A demolition contractor, Nicon, has sued Tower Insurance/Stream Group for allegedly unpaid fees on post earthquake demolition work and quote provision. Nicon claims $350 plus GST for each of the 1083 quotes it gave to Tower/Stream ($379,050). It also claimed that Tower was obliged to give it the work for any actual demolition carried out on the quoted jobs. In Nicon Ltd v Tower Insurance Ltd & anor [2018] NZHC 2005 the High Court (Gendall J) decided four preliminary questions about the alleged agreement with Tower/Stream. The Court decided that a written heads of agreement between Nicon and Stream was binding and it required Tower/Stream to offer Nicon first the demolition work on jobs it quoted on. Tower/Stream did not do so. The Court decided that the evidence did not prove the existence of a $350 quote fee. The claim likely continues now as one for loss of profit by Nicon on demolition jobs that Nicon was not given in breach of the agreement.
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