Free Third Party Complaint - District Court of Delaware - Delaware

Case 1:04-cv-00339-JJF

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Filed 09/02/2005

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE FEDERAL INSURANCE COMPANY a/s/o EZIBA.COM, INC./AVACET, INC., EZIBA SECURITIES CORP. Plaintiff, v. LIGHTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION, INC., : BECKER MORGAN GROUP, INC., and O'DONNELL, NACCARATO & MACINTOSH, INC., Defendants. and LIGHTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION, INC., : Defendant and Third-Party : Plaintiff, v. EAST COAST ERECTORS, INC., Third-Party Defendant. : CIVIL ACTION : NO. 04-339 : : : : JURY TRIAL DEMANDED : : : : : :

: : : : :

MILLERS CAPITAL INSURANCE COMPANY: a/s/o DEL-HOMES CATALOG GROUP, LLC, : : Plaintiff, : v. : : LIGHTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION, INC., : BECKER MORGAN GROUP, INC., and : O'DONNELL, NACCARATO & MACINTOSH,: INC., : Defendants. : and : : LIGHTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION, INC., : Defendant and Third-Party : Plaintiff, : v. : : EAST COAST ERECTORS, INC., : Third-Party Defendant. :

CIVIL ACTION NO. 04-1322-JJF

JURY TRIAL DEMANDED

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LIGHTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION INC.'S THIRD-PARTY COMPLAINT Defendant/Third-Party Plaintiff, Lighthouse Construction, Inc. (Lighthouse) avers as follows: 1. Lighthouse has been sued by plaintiff Federal Insurance Company a/s/o Eziba.Com,

Inc./Avacet, Inc. A copy of the original Complaint is attached as Exhibit B. 2. Lighthouse contracted with Third-Party Defendant East Coast Erectors, Inc. to provide the engineering, architectural, design and construction of the 1999 building in March 1999 pursuant to East Coast Erectors' bid on the proposal and bid package on the project. 3. Lighthouse has denied liability to the plaintiffs, but asserts that if held liable to plaintiffs,

Lighthouse is entitled to indemnification and/or contribution for East Coast Erectors, Inc.'s negligence contributing to the loss alleged in the original Complaint. 4. Lighthouse asserts that if liable to the plaintiff, it is entitled to indemnification and/or contribution

under the terms of the written contract executed on March 15, 1999 between East Coast Erectors and Third-Party Plaintiff requiring indemnification of Third-Party Plaintiff for any claim arising out of or resulting from performance of the subcontractor's work or the negligence of the subcontractors on the project. 5. Third-Party Plaintiff is entitled to indemnity and/or contribution from Third-Party Defendant for

Third-Party Defendant's acts including: a. negligence in failing to properly design the 1999 building to account for snow loads on the adjoining property; b. failing to properly design the 1999 building to avoid causing damage to adjacent properties from the size, location and construction of the 1999 building; c. negligent retention of subcontractors responsible for providing design and architectural

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professional services on the design and preparation of construction drawings and documents used and relied upon for the construction of the 1999 building; d. negligent supervision and oversight of its subcontractors retained to provide professional construction design and architectural services to Third-Party Defendant for construction of the 1999 building and; e. negligent construction of the 1999 building permitting an excessive snow accumulation to result on the adjacent 1995 building as a result of improper snow load calculations for design of the building, improper design of the building creating an improper height difference between the two buildings resulting in snow drift accumulation on the adjacent 1995 building. WHEREFORE, to the extent Defendant/Third-Party Plaintiff is found liable for any amount of damages to the Plaintiff, Defendant/Third-Party Plaintiff is entitled to contractual and common law indemnity from Third-Party Defendant for any and all such amounts, plus costs and expenses associated and incurred as a result of defending this claim.

CHRISSINGER & BAUMBERGER

DAVID L. BAUMBERGER (#2420) Three Mill Road, Suite 301 Wilmington, DE 19806 (302) 777-0100 Attorney for Defendant/Third-Party Plaintiff Lighthouse Construction, Inc. DATED:

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I, DAVID L. BAUMBERGER, ESQUIRE, hereby certify that on the 21st day of January, 2005, I have had deposited in the mailbox at Three Mill Road, Suite 301, in Wilmington, Delaware, two true and correct copies of the attached LIGHTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION, INC.'S THIRD-PARTY COMPLAINT to the following:

Steven K. Gerber, Esquire Cozen O'Connor 1900 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103

Sean J. Bellew, Esquire James Bailey, Esquire Cozen O'Connor Three Mill Road, Suite 306 Chase Manhattan Centre Wilmington, DE 19806 1201 N. Market Street, Suite 1400 Wilmington, DE 19801

Dana Ostrovski, Esquire Benjamin Wetzel, III, Esquire Victoria K. Petrone, Esquire Cohen, Seglias, Pallas, Wetzel & Associates, P.A. Tighe, Cottrell & Logan, P.A. Greenhall & Furman PC The Carriage House First Federal Plaza, Suite 500 1515 Market Street, Suite 201 P.O. Box 1031 Eleventh Floor 1100 N. Grant Avenue Wilmington, DE 19899 Philadelphia, PA 19102 Wilmington, De 19805 Paul Cottrell, Esquire Robert K. Beste, Jr., Esquire Robert B. Hill, Esquire Tighe, Cottrell & Logan, P.A. Cohen, Seglias, Pallas, Greenhall & 3445 Peachtree Road NE, First Federal Plaza, Suite 500 Furman, P.C. Suite 500 P.O. Box 1031 1007 Orange Street, Suite 205 Atlanta, GA 30326 Wilmington, DE 19899 Nemours Building Wilmington, DE 19801 Frank E. Noyes, II, Esquire Bruce W. McCullough, Esquire Geoffrey W. Veith, Esquire White & Williams, LLP McCullough & McKenty, P.A. Hecker, Brown, Sherry & 824 N. Market Street 824 N. Market Street Johnson Suite 902 Suite 412 1700 Two Logan Square Wilmington, DE 19899 P.O. Box 397 18th & Arch Streets Wilmington, DE 19899 Philadelphia, PA 19103 CHRISSINGER & BAUMBERGER ______________________________ David L. Baumberger, Esquire Attorney I.D. No. 2420 Three Mill Road, Suite 301 Wilmington, DE 19806 (302)777-0100

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Attorney for Defendant/Third-Party Plaintiff Lighthouse Construction, Inc.