Bilt-Rite Contractors

This appeal raises the first impression question of whether a building contractor may maintain a negligent misrepresentation claim against an architect for alleged misrepresentations in the architects plans for a public construction contract, where there was no privity of contract between the architect and the contractor, but the contractor reasonably relied upon the misrepresentations in submitting its winning bid and consequently suffered purely economic damages as a result of that reliance. The Superior Court found as a matter of law that, absent privity of contract, the contractor could not maintain such a tort action against the architect. For the reasons that follow, we reverse the order of the Superior Court and remand to the trial court for further proceedings.