Court Rules Surety had Right to Settle Principal’s Claims Against Owner, Grants Motion for Summary Judgment
Liberty Mutual Ins. Co. v. Aventura Eng’g & Constr. Corp., 534 F. Supp. 2d. 1290 (S.D. Fla. Jan. 8, 2008)
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida has interpreted Florida law as allowing a surety to settle not only an owner’s claims on a performance bond, but also the principal’s claims against the owner. In Aventura Eng’g, a surety completed construction of a project pursuant to an owner’s demand against a performance bond. The principal, a general contractor, had allegedly defaulted on its contract with the owner, and thereafter refused the surety’s demands for indemnification. The surety eventually executed a settlement agreement with the owner, whereby the surety exercised its power of attorney to execute a release of all claims that the contractor had against the owner growing out of the bonded contract.