contract price was based upon a per unit bid; and that the original proposal did not constitute a warranty as to actual amount to be used and therefore the contractor had no duty to question the agent’s authority where the amount eventually requested was greater than originally proposed. In plaintiff’s view A J Smith Construction Co v Marine City, 267 Mich 367 (1934), is factually identical to this case and should be controlling.
"In the opinion of the court there were two important elements in the Smith case not present in this case in that (1) there was no question but what the extra work was ordered by the agent, and (2) the city had, over a long period of time, acquiesced in paying for extras ordered by the agent. As the court understood Mr. Drew’s testimony he pointed out roads that they would like to have surfaced, but made it clear that funds were limited and some of the desired work might have to be deleted if the contract amount was not sufficient. While Mr. Banker’s testimony was somewhat different it was to the effect that some of the area pointed out by Mr. Drew was to be surfaced only if there was sufficient material within the terms of the contract. The court is persuaded that Mr. Drew did not order the entire area shown to be surfaced no matter what the cost and that plaintiff through its foreman was put on notice that the entire area pointed out was to be surfaced only if it could be accomplished within the framework of the contract as to material and cost. There is no evidence that Mr. Drew ordered any extras that were paid for by defendant.
"Plaintiff also makes point of the fact that defendant’s Inspector Drew was remiss in not picking up the *141delivery tickets. Had he done so and kept a running record, he could have stopped the work when the contract limits were reached. Not having done so and having allowed the work to continue to defendant’s benefit and plaintiff’s detriment the State, because of its agents’ actions, should be required to pay the plaintiff the reasonable value of the work. This argument assumes that the delivery tickets showing pounds delivered could be translated by Drew into square yards laid. The testimony was to the effect that Drew had and claimed no expertise in road surfacing and that all he checked was the thickness of the surfacing. As a matter of fact, the delivery tickets were collected by plaintiff’s foreman and it might well be asked why he kept no running account of the square yards of material used in view of his notice that a limited amount of money was available for the project.
"While the court thinks the contract in question is not as clear as might be desired it is not as ambiguous as plaintiff’s reading would indicate.
"A fair reading of the Proposal-Contract would indicate that defendant was concerned with the Base Proposal Sum and that the unit price was based on a quantity of work; not specific area or roads. The court agrees with defendant that the fact that the defendant was soliciting prices rather than a specific quantity of work is evident from the unit price framework of the contract. Plaintiff was on notice that it was to install specified quantities of materials at a location to be designated by the Inspector; not to pave specific roads irrespective of quantity or cost.
"It would also appear to the court that Mr. Drew did not in fact change the scope of the work. The contract makes it quite clear (page 2 of contract) that he had no authority to do so and changes could be made only by the Director of the Building Division of the State (General Conditions 12). Again, a fair reading of the contract would negative plaintiff’s claim of apparent authority being vested in its Inspector by the defendant.
"Finally, the contract provides: 'Quantities: It is the responsibility of the Contractor to keep a running account of the quantities. No overrun in excess of 5 per cent will be permitted without authorization from the *142Director.’ This was not done with the result that plaintiff laid surfacing beyond the scope of the contract.
"In short, it would appear to the court that plaintiff gave little thought to the contract provisions, and barged ahead with surfacing all the area pointed in spite of the fact that limited funds were available and that all the surfacing was to be done only if it could be accomplished within contract quantities and cost.
"Judgment may enter for plaintiff for the amount of 5% overrun only with no cause of action as to the balance of the claim. No costs.”
I am in total agreement with his findings and would affirm him.