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

DecidedOctober 3, 1995

Docket03A01-9502-CH-00065

StatusPublished

This text of Earl Maney v. Paul J. Parker, Individually and D/B/A Precious Woods and Metals (Earl Maney v. Paul J. Parker, Individually and D/B/A Precious Woods and Metals) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Earl Maney v. Paul J. Parker, Individually and D/B/A Precious Woods and Metals, (Tenn. Ct. App. 1995).

Pincite

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

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