Sentencia de Tribunal Apelativo de 1 de Diciembre de 2014, número de resolución KLAN201401600
| Emisor | Tribunal Apelativo |
| Número de resolución | KLAN201401600 |
| Tipo de recurso | Apelación |
| Fecha de Resolución | 1 de Diciembre de 2014 |
| | | Apelación procedente del Tribunal de Primera Instancia Sala de Bayamón Caso Núm.: D CD2014-1719 Sobre: Cobro de Dinero |
Panel integrado por su presidenta, la Juez Jiménez Velázquez, la Jueza Soroeta Kodesh y la Juez Brignoni Mártir.
Brignoni Mártir, Jueza Ponente
SENTENCIA
En San Juan, Puerto Rico, a 1 de diciembre de 2014.
Mediante Apelación, comparece ante nos SSW Engineering & Construction, LLC. (SSW o la parte Apelante) quien nos solicita que se revoque la Sentencia emitida el 17 de septiembre de 2014, notificada el 26 de septiembre de 2014 por el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Región Judicial de Bayamón. Mediante la misma, el TPI concluyó que las controversias entre las partes litigantes debían dilucidarse mediante arbitraje, por lo que declaró Con Lugar la Moción de Desestimación por Arbitraje presentada por dck/Bird y desestimó sin perjuicio la demanda presentada por SSW.
Por los fundamentos que expondremos a continuación, se confirma la Sentencia apelada.
El 12 de junio de 2013, dck/Puerto Rico, LLC - dck/Bird y SSW Engineering and Construction, LLC, suscribieron un Subcontract Agreement (el Sub-contrato) relacionado con la prestación de bienes y servicios en el proyecto del Mall of San Juan, propiedad de Plaza Internacional Puerto Rico LLC. En lo pertinente a las controversias ante nuestra consideración, acordaron las siguientes cláusulas:
· Sección 2.B.30.b.1
Requirements of Subcontractor Claims for Changes: The following shall in no way limit or modify the requirements and procedures established by the Owner for submission and resolution of any claims for changes.
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If the Subcontractor shall claim that any such change, or any other action, or time of performance of its work, it shall, as an essential term of this Agreement, notify the Contractor in writing within five (5) working days of the receipt of such order or such action, omission, event, or condition giving rise to the claim, or such claim may be barred An equitable adjustment, if appropiate, in the Subcontract price shall be agreed upon in writing by the Parties. If such adjustment does not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), based on Subcontractor´s claims, Subcontractor shall not delay proceeding with the Work as changed pending such agreement. If the parties are unable to agree upon the amount of the addition to or the reduction from the subcontract price or time, the issue shall be decided by an impartial third party mutually selected by both Contractor and Subcontractor, within five (5) of the ocurrence.
· Sección 3A
Time Progress: It is expressly UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED by and between the parties hereto that time is and shall be considered the essence of this Subcontract. Subcontractor´s work and responsibilities shall be performed in a prompt, efficient, workmanlike and diligent manner If Subcontractor deem that its being delayed by the Contractor or other Subcontractors in the prosecution of the work of this Agreement, then the Subcontractor will within five (5) calendar days of the beginning of the delay so notify the Contractor in writing. Within five (5) calendar days, the Contractor will respond the Subcontractor in writing, and if satisfied that said delay is caused by others than said Subcontractor hereunder, Contractor will allow additional time sufficient in the Contractor´s reasonable judgment to make up the time so lost. In the event that the Schedule agreed to herein need to be altered in any manner, both Contractor and Subcontractor will make their best effort to agree on an alternate Schedule, along with the effects that any such alteration may have. If no agreement is reached in this respect, the matter shall be decided by an impartial third party mutually selected by the parties herein, within five (5) [days] of the occurrence.
· Sección 4E
Progress Schedule The Contractor reserves the right to resequence, re-schedule and/or accelerate the work to meet the Prime Contract completion date of the project or such Contractor designated early finish date. Inasmuch as such any changes to the Progress Schedule affect or alter Subcontractor´s scope of work and agreed schedule under the Subcontract Agreement, any such changes must be agreed to by both the Contractor and the Subcontractor, and if no agreement is reached in this respect, it shall be decided by an impartial third party mutually selected by the parties herein, within five (5) [days] of the occurrence
· Sección 33 (B) lo siguiente:
At the claiming party´s option, any dispute of any kind, nature of description or any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this subcontract or the breach thereof may be settled by non-binding mediation in accordance with the Construction Industry Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. In any such arbitration, full discovery will be allowed as described in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and any remedy or relief granted by the arbitrator(s) shall be in accordance with the terms of this Subcontract as interpreted under and governed by the laws of the jurisdiction identified in paragraph (a), above. In any such arbitration, the arbitrator(s) shall not be empowered or authorized to add to, subtract from, delete or any other way modify the terms of this subcontract. If either party elects to proceed by arbitration, the venue of such proceeding shall be San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Así las cosas, el 25 de junio de 2014, SSW instó una Demanda en cobro de dinero en contra de dck/Bird y dck/Puerto Rico. En la misma, SSW alegó que dck/Bird, en o alrededor del 12 de junio de 2013 contrató sus servicios para que construyera y erigiera ciertas estructuras de acero en el proyecto conocido comoMall of San Juan en San Juan, Puerto Rico. Los términos y condiciones de dicha contratación se establecieron en un documento tituladodck Puerto Rico LLC Subcontract Agreement, el cual fue suscrito por dck/Bird, propietario del proyecto Plaza Internacional Puerto Rico LLC. Además arguyó que dck/Bird le adeudaba la cantidad de $407,354.40 por concepto de los servicios y materiales prestados, por lo que solicitó que se declarase Con Lugar la Demanda. Acto seguido, el 30 de junio de 2013, SSW presentó ante el TPI una Urgente Solicitud de Orden de Embargo Preventivo y de Señalamiento de Vista de Embargo. Junto con la misma, SSW adjuntó copia de todos los documentos que alegadamente acreditaban que la deuda reclamada en la Demanda instada era líquida y exigible. Por lo tanto, al amparo de la Regla 56.4 de...
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