Booker v. Arch Realty Co. of Springfield, Inc.

47 Mass. App. Dec. 51
CourtMassachusetts District Court, Appellate Division
DecidedJuly 1, 1971
DocketNo. 71R269
StatusPublished

This text of 47 Mass. App. Dec. 51 (Booker v. Arch Realty Co. of Springfield, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts District Court, Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Booker v. Arch Realty Co. of Springfield, Inc., 47 Mass. App. Dec. 51 (Mass. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinion

Dudley, J.

This is an action of tort in which the plaintiff seeks to recover for personal injuries sustained by her when she fell on a public sidewalk in front of premises owned by the defendant Wilson, which premises stood on the records at the Registry of Deeds in the name of the defendant Arch Realty Co. of Springfield, Inc. The fall was caused by an unnatural accumulation of ice and snow.

[54]*54The action was' in two counts — Count 1 being against the corporate defendant and Count 2 being against the individual defendant.

The court found for the corporate defendant Arch Realty Co. but found against the individual defendant Wilson.

The plaintiff alleges in each count that due notice was sent to the defendants.

The defendants filed answers alleging, among other defenses not here material, that the accident occurred on a public way and the defendants' are not responsible and also a special answer denying that the defendants received proper notice under the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The defendant Wilson seasonably filed four requests for rulings set forth below:

1. Notice under G.L. Chapter 84, Sec. 21 which was addressed to “Arch Realty Co.” c/o Saul Wilson, 31 Elm Street, Springfield, Mass, is not legal notice to Saul Wilson as an individual.

2. The legal title holder of the land in question, as to the plaintiff herein, was, because of the record of title in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Arch Realty Co. of Springfield.

3. If the defendants, or either of them, did not actively cause an artificial accumulation of snow and ice to exist on the [55]*55premises in question then the plaintiff cannot recover.

4. If the accumulation of snow or ice was caused by trespassers or other third parties without permission of either of the defendants, then the plaintiff cannot recover.

The court denied each of the requests as inapplicable to the facts found.

There was evidence to show, and the court found, that the plaintiff was injured as the result of a fall on a public sidewalk due to an unnatural accumulation thereon of ice and snow.

The court also found that the record title holder of the premises abutting the sidewalk, where the accident happened, was the corporate defendant but that the actual title holder was the individual defendant who was also treasurer of and chief stockholder in the defendant corporation and that he held an unrecorded deed, which he had executed and delivered in behalf of the corporation, to himself as individual owner, a considerable period prior to the happening of the accident.

A notice of the happening of the accident was sent by certified mail within the proper time, setting forth the time, place and cause of the accident and giving the name and address of the injured party,-to Arch Eealty Co. c/o Saul Wilson, 31 Elm Street, Springfield, Mass.

[56]*56The court found that 31 Elm Street was a proper address for Arch Realty Co. of Springfield, Inc. and was also the office address of the individual defendant Wilson. The receipt for the notice was signed by him.

The court found that Wilson knew when he received the notice that he was the owner and in control of the property abutting the sidewalk where the accident happened and the court found and ruled that the notice given was timely and adequate “ under G.L. Ch. 82.”

Reference to G.L. Chapter 82 is harmless error as it is obvious from a study of the remainder of the report and the finding that it was intended to refer to G.L. Chapter 84, §21.

Wilson contends he is not legally bound by the notice and his requests #1 and #2 go toward that contention.

These requests were properly denied as inapplicable to the facts found.

G.L. c. 84, § 21 specifically provides that “. . . no such notice [of injury due in part to snow and ice] shall be invalid by reason of any inaccuracy or misstatement in respect to the owner’s name if it appears that such error was made in good faith and did not prevent or unreasonably delay the owner from receiving actual notice of the injury and of the contention that it occurred from the defective condition of his premises or of a way adjoining the same.”

The court states in its finding after quoting [57]*57the statute “I find that the notice complied with the statute.”

In making this finding, the court found as a fact in effect, that the error in the name of the owner as set forth in the notice given, was made in good faith, and did not prevent or unreasonably delay the owner from receiving actual notice of the injury and of the contention that it occurred from the defective condition of his premises or of a way adjoining the same.

Good faith is a question of fact. Fillebrown v. Hayward, 190 Mass. 472. Findings of fact made by the trial judge will not be disturbed if they can be sustained on any reasonable view of the evidence or unless they are wrong as matter of law. Earthrow v. Watertown Square Theatre, Inc., 309 Mass. 223, 224. Martin v. Reis, 344 Mass. 32, 35.

G.L. c. 84, § 20

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Mays v. Gamarnick
93 N.E.2d 236 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1950)
Martin v. Reis
181 N.E.2d 580 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1962)
Saldi v. Brighton Stock Yard Co.
181 N.E.2d 687 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1962)
Kellogg v. Suher
109 N.E.2d 169 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1952)
Fillebrown v. Hayward
77 N.E. 45 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1906)
Stefani v. Freshman
122 N.E. 293 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1919)
Haverty v. Ernst
232 Mass. 543 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1919)
O'Brien v. Board of Election Commissioners
153 N.E. 553 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1926)
Blanchard v. Stone's Inc.
24 N.E.2d 688 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1939)
Nelson v. Economy Grocery Stores Corp.
25 N.E.2d 986 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1940)
Barttro v. Watertown Square Theatre, Inc.
34 N.E.2d 696 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1941)
Codman v. Beane
45 N.E.2d 948 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1942)
Hebb v. Gould
49 N.E.2d 450 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1943)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
47 Mass. App. Dec. 51, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/booker-v-arch-realty-co-of-springfield-inc-massdistctapp-1971.