Jackling v. Snyder

411 P.2d 822, 3 Ariz. App. 63, 1966 Ariz. App. LEXIS 543
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedMarch 11, 1966
Docket1 CA-CIV 163
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 411 P.2d 822 (Jackling v. Snyder) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jackling v. Snyder, 411 P.2d 822, 3 Ariz. App. 63, 1966 Ariz. App. LEXIS 543 (Ark. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

CAMERON, Judge.

This is an appeal from an order denying a motion for new trial after a jury verdict and judgment in favor of the plaintiff, Snyder, against the defendants, Joseph J. and Inez E. Jackling, in the amount of $2,512.50.

We are called upon to determine whether a person who holds himself out as a “golf course architect” is an “architect” within the meaning of the Arizona Revised Statutes and therefore required to be licensed by the State of Arizona to perform such services. We are also asked to determine whether a written contract for planning and supervising the construction of a golf course which provided for payments of percentage amounts during construction of the golf course is divisible, thereby allowing the plaintiff to maintain an action for its breach even though the total contract may not have been completed on his part.

The facts as are necessary for a determination of this matter on appeal are as follows: Defendants, Jacklings, owned approximately 40 acres of land near Sedona, Arizona, and desired to construct a nine-hole, “par three” golf course in connection with the development of the property. Joseph J. Jackling contacted the plaintiff, Arthur Jack Snyder, to prepare plans and specifications to consist of a preliminary plan showing the location of the golf course on the tract of the land including tees, fairways, detailed plans and specifications of the greens and irrigation system. Snyder was also to assist in the staking of the locations and to check the progress of construction to insure the correct interpretation and development of the plans by the grading and irrigation contractors.

Snyder’s business card at the time he entered into the agreement with Jackling, stated he was a “Landscape Architect and Golf Course Architect”. His business cards at a later date stated, “Golf Course Architect and Turf Grass Consultant”. It is the testimony of Mr. Jackling that at the time he entered into the contract with Snyder, he believed Snyder to be a registered architect licensed by the State of Arizona. The testimony of Mr. Snyder indicates that at the time he moved to Arizona, he called the Arizona Board of Technical Registration to determine if he would need to be licensed as a golf course architect. His testimony was to the effect that he was informed that no license or registration for golf course architects or landscape architects was required. Mr. Snyder holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University, and has been in the business of designing and supervising the construction of golf courses for many years. Testimony indicates that he has designed and supervised the construction of other golf courses in Arizona and New Mexico. It is undisputed that Snyder is not registered as an architect or in any other capacity with the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration.

The contract between Jackling and Snyder provided that Snyder was to receive *65 the gross sum of $3,750.00 payable as follows:

(1) . 50% upon completion and acceptance by Jackling of the plans and specifications.
(2) . 25% at completion of the rough grading.
(3) . 25% at completion of the seeding . operation.

The testimony is ample to support a finding that at' the time Snyder discontinued his work, that the rough grading portion of the golf course had been completed and that Snyder had received the amount of $300.00 on the contract.

We will first discuss whether the plaintiff, Snyder, is an architect within the meaning of the Arizona Revised Statutes. It is the contention of Jackling that pursuant to Northen v. Elledge, 72 Ariz. 166, 232 P.2d 111 (1951), if Snyder is required to be a licensed architect and does not have a license, then he would be precluded from successfully bringing suit upon his contract of employment. It is the contention of Jackling that the work Snyder performed brings him within the provisions of the Arizona Revised Statutes. Jackling further contends that even if Snyder is not within the exact provisions of the statute, that by holding himself out as an “architect” he places himself under the statute. We do not agree with Jackling’s position that Snyder is an architect within the meaning of the Arizona Revised Statutes which read in part as follows:

“1. ‘Architect’ means a person who, by reason of his knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences, and the principles of architecture and architectural engineering, acquired by professional education, practical experience, or both, is qualified to engage in the practice of architecture as attested by his registration as an architect.
“2. ‘Architectural practice’ means any service or creative work requiring architectural education, training and experience, and the application of the mathematical and physical sciences and the principles of architecture and architectural engineering to such professional services or creative work as consultation, evaluation, planning, design and supervision of construction for the purpose of assuring compliance with specifications and design, in connection with any building, or site development. A person shall be deemed to practice or offer to practice architecture who in any manner represents himself to be an architect, or holds himself out as able to perform any architectural service or other services recognized by educational authorities as architecture.” 32-101, subsecs. 1, 2 A.R.S.
Architecture,
“is defined in the Encyclopedia Britannica as ‘the art of building in such a way as to accord with principles determined, not merely by the ends the edifice is intended to serve, but by high considerations of beauty and harmony. * * * The end of architecture as an art is so to arrange the plan, masses and enrichments of a structure as to impart to it interest, beauty, grandeur, unity, power. Architecture thus necessitates the possession by the builder of gifts of imagination as well as of technical skill.’
“The elements of stability and strength are combined with ornamentation in all practical concepts and definitions of architecture. In the Standard Dictionary the definition of an architect is: ‘One skilled in practical architecture; one whose profession it is to devise the plans and ornamentation of buildings or other structures and direct their construction.’ ” State Board of Examiners, etc. v. Rodgers, 167 Tenn. 374, 69 S.W.2d 1093 at 1094 (1934).

We do not believe that the definition given in the Arizona Revised Statutes concerning “site development” is broad enough to cover the occupation of the plaintiff Snyder. In order for the plaintiff Snyder to *66 be controlled by the statute (32-101 A.R.S.), and to be subject to its requirements and possible penalties for failure to register with the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration, the act must clearly include the plaintiff in his line of endeavor, that of developing golf courses. It is the contention of Jackling that an architect would or could normally design and supervise the construction of a golf course.

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Related

Siegal v. Haver
417 P.2d 928 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1966)

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Bluebook (online)
411 P.2d 822, 3 Ariz. App. 63, 1966 Ariz. App. LEXIS 543, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jackling-v-snyder-arizctapp-1966.