Liles Parker Pllc v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ( 2012 )

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
8 FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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LILES PARKER PLLC,
11 No. 11-cv-1821 (BJR)
Plaintiff
12 ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO
v. DISMISS COUNT II OF THE FIRST
13 AMENDED COMPLAINT
HARVEST BANK OF MARYLAND
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15 Defendant.
16 __________________________________________
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Before the court is Defendant Harvest Bank of Maryland’s (“Defendant”) Motion to
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Dismiss Count II of the First Amended Complaint (Dkt. No. 9.). Having reviewed the motion,
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the opposition, and the reply thereto, as well as the relevant case law, the court hereby finds and
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rules as follows.
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23 This case involves a fee dispute between a law firm and its former client. Plaintiff Liles
24 Parker PLLC (“Plaintiff”) alleges that Defendant breached the terms of the parties’ Engagement
25 Letter. Plaintiff seeks $101,417.96 in damages, plus interest and costs.
ORDER-1
Plaintiff asserts two causes of action: (1) Count I—Breach of Contract; and (2) Count
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II—Quantum Meruit. Defendant moves to dismiss the quantum meruit claim, asserting that such
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3 claims can only exist in the absence of a written agreement between the parties and when equity
4 renders it unjust for one party to retain money paid, or to not pay for services rendered. (Dkt. No.
5 9 at 1.). Here, Plaintiff alleges the existence of a written agreement and incorporates the
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allegation into Count II. Id. at 1-2.
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Plaintiff counters that the quantum meruit claim is alleged in the alternative to the breach
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of contract claim, and that such a pleading is consistent with the Federal Rules of Civil
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10 Procedure. (Dkt. No. 10 at 1 citing Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(d)(3).). Plaintiff argues that in the event he
11 is unable to establish that a valid contract exists, he would be entitled to prosecute the unjust
12 enrichment claim. However, Defendant answered Count I of the Amended Complaint (on the
13 same day that it filed is reply to the instant motion) and admitted the existence of a valid contract
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between the parties. (Dkt. No. 12 at 1.).
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In light of Defendant’s admission, the court will dismiss Count II of the First Amended
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Complaint. See Harrington v. Trotman, 983 A.2d 342, 346-47 (D.C. 2009) (homeowner could
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18 not recover damages against contractor on unjust enrichment theory where parties’ relationship is
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20 1194 (D.C. 1997) (“[T]here can be no claim for unjust enrichment when an express contract
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exists between the parties.”).
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Based on the foregoing, Count II of the First Amended Complaint is hereby
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ORDER-2
DISMISSED.
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SO ORDERED this 30th day of April, 2012.
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A
Barbara Jacobs Rothstein
5 U.S. District Court Judge
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ORDER-3