DocketNumber: No. CV00 037 56 93S
Citation Numbers: 2003 Conn. Super. Ct. 3512
Judges: WOLVEN, JUDGE.
Filed Date: 3/20/2003
Status: Non-Precedential
Modified Date: 4/18/2021
In his answer, the defendant essentially denies the material allegations of the complaint. The defendant also filed two special defenses, in which he alleges, first, that a corporate entity, rather than the defendant in his individual capacity, is responsible for the CT Page 3513 plaintiff's claim, and, second, that the plaintiff's claim is barred by the statute of limitations.
On May 7, 2002, a hearing was held before Attorney Trial Referee (ATR) Timothy A. Bishop, who, on June 25, 2002, filed a report containing sixteen proposed findings of fact, six proposed conclusions of law, and a summary. The ATR found the following facts: The defendant entered into a credit application,1 dated August 3, 1974, in his individual capacity to purchase materials to build his personal residence. Henderson, the plaintiff's predecessor, approved the application and created an open account in the defendant's name. In 1975, the plaintiff purchased this corporation and acquired, among other things, its inventory and accounts, which included the defendant's open account. The defendant subsequently formed two corporate entities, John A. Braca, Jr., Inc., and Architectural Design and Development Corporation. He did not, however, enter into another credit application with the plaintiff or its predecessor — other than the one dated August 3, 1974 — nor did he request that the plaintiff make out purchase slips to his corporate entity.2 The defendant maintained his relationship with the plaintiff with full knowledge that his sole credit application on file with the plaintiff was made in his individual capacity. Between 1989 and 1995, the defendant acquired and retained building materials and supplies from the plaintiff and charged various items to his individual account. Although the defendant paid the plaintiff with four checks apparently drawn on his corporate accounts, the plaintiff's ledger cards reference only "John Braca" and fail to mention once a corporate entity owned or operated by the defendant. The defendant's last charge on this ledger was made on June 11, 1991, and his final payment is dated March 11, 1996. The defendant's business stalled between 1989 and 1991, after which he fell behind on his payments to the plaintiff. As of June 11, 1991, the balance on the ledger card was $3158.98.
Based upon these findings, the ATR made the following proposed conclusions of law: the six-year statute of limitations applies to this open account contract; this action was timely, in that service was made on June 27, 2000, well within the six-year limitations period that was tolled by the defendant's final payment on his account, dated March 11, 1996; the original credit arrangement between the defendant, in his individual capacity, and the plaintiff governs the relationship between the parties; the stamped interest rate on the face of the credit application cannot be enforced, because there was no evidence that the stamp was part of the original credit application; a statutory interest at the rate of 10 percent is due on the liquidated sum of $2468.43, due as of June 11, 1991, with the per diem rounded to sixty-nine cents and the monthly charged rounded to $20.57; and $3000 is a fair and reasonable CT Page 3514 award of attorneys fees. In his summary, the ATR recommended a verdict for the plaintiff in the amount of $9659.03.
On August 22, 2002, the defendant filed an objection to acceptance of the ATR report, accompanied by a transcript of the hearing before the ATR.
In reviewing an ATR's report, the court must determine, first, whether "there [is] ample evidence to support the [ATR's] factual findings;"Thermoglaze, Inc. v. Morningside Gardens Co.,
The court's preliminary task, therefore, is to determine whether the record contains evidence to substantiate the ATR's factual findings. In doing so, "[a] reviewing authority may not substitute its findings for those of the trier of the facts. This principle applies no matter whether the reviewing authority is the Supreme Court . . . the Appellate Court . . . or the Superior Court reviewing the findings of . . . attorney trial referees . . . This court has articulated that attorney trial referees and factfinders share the same function . . . whose determination of the facts is reviewable in accordance with well established procedures prior to the rendition of judgment by the court . . ."
"The factual findings of a [trial referee] on any issue are reversible only if they are clearly erroneous . . . [A reviewing court] cannot retry the facts or pass upon the credibility of the witnesses . . . A finding CT Page 3515 of fact is clearly erroneous when there is no evidence in the record to support it . . . or when although there is evidence to support it, the reviewing court on the entire evidence is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed." (Citations omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.) Meadows v. Higgins,
The defendant objects to the ATR's second and third findings of fact, in which the ATR found that Henderson approved the defendant's credit application and created an open account in his name, and that the plaintiff purchased Henderson in December 1975, thereby acquiring its inventory and accounts, which included, among other things, credit applications, ledger cards, and receivables. According to the defendant, the plaintiff's predecessor is the correct party plaintiff in this action, in that the plaintiff's purchase of Henderson was not an asset purchase, but rather a stock purchase, which did not include Henderson's accounts. Despite the defendant's claim to the contrary, the transcript contains sufficient evidence to support the ATR's finding that the plaintiff's purchase of Henderson included its accounts. Robert Del Vento (Del Vento), an employee of Del Vento, Inc., testified that the plaintiff's purchase of Henderson in December 1975 included "all the material, trucks, and all the inventory, and . . . all the accounts that were established at that time." Transcript, pp. 3-4. He testified further that the defendant's credit application with the plaintiff's predecessor "was handed over . . . by the previous owner." Transcript, p. 4. Moreover, when prodded by defense counsel as to what exactly the plaintiff had purchased, Del Vento proclaimed, "we bought everything." Transcript, p. 41. Thus, there is sufficient support in the record for the ATR's second and third findings of fact.
The defendant objects to the ATR's fourth finding of fact, which reads: "From at least 1989-95, the Defendant obtained materials and supplies from the Plaintiff. He retained these items. The charges for the items were entered on the existing account in the Defendant's individual name." The defendant argues that this finding should include the fact that the counter clerk was not informed that the defendant's status changed from that of an individual building his personal residence to that of a corporate entity developing different properties. The defendant's objection ignores the prescriptions that "a trial court cannot find additional facts"; TDS Painting Restoration, Inc. v.Copper Beech Farm, Inc., supra,
The defendant objects to the ATR's eighth and thirteenth findings of fact, in which the ATR found that the plaintiff's ledger cards reference only "John Braca" and fail to mention a corporate entity owned or operated by the defendant, and that although the defendant signed credit applications with other vendors in his corporate capacity, he maintained his relationship with the plaintiff with full knowledge that his sole credit application on file with the plaintiff was made in his individual capacity. The defendant contends that although he never filled out a credit application with the plaintiff in his corporate capacity, the plaintiff nonetheless realized that the defendant was no longer operating as an individual, but rather on behalf of a corporate entity. The defendant, once again, fails to recognize that "a trial court cannot find additional facts"; TDS Painting Restoration, Inc. v. Copper BeechFarm, Inc., supra,
The court must next determine whether "the conclusions reached were in accordance with the applicable law." Thermoglaze, Inc. v. MorningsideGardens Co., supra,
The defendant objects to the ATR's second proposed conclusion of law, which states: "The six year statute [of limitations] was tolled by the last payment on the account, March 11, 1996. The six years must be counted from March 11, 1996. Therefore, this action was timely brought when served by Sheriff Albert W. Caliendo on June 27, 2000." The defendant argues that the statute of limitations had run when the plaintiff commenced this action because the plaintiff should have known that the final payment was made by the defendant in his corporate capacity on behalf of subcontracted masons.
General Statutes §
In the ninth finding of fact, the ATR found that "[t]he last payment is dated March 11, 1996 in the amount of $500." Del Vento testified that the defendant made the last payment on his account with the plaintiff on March 11, 1996. Transcript, p. 33, 46. The defendant offered contradictory testimony, stating that subcontracted masons ordered masonry materials from the plaintiff, but failed to show up at the construction site and were, therefore, relieved by the defendant. Transcript, 75-76. The defendant agreed, as a result, to pay for the masonry material, and did so, he claims, in his corporate capacity. Transcript, 79-80. CT Page 3518
Thus, to a certain extent, the evidence on this issue was contradictory. "The resolution of . . . conflicting factual claims falls within the province of the trier of fact [i.e., the attorney trial referee]." Holt v. People's Bank,
The defendant objects to the ATR's recommended verdict for the plaintiff in the amount of $9659.03, on the ground that the ATR committed a mathematical error in the computation of the damages. Pursuant to Practice Book §
Accordingly, the court orders that judgment enter in accordance with the ATR's report in the corrected amount of $7,190.60.
By the Court, Wolven, Judge