The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Saxe, determined two class action complaints alleging defendants supplied heating oil of lesser quality than that called for by the contracts should not have been dismissed. The complaints alleged waste oil had been mixed with the No. 4 and No. 6 fuel oil which was ordered. Certain detrimental effects of burning the mixed fuel were alleged. The First Department held that the “no injury” products liability cases relied upon by the motion court did not apply. Rather the case presented breach of contract/warranty issues:
Plaintiffs essentially allege that, consistent with the ASTM specifications, as well as common commercial usage, and pursuant to the UCC, customers purchasing goods described as No. 4 and No. 6 fuel oil are entitled to presume that they are receiving 100% fuel oil of the specified grade, and not a product consisting of a blend of No. 4 or No. 6 fuel oil with some other types of oil that do not meet the criteria of those ASTM specifications. * * *
Under UCC 2-714(2), the measure of damages for breach of warranty is the difference between the value of the goods delivered and the value of the goods warranted … . Since we must infer from the complaint that plaintiffs received nonconforming oil deliveries of lesser value than those they contracted and paid for, causes of action for breach of contract and breach of warranty — including plaintiffs' damages — are stated in each action. BMW Group, LLC v Castle Oil Corp., 2016 NY Slip Op 01790, 1st Dept 3-15-16
CONTRACT LAW (COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THE DELIVERY OF FUEL OIL MIXED WITH WASTE OIL STATED CAUSES OF ACTION FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT AND BREACH OF WARRANTY)/UCC (COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THE DELIVERY OF FUEL OIL MIXED WITH WASTE OIL STATED CAUSES OF ACTION FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT AND BREACH OF WARRANTY)/FUEL OIL (COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THE DELIVERY OF FUEL OIL MIXED WITH WASTE OIL STATED CAUSES OF ACTION FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT AND BREACH OF WARRANTY)