CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
NAT HARRISON ASSOCIATES, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1975-05-13
No. 74-1164
Before PEARSON, HENDRY and HAVERFIELD, JJ.
313 So. 2d 99 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1975) Positive Treatment
Cited by 4 cases

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Synopsis

The City of Miami appeals a jury verdict awarding the contractor Nat Harrison Associates $150,000 for breach of contract in a construction dispute over the Miamarina project. The court affirmed the judgment, holding that extra work performed by the contractor due to the City's failure to provide required engineering and survey data constituted necessary repairs to conform to contract specifications, not unauthorized alterations requiring separate approval.


Holding

The court affirmed the judgment, holding that the extra work performed by the contractor was not an alteration or addition to the contract requiring prior authorization, but rather necessary repairs and replacements made to conform to the contract plans and specifications resulting from the City's breach in failing to furnish required engineering and survey data.


Headnotes

[1] A contractor's performance of extra work necessitated by the owner's failure to provide required information and accurate survey data does not constitute an alteration or…

[2] A jury verdict implicitly determines that a party breached a contract by failing to furnish required engineering and survey data.

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Key Quotes

“the jury having returned a verdict in favor of appellee, implicit therein was the determination that defendant City had breached the contract in failing to furnish the required engineering and survey data called for in the contract”

Establishes that the jury verdict necessarily implied the City's breach of its contractual obligations

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Facts & Procedural History

In 1967, Nat Harrison Associates was awarded a contract by the City of Miami to construct the Miamarina. The contract required the City to provide pla…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

Defendant, City of Miami, seeks review of an adverse final judgment entered pursuant to a jury verdict in this breach of contract action.

In 1967, Nat Harrison Associates, Inc., appellee herein, was awarded by the City of Miami, appellant herein, the contract to construct the “Miamarina”. The contract set out in detail the obligations of the City thereunder with respect to the plans and specifications to be provided, and further required the city engineer to furnish and set construction stakes and furnish the contractor (appellee) with all necessary information relating to lines and grades. Likewise, the contract set forth the obligations of appellee, the general contractor, with regard to the actual construction of the project. Also in the contract was a provision that before any additional work or “extras” were begun, a written order from the city engineer was necessary and if the cost thereof was in excess of $1,000, then same had to be authorized specifically by the city commission. Last, the contract contained a proviso that the architect was to act as a representative of the City and supervise the construction process. Construction on the project commenced and subsequently delays and extra work and expenses were incurred by the contractor as a result of (1) the alleged failures, of the City to furnish the proper information with respect to the “muck” conditions in the plans and specifications and to provide accurate construction stakes and survey points as required in the contract documents, and (2) the alleged unauthorized movement of construction stakes established by appellee contractor during placement of the sheet pile on the east bulkhead of the project. Upon being billed by appellee for the extra work in an amount beyond the agreed contract price, defendant City, acting through its commission, refused to pay the claim. Appellee, Nat Harrison Associates, Inc., thereupon filed a complaint against the City for breach of contract and included therein seven different counts, each reciting a separate but connected portion of the construction project. Appellee prayed for a total of $850,000 in damages. The cause proceeded to be tried by a jury which returned a verdict in appellee’s favor of $150,000. The trial judge entered judgment thereon and the City appeals therefrom.

The City mainly contends on appeal that the evidence is not sufficient to sustain the verdict in that before any modifications, alterations or extra work was performed, appellee needed the specific permission from the city commission which was never granted and, therefore, appellee waived its rights to any claims.

The jury having returned a verdict in favor of appellee, implicit therein was the determination that defendant City had breached the contract in failing to furnish the required engineering and survey data called for in the contract. As a result of the above, repairs, replacements and extra work which were performed by the appellant primarily were made out of necessity in order to conform to the contract plans and specifications. Thus, we conclude that such extra work was not an alteration of the plans or additions thereto as contemplated by the construction contract. See Blair v. United States, 164 F. 2d 115 (5th Cir. 1947) and Wiggs & Maale Construction Co., Inc. v. Stone Flex, Inc., Fla.App. 1972, 263 So. 2d 607.

We also considered appellant’s remaining points on appeal and find that they are lacking in merit.

Accordingly, the judgment herein appealed is affirmed.

Affirmed.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • Acquisition Corp. OF Am. & Kenneth v. Hemmerle, Sr., 543 So. 2d 878 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989)
    …rm additional work in order to conform to the contract plans, such work is not an alteration or addition to the contract which is required to be in writing as contemplated by the terms of the contract. City of Miami v. Nat Harrison Associates, Inc., 313 So. 2d 99 (Fla. 3d DCA 1975), cert. denied, 330 So. 2d 15 (Fla.1976). In the instant case, the trial court found that the general contractor had improperly prepared the construction site. Therefore, the extra work caused by the improper site preparation is re…
    1 / 2
  • DON Facciobene, Inc. v. Hough Roofing, Inc., 225 So. 3d 323 (Fla. 5th DCA 2017)
    …e work to the contract plans and specifications and did not constitute an alteration or addition to the contract. See Acq. Corp. of Am. v. Am. Cast Iron Pipe Co., 543 So. 2d 878, 880 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989) (citing City of Miami v. Nat Harrison Assocs., 313 So. 2d 99, 100 (Fla. 3d 1975)). . We affirm the trial court’s factual findings on the counterclaim and its credibility determinations as to the expert witnesses as they were supported by competent, substantial evidence. See Flood v. Union Planters Bank, 878…

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