Preview
JOSEPH H. BOYD (SB#240219) Electronically Filed
THE LAW OFFICES OF JOSEPH H. BOYD 4/20/2021 12:31 PM
17351 4S Ranch Parkway
San Diego, California 92127 Superior Court of California
Phone (559) 492-8557 County of Stanislaus
Fax (559) 354-6693 Clerk of the Court
jhboydlaw@gmail.com By: Sonia Krohn, Deputy
Attorney for Defendants
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF STANISLAUS
NINE ISLANDS I, LLC., a California limited ) CASE NO. CV-20-004050
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liability company,
11 Plaintifi(s), DECLARATION OF JOSEPH BOYD IN IN
OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFF’S
12 v APPLICATION FOR RIGHT TO ATTACH
ORDER AND ORDER FOR ISSUANCE OF
13 WRIT OF ATTACHMENT
SUPERCUTS, INC., a Delaware corporation,
14 SUPERCUTS CORPORATE SHOPS, INC., a )
Delaware corporation, MOXIE Date: Apr. 27, 2021
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MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC, a Delaware ) Time: 8:30 a.m.
16 limited liability company, REGIS ) Dept.: 24
CORPORATION, a Minnesota corporation;
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17 and DOES | through 50, Inclusive, )
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Defendants. )
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21 I, JOSEPH BOYD, do hereby declare as follows:
22 1 lam the attorney for all named defendants in the above-entitled case.
23 2. If called upon to testify of the things declared herein, I could and would
24 competently testify to the truthfulness thereof, except for those items declared on
25 information and belief, and as to those items I am informed and believe them to be
26 true.
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DECLARATION OF JOSEPH BOYD IN OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFF'S APPLICATION FOR RIGHT TO ATTACH ORDER AND
ORDER FOR ISSUANCE OF WRIT OF ATTACHMENT
3. Attached as Exhibit A is a true and correct copy of the Memorandum and Order on
Plaintiff's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment dated 2/8/2021 (the “Caffé Nero
Order’), which was filed in the case of UMNV 205-207 Newbury, LLC v. Caffé
Nero Americas Inc. (Massachusetts Superior Court, Suffolk County, Case
#2084CV01493-BLS2).
The Caffé Nero Order and all other documents associated with that case can be
found through the website for the Massachusetts Superior Court at
https://www.masscourts.org/eservices/home.page.2.
10 I declare, under penalty of perjury of the laws of the State of California, that the
11 foregoing is true, except for those matters stated on information and belief, and as to those
12 matters, I declare that I am informed and believe them to be true.
LG LEA
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14 Dated: April 20, 2021
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DECLARATION OF JOSEPH BOYD IN OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFF'S APPLICATION FOR RIGHT TO ATTACH ORDER AND
ORDER FOR ISSUANCE OF WRIT OF ATTACHMENT
EXHIBIT B
The Caffé Nero Order
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‘ COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
SUFFOLK, ss. SUPERIOR CouRT
2084CV01493-BLS2
UMNV 205-207 Newbury, LLC
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CAFFE NERO AMERICAS INC
\: MEMORANDUM AND ORDER ON PLAINTIFF’S
| Motion FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT
UMNV 205-207 Newbury, LLC, leased retail space to Caffé Nero Americas, Inc.
One condition was that Caffé Nero could use the leased premises only to
operate a “Caffé Nero themed café” and not for any other purpose. In March
2020 the | Governor barred Massachusetts restaurants from allowing
on-premises consumption of food or beverages, indoors or outside. As a result potice
Caffé Nero temporarily closed its Newbury Street café and stopped paying Sant
rent. UMNV responded by terminating the lease and then bringing a summary
process eviction action. Caffé Nero vacated the premises in late October.
0816-24
In this action, UMNV seeks to recover unpaid rent plus interest and WEB
“administrative expenses” for the months that Caffé Nero continued to occupy
the premises, liquidated damages for the rest of the 15-year lease term, and PRUp
attorneys’ fees and expenses.
UMNV has moved for partial summary judgment as to liability for breach of BLM
contract and as to the amount of damages, interest, attorneys’ fees, and BH
litigation costs it claims through the date that Caffé Nero left the premises.
The motion does not address claimed liquidated damages thereafter.
The Court concludes! UMNV’ s motion is without merit, and will instead grant
partial summary judgment in Caffé Nero’s favor. Under the doctrine of
frustration of purpose, Caffé Nero’s obligation to pay rent was discharged
while it was barred! from letting customers drink or eat inside the leased
premises, at least from March 24 to June 22, 2020. Therefore Caffé Nero did not
breach the! Lease by not paying rent for this period, UMNV’s notice of default
was in error and not effective, and UMNV acted improperly in May when it
terminated the lease for non-payment of rent in April. Neither the force majeure
provision (which addresses impossibility but not frustration of purpose) nor
the independent covenant provision bars this defense. Caffé Nero is entitled to
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judgment in its favor jon these issues, including appropriate declaratory relief,
even though it did not file a cross-motion for summary judgment.!
Though UMNV also moved for partial summary judgment as to its claim for
holdover rent from the period from June 22 to October 29, 2020 (the day that
Caffé Nero vacated the premises), that issue cannot be resolved on summary
judgment.
1. Factual Background The following facts are undisputed for the purpose of
deciding UMNV’s motion for partial summary judgment.
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The parties entered into a lease of certain space in 205-207 Newbury Street in
Boston for|a fifteen-year period starting June 1, 2017. This Lease defines the
leased premises as consisting of roughly 2,630 square feet? inside the basement
or “walk-down” level of the building. Caffé Nero also had the non-exclusive
right to use common indoor and outdoor areas on UMNV’s property.
This Lease provides that Caffé Nero may use the leased premises “solely” for
[t]he operation of a Caffé Nero themed café under Tenant’s Trade Name and
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for no other purpose.,’ It also says that Caffé Nero was required to operate this
bus
café ‘in a manner consistent with other Caffé Nero locations in the Greater
Boston area,” to serve food and beverages “of first-class quality,” and could
only offer| take-out '‘sales “from its regular sit-down restaurant menu.”
The business model that Caffé Nero followed at its other locations, and thus by
contract was required to follow in this space, was to serve great coffee and food
that customers could enjoy and linger over in a comfortable indoor space.
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See Mass. R. Civ. P. 56(c) (“Summary judgment, when appropriate, may be
rendered against the moving party.”); Targus Group Intern., Inc. v. Sherman,
76 Mass. App. Ct. 421, 422 n.2 & 428-434 (2010) (affirming summary judgment
in favor of non-moving plaintiff on breach of contract claim based on court’s
interpretation of written agreement)
That part of UMNV’s claims, like the claim for liquidated damages as to the
lease period that remained after Caffé Nero moved out, turns in part on
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whether UMNV ¢ould terminate the lease without giving written notice
regarding alleged non-payment of rent after June 22, and whether Caffé Nero
can establish that it was wrongfully evicted and therefore has a complete
defense!to UMNV’s remaining claims under § 11.9 of the Lease. Whether either
Party is entitled to recover any attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred as a result
of this litigation is another open issue that the Court cannot resolve now.
3 The estimated square footage was changed in the First Amendment to Lease
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Caffé Nero) took almdst a year and spent $1.3 million to build out the space.
Tt opened and began operating the Newbury Street Caffé Nero in June 2018.
In late March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic forced Caffé Nero either to shift to
a take-out business model or close entirely. By order of Governor Baker, as of
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noon on March 24, 2020, Caffé Nero—like all other restaurants and cafés in
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Massachusetts—was barred from allowing any “on-premises consumption of
food or beverages,” and instead could only offer food or beverages for take-out
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or delivery:4 The Governor extended this order several times.
Caffé Nero|wrote to UMNV a few days later, saying that it could not pay rent
while its business reniained closed by government order and asking UMNV to
waive all rent while the, business was required to remain closed. Caffé Nero did
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not pay its rent for April 2020.
UMNYV responded in writing on April 8, 2020; it declined to waive or reduce
any payments due under the Lease, and notified Caffé Nero that it would be in
default unless it paid the April rent within five days. Caffé Nero did not do so.
On May 19, 2020, UMNV sent another letter that purported to terminate the
Lease, and|ordered Caffé Nero to “quit and surrender the Premises,” because
Caffé Nero had allegedly defaulted by not paying rent for April; the letter also
stated that:Caffé Nero’s failure to pay rent for May was an additional default.
Section 4 of'the Lease provides that Caffé Nero would be in default if it failed
to pay any rent when due and did not remedy the non-payment within five
days after receiving written notice of it from UMNV. This section goes on to
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provide that UMNV ‘could terminate the Lease if Caffé Nero was in default.
And the Lease _Provides that it “shall be governed by and construed in
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accordance witl ” Massachusetts law.
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There is no evidence: in the summary judgment record that UMNV sent any
other notice giving Caffé Nero five days to remedy any later rent deficiency or
purporting to terminate the Lease for any other alleged default.
In early June the Governor issued a further order allowing phased reopening
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of businesses that had been closed due to the pandemics Under that order,
4 See COVID-19 Order No. 13, issued March 23, 2020, at 9:25 a.m.; it is available
at htt www.mass.gov/doc/march-23-2020-essential-services-and-revised-
gatherings-order/download.
See COVID-19 Order No. 37, issued June 6, 2020, available at https://
www.mass.gov/doc/june-6-2020-phase-ii-reopening/download.
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Caffé Nero was able to begin offering “outdoor table service” —but still barred
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from letting any customers inside the leased premises—on June 8, 2020. This
was the start of what the Governor called Phase 2, Step 1, of his reopening plan.
Restaurants were first able to resume limited indoor table service on June 22,
2020, whenlthe Governor moved Massachusetts to Phase 2, Step 2, of that plan.§
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Caffé Nero. reopened its Newbury Street location on June 8, and made sales at
or from thse premises during June, July, August, and September 2020. The
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Court infers and therefore finds that from June 8 through June 21 Caffé Nero
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only offere d outside'table service and takeout, and that it did not let any
customers back inside the premises until June 22.
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Once it reopened the Newbury Street operation, Caffé Nero offered to pay
UMNV a higher percentage of sales in lieu of fixed rent, to cover UMNV's out-
f-pocket jcosts including real estate taxes, building insurance, and
maintenance. UMNV rejected that offer. Caffé Nero continued to pay no rent,
even though it still occupied the premises and had reopened its business.
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UMNV brought a summary process action in Boston Municipal Court, seeking
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to evict Café Nero from the premises, on June 29, 2020’—seven days after Caffé
Nero was first allowed to resume indoor, on-premises service. It filed this
action for damages on July 7, 2020.
At some point Caffé Nero concluded that UMNV was unwilling to negotiate.
It therefore made plans to vacate the leased premises. After removing its
equipment! and furnishings, and also demolishing and removing the walk-in
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6 See COVID 19 Order No. 40, issued June 19, 2020,
available at https://
www.mlass. ov/doc/reopening-phase-2-step-2-order/download, Though this
order is hot included in the summary judgment record, the Court may and does
take judicial notice of it. See generally Commonwealth v. Greco, 76 Mass. App.
Ct. 296, [301 n.9, rev. denied, 457 Mass. 1106 and 458 Mass. 1105 (2010) (court
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may take judicial notice of facts “capable of accurate and ready determination
by resort to resources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned”)
(quoting Mass. Guide Evid. § 201(b)(2); see also Foster v. Commissioner of
Correction, 484 Mass. 698, 729 n.20 (2020) (taking notice of publicly available
reports by the Department of Public Health); Fitchburg Gas and Elec. Light Co. v.
Department of Pub. Utils., 395 Mass. 836, 856 (1985) (taking notice of DPU order).
The Court takes notice of this filing date from the Boston Municipal Court's
docket |in UMNV 205-207 Newbury, LLC v. Caffé Nero Americas, Inc.,
2001SU00010. A court may take judicial notice of the records in a related
judicial action. Jarosz v. Palmer, 436 Mass. 526, 530 (2002).
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freezer and refrigerator as requested by UMNYV, Caffé Nero returned the keys
and vacated the premises on October 29, 2020
Caffé Nero|paid UMNV no rent for the period from April to October 2020
2. Legal Background—Frustration of Purpose. Under the legal doctrine
known as /‘frustration of purpose,” a party to a lease or other contract is
excused from performing its contractual obligations “when an event neither
anticipated! nor caused by either party, the risk of which was not allocated by
the contract, destroys 'the object or purpose of the contract, thus destroying the
value of performance!” Chase Precast Corp. v. John J. Paonessa Co., Inc., 409 Mass.
371, 374 (1991). In other words:
Where; after a contract is made, a party's principal purpose is
substantially frustrated without his fault by the occurrence of an event
the non-occurrence of which was a basic assumption on which the
contract was made, his remaining duties to render performance are
discharged, unless the language or the circumstances indicate the
contrary.
Id, at 375, quoting Restatement (Second) of Contracts § 265 (1981)
A classic example of frustration of purpose with respect to a tenancy occurs
where the leased premises are destroyed by something beyond the tenant's
control. If |that were to happen, it would still be possible for the tenant to
perform its contractual obligation of paying rent. But since the purpose to be
achieved by paying rent has been completely frustrated, the tenant is excused
from further performance unless the lease clearly allocates the risk of that event
to the tenant. See Restatement § 265, supra, comment a, illustration 3.
Frustration will similarly discharge an obligation to pay rent where a
government order or regulation bars certain conduct or economic activity, it
thereby substantially frustrates the principal purpose of the contract, and the
non-occurrence of such an order or regulation was a basic assumption
underlying the contract. See, e.g., R & F Fin. Serus., LLC v. Cudd Pressure Control,
Inc., N:W.2d 2021 ND 12, {fl 17-21, 2021 WL 99733, at *4—*5 (N.D. 2021)
(where party leased modules to be used only for employee housing at specified
location, duty to pay rent was discharged by frustration of purpose when city
annexed the property and its ordinances barred such workforce housing);
Restatement § 265, supra, comment a, illustration 4 (where business rented
neon signs to advertise in windows, duty to pay rent would be discharged by
frustratiori of purpose if new regulation prohibits lighting of such signs)
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,
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Frustrationof purpose has some things in common with the related doctrine of
impossibility of performance, but applies in different circumstances. See Chase
Precast, 409 Mass. at 374. Under impossibility, performance is excused where
the contracting parties assumed that something would continue to exist,
neither party guaranteed that thing would continue to exist, and performance
becomes impossible because the thing was destroyed through no fault of either
party. Id. at 373. Under frustration, in contrast, performance is excused even
though it is possible for the party to perform its contractual obligations, but the
expected value of that performance has been destroyed by an unforeseeable
event. Id. at 374. “The principal question in both kinds of cases remains whether
an unanticipated circumstance, the risk of which should not fairly be thrown
on the promisor, has made performance vitally different from what was
reasonably'to be expected.” Id.
In sum, whether “frustration of purpose” excuses a party from continuing to
perform contractual obligations turns on (i) what was the main purpose of the
contract, (ii) has some event caused a change in circumstances such that
continued. performance can no longer achieve that purpose, and the value to
the party of continuing to perform has been destroyed, (iii) was the non-
occurrence, of that event a basic assumption of the contract, and (iv) did the
contract allocate the risk of that event to the party seeking to be excused from
performance. Chase Precast, 409 Mass. at 374-375 & n.4. “The foreseeability of
the event is a factor in that determination, but the mere fact that the event
was foreseeable does not compel the conclusion that its non-occurrence was not
such a basic assumption.” Restatement (Second) of Contracts § 265 comment
(a) (1981) |
In most cases the evaluation of these factors must be resolved by trial. See Chase
Precast, 409 Mass. at 376. That is because summary judgment is not available
when “a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Cf.
Dennis v. Kaskel, 79 Mass. App. Ct. 736, 741 (2011), quoting Andersonv. Liberty
Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 2 42, 248 (1986)
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But where; the material facts are not in dispute, and “no rational view of the
evidence” permits a finding that a contractual obligation either was or was not
discharged for frustration of purpose, then a judge may decide the issue as a
matter of law at the summary judgment stage. Cf. Petrell v. Shaw, 453 Mass. 377,
381 (2009) (“Ordinarily, summary judgment is not an appropriate means to
resolve claims of negligence because the question is usually one of fact.
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However, 4 judge may decide the issue as a matter of law when no rational
view of the, evidence permits a finding of negligence.”) (citation omitted)
3. Analysis. This is the rare case in which the summary judgment record
establishes that performance under a contract was excused for frustration of
purpose, at least for a period of time.
3.1. Applying the Frustration Doctrine. The undisputed facts establish that
Caffé Nero's continuing obligation to pay rent was discharged at least from
March 24 to June 22, 2020, because the entire purpose of the Lease was
completely frustrated while the Governor's COVID-19 orders barred
restaurants from serving customers indoors. As a result, (i) UMNV's written
notices asserting that Caffé Nero had breached the Lease by not paying the
April 2020 rent and was in default for still not making that rent payment within
five days after the first notice were both wrong, (ii) Caffé Nero was not in
default under the Lease as of May 19, 2020, and (iii) UMNV’s purported
termination of the Lease on May 19, 2020, was invalid
The summary judgment record establishes that all the elements of frustration
of purpose were present in this case
The main object or purpose of this contract is not in dispute. The Lease provides
that Caffé Nero could use the leased premises only to operate a café with a sit-
down restaurant menu “and for no other purpose.” The entire purpose of the
Lease was for Caffé Nero to use space inside the basement or walk-down level
of UMNV's building to serve high quality coffee, other drinks, and food to
customers who could sit and consume them on the premises
It is also undisputed that this purpose was destroyed or frustrated while the
Governor’s COVID-19 orders barred Caffé Nero from allowing customers to
consume food or drink inside the leased premises
Since the Lease limited the permissible use of the leased space to a single
purpose, it cannot be disputed that Caffé Nero’s continued ability to operate a
café at the leased premises, and the absence of government orders barring all
restaurants from serving customers inside, was a basic assumption underlying
the Lease.;And there is no evidence that the risk of a global viral pandemic
coming to, Massachusetts and leading to a government order shutting down
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the entire restaurant industry was something the parties contemplated when
they entered into the Lease. Indeed, UMNV implicitly concedes the point.
If UMNV had allowed Caffé Nero to use the leased premises for other purposes
not barred by government order, then the fact that Caffé Nero’s intended use
was frustrated might'not have discharged its obligation to pay rent. Cf. Karaa
v. Kuk Yim, 86 Mass. App. Ct. 714, 717-718 & n.9 (2014) (no frustration of
purpose where defendant leased home with intent to send children to school
in Belmont family could not get visas and thus could not reenter the United
States, and'defendant knew of and voluntarily assumed that risk). But where,
as here, government action bars the only permitted or possible use of the leased
property, and there is no evidence that the lessor voluntarily assumed that risk,
then “the tise of the leased property intended by the parties is frustrated.”
Restatement (Second) of Property, Land. & Ten. § 9.3 (1977); accord R & F Fin.
Servs., supra, 2021 WL 99733, at *4—*5.
Finally, nothing in the Lease allocated the risk of this unforeseen event to Caffé
Nero. UMNV insists that the defense of frustration of purpose is barred by the
force majeure and independent covenant provisions. The Court disagrees.
As explained below, neither of these provisions addresses the possibility of
frustration; of purpose, and neither of them allocates to Caffé Nero the
unforeseen risk that a global pandemic could lead to government orders that
bar Caffé Nero from operating a café on the leased premises
3.2. The Force Majeure Provision, in § 12.13.C of the Lease, states in relevant
part (emphasis added) that:
Neither the Landlord nor the Tenant shall be liable for failure to
perform any obligation under this Lease, except for the payment of
money, in the event it is prevented from so performing by order or
regulation of or by any governmental authority.. . or for any other
cause beyond its'reasonable control, but financial inability shall never
be deemed to be a cause beyond a party’s reasonable control.. ., and in
no event shall either party be excused or delayed in the payment of any
money due under this Lease by reason of any of the foregoing
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a UMNV'does not contend the parties anticipated the risk that Massachusetts
restaurants would be forced to close for public health reasons. It instead argues
that the,undisputed fact that this risk was not anticipated is immaterial because
the Lease bars Caffé Nero from invoking the doctrine of frustration of purpose.
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The Court concludes that this provision is unambiguous, and that its meaning
is therefore;a question of law for the Court to decide.®
This force majeure provision says that generally neither UMNV nor Caffé Nero
is liable for breach of contract if they are prevented from performing by any
cause beyond its reasonable control, but it includes two important exceptions
First, financial inability shall never be considered a cause beyond a party’s
control. Second, failure to pay rent or other money due under the Lease will
never be excused on the ground that a party was prevented from making the
payment by some cause beyond its control. The phrase “by reason of any of the
foregoing” at the end of the provision refers to a party being “prevented from
performing by” any of the listed risks or any other “cause beyond its
reasonable'control.”
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Thus, the force majeure provision addresses the risk that performance may
become impossible, but does not address the distinct risk that the performance
could still be possible even while main purpose of the Lease is frustrated by
events not in the parties’ control
The Lease as a whole provides confirmation that the force majeure provision
does not address possible frustration of purpose. Separate provisions in
Article X address a classic cause of frustration of purpose—the possibility that
damage to, or destruction of the leased premises might interfere with Caffé
Nero’s ability to operate its business there. Those provisions give Caffé Nero
certain rights to abatement of rent and to terminate the Lease if the premises
are damaged or destroyed. The effect of these provisions is to limit Caffé Nero’s
rights under the doctrine of frustration of purpose; in the event that the leased
premises were unusable because they were physically damaged or destroyed,
the obligation to pay rent would only be reduced or excused to the extent that
UMNV was made whole by insurance, and UMNV would have 120 days to
9 “Tf a contract is unambiguous, its interpretation is a question of law that is
appropriate for a judge to decide[.]” Seaco Ins. Co. v. Barbosa, 435 Mass. 772, 779
(2002). “Whether a contract is ambiguous is also a question of law.” Eigerman
v. Putnam Investments, Inc., 450 Mass. 281, 287 (2007). “[A]mbiguity is not
created|simply because a controversy exists between parties, each favoring an
interpretation contrary to the other’s.” Indus Partners, LLC v. Intelligroup, Inc.,
77 Mass. App. Ct. 793, 795 (2010) (affirming summary judgment), quoting
Jefferson Ins. Co. v. Holyoke, 23 Mass. App. Ct. 472, 475 (1987).
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substantially repair or restore the premises before Caffé Nero would have the
right to terrninate the Lease
There is no inconsistency between these provisions concerning one potential
cause of frustration of purpose and the force majeure provision addressing
impossibility of performance. And, indeed, nothing in § 12.13.C says that
Article X is, an exception to the force majeure rules that the parties negotiated.
Because it ‘is not; frustration of purpose is a different issue, arises under
different circumstances, and is not addressed by the force majeure provision.
3.3. The Independent Covenants Provision, in § 12.13.J of the Lease, says that
Caffé Nero’s obligations are separate and independent covenants and
agreements,” so that any rent owed by Caffé Nero “shall continue to be payable
in all events” unless the Lease is terminated.
The effect of this provision is to negate the common law rule of mutually
dependent; covenants, under which a landlord’s material breach of a
commercial lease may be an affirmative defense to a claim for non-payment of
rent. See Shawmut-Canton LLC v. Great Spring Waters of America, Inc., 62 Mass.
App. Ct. 330, 339 (2004).29
That is not the issue here. Whether Caffé Nero’s obligation to pay rent was
temporarily discharged due to frustration of purpose does not turn on whether
UMNV materially breached its lease obligations. As discussed above, Caffé
Nero’s obligations were discharged because of the effect of the Governor's
10 Tn 2002, the Supreme Judicial Court “abandon[ed] the common-law rule of
independent covenants in commercial leases in favor of the modern rule of
mutually dependent covenants as reflected in the Restatement (Second) of
Property (Landlord and Tenant) § 7.1 (1977).” Wesson v. Leone Enterprises, Inc.,
437 Mass. 708, 709 (2002). Under the old rule, a commercial tenant’s covenant
to pay rent was independent from the Landlord’s covenants, and the Tenant
was relieved from its obligations —including its obligation to pay rent—“only
by actual or constructive eviction.” Id., 437 Mass. at 715, quoting Barry v.
Frankini, 287 Mass. 196, 201 (1934). Today, the general rule is that a commercial
tenant thay terminate the lease, and thus stop paying rent, if the landlord does
not perform a promise that was a significant inducement in the making of a
lease, within a reasonable time after being asked to do so. Id., 437 Mass. at 720.
However, this new rule that commercial leases consist of mutually dependent
covenants does not apply where “the parties to a lease validly agree
otherwise.” Wesson, 437 Mass. at 720 (quoting Restatement § 7.1).
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COVID-19' orders, even though UMNV continued to perform all of its
obligations under the Lease
UMNV nonetheless insists that the language in § 12.13,] stating that Caffé Nero
had to keep paying rent “in all events” —and “without setoff, counterclaim,
recoupment, abatement, suspension, deferment, diminution, deduction,
reduction or defense excepts as specifically set fortl in the Lease—bars any
application of the doctrine of frustration of purpose. And it asserts that similar
language in § 3.2, stating that rent is to be paid “without setoff, deduction,
counterclaim or defense” has the same effect.
The Court disagrees.
It would be improper to consider the “in all events” and “without defense’
language as if it stood alone. “The words of a contract must be considered in
the context of the entire contract rather than in isolation.” General Convention of
the New Jerusalem ini the United States of Am., Inc. v. MacKenzie, 449 Mass. 832,
835 (2007).:As with arly contract concerning a business venture, the Court must
construe the Lease in a manner that will give it “effect as a rational business
instrument and . . carry out the intent of the parties.” Robert and Ardis James
Foundation} v. Meyers, 474 Mass. 181, 188 (2016), quoting Starr v. Fordham,
420 Mass. 178, 192 (1995). And “the parties’ intent ‘must be gathered from a fair
construction of the contract as a whole and not by special emphasis upon any
a
one part Kingstown Corp. v. Black Cat Cranberry Corp., 65 Mass. App. Ct. 154,
158 (2005),1quoting Ucello v. Cosentino, 354 Mass. 48, 51 (1968), and Crimmins &
Peirce Co. v,. Kidder Peabody Acceptance Corp., 282 Mass. 367, 375 (1933)
It would have made no business sense for the parties to enter into a lease
providing that Caffé Nero may only use the leased premises for one narrow
purpose, but must keep paying rent even if the only permissible use is no
longer allowed or possible. As discussed above, the parties recognized as much
when the negotiated and agreed to the Article X provisions specifying how
frustration of purpose principles would apply in the event that the leased
premises were damaged or destroyed. The fact that the parties did not think to
address the possibility that a global pandemic might lead to government orders
barring restaurants from serving customers does not mean they intended to bar
application of the frustration doctrine in these circumstances.
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Therefore, the “in all events” and “without defense” language cannot
reasonably, be construed as barring application of the doctrine of frustration of
purpose.
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ORDER
On Plaintiff's motion for partial summary judgment, the Defendant is entitled
to partial summary judgment in its favor as follows. When final judgment
enters, it shall include the following declarations: (i) Defendant's obligation to
pay rent under the \parties’ Lease was discharged under the doctrine of
frustrationjof purpose from March 24 to June 22, 2020, and during any other
period when Defendant was barred by government order concerning the
COVID-19ipandemic not to allow any consumption of food or beverage within
the lease premises; (ii) Defendant was not in default under the Lease as of
May 19, 2020; and (iii) the written notice of termination issued by Plaintiff on
May 19, 2020, was therefore not effective.
Plaintiff's thotion for partial summary judgment is otherwise de Tt 4,
'
A 3
‘
Kenneth W. salinger
8 February 2021 Justice of the Superior Court
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