Harkins v. System Parking, Inc.

542 N.E.2d 921, 186 Ill. App. 3d 869, 134 Ill. Dec. 575, 1989 Ill. App. LEXIS 1134
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJuly 28, 1989
Docket1-88-3141
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 542 N.E.2d 921 (Harkins v. System Parking, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harkins v. System Parking, Inc., 542 N.E.2d 921, 186 Ill. App. 3d 869, 134 Ill. Dec. 575, 1989 Ill. App. LEXIS 1134 (Ill. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

JUSTICE McNAMARA

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiff, Elsie Harkins, appeals from an order entering summary judgment in favor of defendant, Systems Parking, Inc., d/b/a Systems Auto Park, Inc., in this negligence case.

The complaint alleges that on February 3, 1982, while walking across defendant’s parking lot, plaintiff fell on snow and ice and broke her hip. Plaintiff alleges that defendant negligently and knowingly left the premises in a defective and dangerous condition.

Defendant filed a motion for summary judgment on the ground that plaintiff was a trespasser who fell on a natural accumulation of snow and ice and thus it owed no duty to her.

Thereafter, plaintiff filed an amended complaint. She set forth defendant’s willful and wanton acts of misconduct and failure to warn plaintiff that the premises were in an unsafe condition concealed by snow and ice which was an unnatural accumulation.

Defendant filed another motion for summary judgment on the ground that plaintiff was a trespasser, or at best a licensee, and that defendant’s alleged wrongful conduct could not be characterized as willful and wanton.

On October 5, 1987, the court entered summary judgment for defendant, but granted plaintiff’s request for leave to file a second amended complaint and affidavit. Plaintiff’s affidavit states that she worked at the Bismark Hotel in Chicago and that every day, along with many other people, she walked across defendant’s parking lot to reach the hotel. Two days prior to her fall, there was an unnatural accumulation of ice and she saw defendant’s employee spreading salt across the parking lot. On February 3, 1982, it was snowing slightly. On the previous day, “cars which had been parked on the parking lot by the parking attendant caused tire ruts [to be formed] in the ice which was melted by the salt and covered by the snow that had accumulated on the ground.” Plaintiff “fell on one of the tire ruts which was caused by the salt which had previously melted the ice which had re-formed into a rut and [was] covered by snow.”

The second amended complaint alleged negligence in spreading salt, “said salt causing a natural accumulation of ice to become unnatural,” and failure to remove the melted ice. Plaintiff alleged she was a “permissive user” on the premises. No allegations regarding willful and wanton misconduct were included, or incorporated from previous complaints.

On September 22, 1988, the court granted defendant’s renewed motion for summary judgment. At the hearing, the court stated that under the undisputed facts, there was no evidence of aggravation of a natural condition other than the spreading of salt, which was not a basis for liability. Plaintiff had failed to come forward with evidence to show the ice and snow were unnatural. The court added that, although not pled, one might argue that defendant had a duty to warn of ruts, but that there could be no liability on such a theory because defendant owed no corresponding duty to protect plaintiff from the underlying condition. Plaintiff appeals.

Summary judgment is proper where the pleadings, depositions, affidavits and other documents show there is no genuine issue of material fact remaining and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Gilberg v. Toys “R” Us, Inc. (1984), 126 Ill. App. 3d 554, 467 N.E.2d 947; Erasmus v. Chicago Housing Authority (1980), 86 Ill. App. 3d 142, 407 N.E.2d 1031.

Plaintiff maintains that she was a licensee on defendant’s property, and defendant counters that she was a trespasser. To a trespasser or a licensee, a property owner owes only the duty not to willfully and wantonly injure that person. (Mentesana v. LaFranco (1979), 73 Ill. App. 3d 204, 391 N.E .2d 416.) We note that the Premises Liability Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 80, par. 301 et seq.) is not applicable here. (See Lorek v. Hollenkamp (1986), 144 Ill. App. 3d 1100, 495 N.E.2d 679.) Plaintiff in her second amended complaint fails to allege any willful and wanton misconduct, and only alleges mere negligence. (See Mentesana v. LaFranco (1979), 73 Ill. App. 3d 204, 391 N.E.2d 416.) We will not consider allegations contained in the prior, abandoned complaint. (See Cipolla v. Bloom Township High School District No. 206 (1979), 69 Ill. App. 3d 434, 388 N.E.2d 31.) Absent these allegations, plaintiff cannot recover.

Even if willful and wanton misconduct were sufficiently pleaded, plaintiff has failed to allege sufficient facts to recover. Plaintiff contends defendant’s negligence is a disputed, material issue of fact because after defendant salted the parking lot, ice melted and ruts were made by vehicles, the ruts froze, and new snow concealed the ruts and ice.

A property owner has no duty, and is not liable for injuries caused by, a natural accumulation of snow and ice. (Galivan v. Lincolnshire Inn (1986), 147 Ill. App. 3d 228, 497 N.E.2d 1331; Erasmus v. Chicago Housing Authority (1980), 86 Ill. App. 3d 142, 407 N.E.2d 1031.) However, a property owner does owe a duty and may be liable where the injuries are caused by an unnatural accumulation of ice and snow or the owner aggravates a natural condition. (Galivan v. Lincolnshire Inn (1986), 147 Ill. App. 3d 228, 497 N.E.2d 1331.) To withstand a motion for summary judgment, plaintiff must allege facts sufficient to permit a trier of fact to find there was an unnatural accumulation of ice and snow for which defendant was responsible. Galivan v. Lincolnshire Inn, 147 Ill. App. 3d 228, 497 N.E.2d 1331; Erasmus v. Chicago Housing Authority (1980), 86 Ill. App. 3d 142, 407 N.E.2d 1031; Gehrman v. Zajac (1975), 34 Ill. App. 3d 164, 340 N.E.2d 184.

Plaintiff points to the ruts made by vehicles. Ruts and uneven surfaces created by traffic in snow and ice are not considered unnatural and cannot form the basis for liability. (Galivan v. Lincolnshire Inn (1986), 147 Ill. App. 3d 228, 497 N.E.2d 1331 (court found no facts allowing a jury to find anything other than a natural accumulation where defendant’s parking lot was covered with icy ruts and ridges formed by tires of automobiles, and the lot had not been plowed, scraped or salted). See also Erasmus v. Chicago Housing Authority (1980), 86 Ill. App. 3d 142, 407 N.E.2d 1031

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Bluebook (online)
542 N.E.2d 921, 186 Ill. App. 3d 869, 134 Ill. Dec. 575, 1989 Ill. App. LEXIS 1134, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harkins-v-system-parking-inc-illappct-1989.