Earl Maney v. Paul J. Parker, Individually and D/B/A Precious Woods and Metals

Court of Appeals of Tennessee

Earl Maney v. Paul J. Parker, Individually and D/B/A Precious Woods and Metals

Court of Appeals of Tennessee·Decided October 3, 1995·No. 03A01-9502-CH-00065·Published

Opinion

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON FILED October 3, 1995

Cecil Crowson, Jr. EARL MANEY ) BRADLEY COUNTY Appellate C ourt Clerk ) 03A01- 9502- CH- 00065 Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l a nt ) ) ) v. ) HON. EARL H. HENLEY, ) CHANCELLOR ) PAUL J . PARKER, I ndi vi dua l l y ) a n d d / b / a PRECI OUS WOODS ) AND M ETALS ) ) De f e nda nt - Appe l l e e ) AFFI RMED AND REMANDED

J OE A. CONNER OF CHATTANOOGA FOR APPELLANT

J AMES S. THOMPSON OF CLEVELAND FOR APPELLEE

O P I N I O N

Godda r d, P. J .

Ea r l M ne y, t h e Pl a i nt i f f , a nd Pa ul J . Pa r ke r , t h e a

De f e nd a nt , we r e t he pa r t i e s t o a wr i t t e n f i ve - ye a r l e a s e f or

c o mme r c i a l pr ope r t y i n Cl e ve l a nd. M . Pa r ke r , who ope r a t e d a r

wo o d wo r ki ng/ ma c hi ne s hop on t he pr e mi s e s , t ook pos s e s s i on of t h e

p r o p e r t y on Se pt e mbe r 8, 1989. La t e i n 1990, a f t e r oc c upyi ng t h e

p r o p e r t y f or s l i ght l y mor e t ha n one ye a r , he va c a t e d t he p r e mi s e s . On M y 6, 1993, M . M ne y, t he l a ndl or d, f i l e d s ui t i n a r a

t h e Ch a nc e r y Cour t of Br a dl e y Count y s e e ki ng ba c k r e nt a nd

d a ma g e s f or r e pa i r s t o t he bui l di ng. Af t e r a t r i a l , t h e

Ch a n c e l l or de t e r mi ne d t ha t M . Pa r ke r " ha d a r i ght t o a ba ndon t h e r

p r e mi s e s , " b ut a wa r de d d a ma ge s t o c ompe ns a t e M . M ne y f or r a

e x p e n s e s he i nc ur r e d ma ki ng r e pa i r s t o t he pr ope r t y. M . M ne y r a

a p p e a l s a nd pr e s e nt s t he f ol l owi ng i s s ue s f or r e vi e w:

1. The Cha nc e l l or e r r e d i n hol di ng t ha t t he De f e nda nt ha d a r i ght t o a ba ndon t he pr e mi s e s .

2. The Cha nc e l l or e r r e d i n f a i l i ng t o hol d t ha t De f e nda nt wa i ve d hi s r i ght t o a ba ndon by r e ma i ni ng on t h e pr ope r t y f or s i x mont hs a nd pa yi ng r e nt f or ni ne mo nt hs a f t e r t he a l l e ge d not i c e t o va c a t e .

3. The Cha nc e l l or e r r e d by a dmi t t i ng e vi de nc e wh i c h s houl d ha ve be e n ba r r e d by t he St a t ut e of Fr a uds .

4. The Cha nc e l l or e r r e d i n hol di ng t ha t t he Ap pe l l a nt wa s not e nt i t l e d t o f ut ur e r e nt f or t he b a l a nc e of t he l e a s e d pe r i od; i n f a i l i ng t o a wa r d Ap pe l l a nt t he e nt i r e a mount e xpe nde d f or r e mova l of d e br i s a nd r e pa i r of t he bui l di ng s ubs e que nt t o t he Ap pe l l e e va c a t i ng t he pr e mi s e s ; a nd i n f a i l i ng t o a wa r d t h e Appe l l a nt hi s e xpe ns e s a nd a t t or ne y' s f e e s i nc ur r e d i n e nf or c i ng t he pr ovi s i ons of t he l e a s e .

Soon a f t e r M . Pa r ke r oc c upi e d t he pr e mi s e s , t he r

r e l a t i o ns hi p b e t we e n t he pa r t i e s be c a me r a t he r c ont e nt i ous . Th e

r e c or d i ndi c a t e s t ha t t he pa r t i e s c l a s he d ove r a va r i e t y of

ma t t e r s ge ne r a l l y r e l a t e d t o t he c ondi t i on of t he pr e mi s e s whi l e

i n M . Pa r ke r ' s pos s e s s i on . r At s ome poi nt i n t he l a t e s pr i ng o r

s u mme r of 1990, t he pa r t i e s a r gue d ove r r e s pons i bi l i t y f or a n

o v e r h e a d door whi c h ha d f a l l e n. M . Pa r ke r c l a i ms t ha t dur i ng r

t h e c o u r s e of t he a r gume nt M . M ne y s a i d: " You ge t your s t uf f r a

2 a n d g e t out . " To whi c h M . Pa r ke r a l l e ge s he r e pl i e d: " [ A] s s o o n r

a s I c a n f i nd a bui l di ng, t ha t ' s e xa c t l y wha t I ' l l do. " M. r

Pa r k e r ' s t e s t i mony i s c or r obor a t e d by t wo f or me r e mpl oye e s a nd

a n o t h e r t e na nt of M . M ne y' s , but M . M ne y de ni e s t ha t t he r a r a

e xc ha ng e oc c ur r e d.

Soon a f t e r t he c onve r s a t i on r e ga r di ng t he ga r a ge door ,

M . Pa r ke r be ga n s e a r c hi ng f or a not he r bui l di ng. r By Nove mbe r o f

1 9 9 0 M . Pa r ke r ha d move d hi s bus i ne s s t o a ne w l oc a t i on. r

Ho we v e r , M . Pa r ke r c ont i n ue d pa yi ng r e nt t hr ough J a nua r y of 1 9 9 1 r

b e c a u s e a ve hi c l e he owne d r e ma i ne d on t he pr e mi s e s unt i l t ha t

t i me . Two mont hs a f t e r M . Pa r ke r c e a s e d pa yi ng r e nt , i n M r c h r a

o f 1 9 9 1 , M . M ne y l e f t a me s s a ge on M . Pa r ke r ' s a ns we r i ng r a r

ma c h i n e a dvi s i ng hi m t ha t t he y ne e de d t o di s c us s t he s i t ua t i on.

M . Pa r ke r pr ompt l y r e t ur ne d t he c a l l , but f a i l e d t o r e a c h M . r r

M ne y. a Af t e r ma ki ng s ome r e pa i r s t o t he bui l di ng, M . M ne y r a

r e l e t t he pr e mi s e s . Al t hough t he t wo oc c a s i ona l l y s a w e a c h ot h e r

a r o u n d t own, t he y ha d no f ur t he r c ont a c t r e ga r di ng t he l e a s e d

p r e mi s e s u nt i l M . M ne y f i l e d t hi s s ui t . r a

M . M ne y' s f i r s t t hr e e i s s ue s hi nge on t he f ol l owi ng r a

q u e s t i o n: W s M . Pa r ke r r e l i e ve d of hi s obl i ga t i ons unde r t h e a r

l e a s e , i f s o, whe n wa s t he l e a s e t e r mi na t e d? I n hi s M mor a ndu m e

Op i n i o n , t he Cha nc e l l or de t e r mi ne d t ha t " [ t ] he r e a r e e nough

f a u l t s on e a c h s i de t o i nv a l i da t e t he c ont r a c t " a nd t ha t , i n v i e w

o f a l l t he e vi de nc e , M . Pa r ke r " ha d a r i ght t o a ba ndon t he r

p r e mi s e s . " Al t hough t he Cha nc e l l or doe s not s pe c i f y t he l e ga l

3 g r o u n d s f or hi s de c i s i on, t he r e me dy s ugge s t s t ha t he e i t he r

g r a n t e d a r e s c i s s i on of t he l e a s e c ont r a c t , or f ound t ha t t he

l a nd l o r d c ommi t t e d a br e a c h s o ma t e r i a l a s t o di s c ha r ge t he

t e n a n t f r om hi s dut y t o pa y r e nt . Unf or t una t e l y, t he e vi de nc e

d o e s n o t s uppor t t he Cha nc e l l or ' s de c i s i on. The r e c or d doe s n o t

r e f l e c t s uf f i c i e nt gr ounds t o s uppor t a r e s c i s s i on, nor doe s i t

r e f l e c t t ha t M . M ne y c ommi t t e d a br e a c h s o ma t e r i a l t ha t i t r a

o p e r a t e d t o di s c ha r ge M . Pa r ke r ' s l e a s e obl i ga t i ons . r

I n h i s b r i e f , M . Pa r ke r a r gue s t ha t t he a l l e ge d r

e x c h a n g e be t we e n hi ms e l f a nd M . M ne y i n whi c h he a gr e e d t o " g e t r a

o u t " a mount e d t o a n a gr e e me nt t o t e r mi na t e t he l e a s e by mut ua l

a s s e nt . Te nne s s e e f ol l ows t he ge ne r a l r ul e t ha t whe n pa r t i e s

a gr e e t o t e r mi na t e a l e a s e t o whi c h t he St a t ut e of Fr a uds i s

a p p l i c a b l e , t he t e r mi na t i ng i ns t r ume nt m t a l s o be i n wr i t i ng . us

1 7 Te n n e s s e e J ur i s pr ude nc e , La ndl or d a nd Te na nt § 29 ( 1994)

[ h e r e i n a f t e r La ndl or d a nd Te na nt ] ; s e e a l s o 3A Thomps on on Re a l

Pr o p e r t y, § 1315 ( 1981) [ he r e i na f t e r Thomps on ] . The c our t s wi l l

n o t e n f or c e a pa r ol a gr e e me nt t o s ur r e nde r , s uc h a s t he one

a l l e g e d he r e . Howe ve r , t h e doc t r i ne of s ur r e nde r of t he t e r m b y

o p e r a t i on o f l a w c a n o pe r a t e t o t e r mi na t e a l e a s e wi t hout t he

r e q u i r e me nt of a wr i t i ng.

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