James Miller v. Miller Brothers Farms, Inc., Larry L. Miller, Garry Miller, and Allen Miller

Court of Appeals of Tennessee

James Miller v. Miller Brothers Farms, Inc., Larry L. Miller, Garry Miller, and Allen Miller

DecidedMarch 1, 1996

Docket03A01-9504-CH-00123

StatusPublished

This text of James Miller v. Miller Brothers Farms, Inc., Larry L. Miller, Garry Miller, and Allen Miller (James Miller v. Miller Brothers Farms, Inc., Larry L. Miller, Garry Miller, and Allen Miller) 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

James Miller v. Miller Brothers Farms, Inc., Larry L. Miller, Garry Miller, and Allen Miller, (Tenn. Ct. App. 1996).

Pincite

Opinion

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON FILED March 1, 1996

Cecil Crowson, Jr. Appellate C ourt Clerk J AMES M LLER I ) MONROE COUNTY ) 03A01- 9504- CH- 00123 Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l a nt ) ) ) v. ) HON. EARL H. HENLEY, ) CHANCELLOR ) M LLER BROTHERS FARM I S, I NC. ) LARRY L. M LLER, I ) GARRY M LLER a nd I ) ALLEN M LLER I ) ) De f e nda nt s - Appe l l e e s ) AFFI RMED AND REMANDED

J OHN W CLEVELAND OF SW . EETWATER FOR APPELLANT

J EFFREY L. CUNNI NGHAM OF ATHENS FOR APPELLEES

O P I N I O N

Godda r d, P. J .

Thi s i s t he s e c ond a ppe a l i n a c ont i nui ng di s put e

b e t we e n f our of t he s ons of Andr e w K. M l l e r , de c e a s e d; na me l y , i

J a me s M l l e r , La r r y L. M l l e r , Ga r r y M l l e r a nd Al l e n M l l e r . i i i i The s ui t gi vi ng r i s e t o t he pr e s e nt a ppe a l wa s f i l e d b y

J a me s M l l e r a ga i ns t M l l e r Br ot he r s Fa r ms , I nc . , a nd hi s t hr e e i i

b r o t he r s , La r r y L. , Ga r r y, a nd Al l e n M l l e r . i The or i gi na l

c o mp l a i nt c ont a i ne d t he f ol l owi ng t hr e e c ount s : Count One s ou g h t

t o t e r mi na t e a c e r t a i n l e a s e e nt e r e d i nt o be t we e n Andr e w K.

M l l e r a nd M l l e r Br ot he r s Fa r ms , I nc . , pr e di c a t e d upon t he i i

l e s s e e ' s f a i l ur e t o p a y r e nt a s r e qui r e d by t he l e a s e . At t r i a l

a n d o n a ppe a l f our ot he r de f i c i e nc i e s we r e a s s e r t e d: non- pa yme n t

o f t a xe s , f a i l ur e t o ma i nt a i n r e pl a c e me nt c os t i ns ur a nc e , f a i l u r e

t o ma i n t a i n pr ope r t y, a nd f a i l ur e t o de l i ve r i ns ur a nc e pr oc e e d s

t o t h e l e s s or . Count t wo s ought a pa r t i t i on of t he l a nds owne d

b y An d r e w K. M l l e r whi c h we r e i nhe r i t e d by hi s s ons , t he i

i n d i v i d ua l pa r t i e s t o t hi s s ui t . Count t hr e e s ought a j udi c i a l

d i s s o l u t i on of t he c or por a t i on be c a us e t he a c t i ons of t he

De f e n d a nt di r e c t or s we r e " unl a wf ul , oppr e s s i ve a nd f r a udul e nt ,

a n d t h a t t he y we r e mi s a ppl yi ng or wa s t i ng t he c or por a t e a s s e t s . "

The Cha nc e l l or r e f us e d t o de c l a r e a f or f e i t ur e of t h e

l e a s e o r a j udi c i a l di s s ol ut i on of t he c or por a t i on, r e s ul t i ng i n

t h i s a p pe a l by J a me s , i ns i s t i ng he wa s i n e r r or i n bot h r e s pe c t s .

At t he out s e t , t wo ma t t e r s ne e d t o be a ddr e s s e d.

Fi r s t , t he de c r e e i n t hi s c a us e i s not a f i na l one i n t ha t c ou n t

t wo h a s not be e n r e s ol ve d a nd r e ma i ns pe ndi ng. Howe ve r , be c a us e

t he v a l i di t y o f t he l e a s e i s s i gni f i c a nt i n de t e r mi ni ng t he va l ue

o f t h e pr ope r t y i f s ol d f or a pa r t i t i on unde r c ount t wo, we de e m

i t a p p r opr i a t e t o t r e a t t h i s a ppe a l bot h a s t o c ount s one a nd

2 t h r e e a s a Rul e 9 I nt e r l oc ut or y Appe a l a nd s us pe nd a l l unc ompl i e d

wi t h r e qui r e me nt s ne c e s s a r y f or s uc h a n a ppe a l .

Se c ond, t hr e e mo t i ons t o c ons i de r pos t - j udgme nt f a c t s

h a v e b e e n f i l e d, one by J a me s M l l e r a nd t he ot he r t wo by t he i

Ad mi ni s t r a t or , C. T. A. , f or t he Es t a t e of Andr e w K. M l l e r . i Al l

t h r e e a r e de ni e d b e c a us e e i t he r t he y do not me e t t he r e qui r e me nt s

o f Ru l e 14 of t he Te nne s s e e Rul e s of Appe l l a t e Pr oc e dur e f or s u c h

mo t i o n s , or do not a ddr e s s ma t t e r s ge r ma ne t o t he i s s ue s r a i s e d

i n t h i s a ppe a l .

As t o t he i s s ue r e l a t i ng t o f or f e i t ur e of t he l e a s e ,

t h e p e r t i ne nt pr ovi s i ons t he r e of a r e a s f ol l ows :

1. . . . .

Sh oul d a ny mont hl y i ns t a l l me nt r e ma i n i n de f a ul t t hi r t y ( 3 0) da ys , t he n a nd i n t ha t e ve nt t he Owne r ma y gi ve t h e Te na nt s a t hi r t y ( 30) da y wr i t t e n not i c e ma i l e d by c e r t i f i e d ma i l t o t he i r l a s t known a ddr e s s , d i r e c t i ng t h e Te na nt s t o c ur e t he de f i c i e nc y a nd br i ng t he p a yme nt t o da t e wi t hi n t hi r t y ( 30) da ys of t he wr i t t e n n o t i c e , a nd i n t he e ve nt t ha t t he y f a i l t o do s o t hi s c o nt r a c t or a ny ba l a nc e t he r e on, or a ny une xe r c i s e d r i ght s t he r e unde r , s h a l l be f or f e i t e d a nd t he ba l a nc e o f t he c ont r a c t de c l a r e d nul l a nd voi d a t t he opt i on of t h e Owne r .

2. The Le s s e e a gr e e s : ( a ) Tha t i t wi l l pa y t he s a i d r e nt a t t he t i me s a n d i n t he ma nne r a f or e s a i d.

( b) Dur i ng t he t e r m he r e of t he Le s s e e s ha l l pa y a l l o f t he r e a l e s t a t e t a xe s a nd i n t he e ve nt t he y f a i l t o do s o, t he Le s s or s ha l l pa y t he t a xe s a nd t he a mount t h us pa i d s ha l l be a dde d a nd be pa i d a s a pa r t of t he r e nt a l he r e i n pr ovi de d.

( c ) Tha t i t wi l l dur i ng t he s a i d t e r m i ns ur e a n d ke e p i ns ur e d i n t he na me of t he l e s s or a ny a nd a l l

3 b u i l di ngs on t he pr e mi s e s f r om l os s a nd ke e p t he m i n s ur e d i n t he na me of t he Le s s or f r om l os s or da ma ge b y f i r e i n a t l e a s t a s um e qua l t o t he c os t t o r e pl a c e s a i d bui l di ngs i n i ns ur a nc e c ompa ni e s t o be a ppr ove d by t he Le s s or , a nd t ha t i t wi l l pa y a l l t he pr e mi ums n e c e s s a r y f or t hos e p ur pos e s pr ompt l y a f t e r t he s a me s h a l l be c ome due , a nd wi l l pr ompt l y de l i ve r t o t he Le s s or t he pol i c i e s of i ns ur a nc e a nd t he r e c e i pt s f or s u c h pr e mi ums : Pr ovi de d, t ha t i f t he Le s s e e s ha l l a t a n y t i me f a i l t o i ns ur e or ke e p i ns ur e d a s a f or e s a i d, t h e Le s s or ma y do a l l t hi ngs ne c e s s a r y t o e f f e c t or ma i nt a i n s uc h i ns ur a n c e , a nd a ny mone ys e xpe nde d t o hi m f o r t ha t p ur c ha s e s ha l l be r e pa ya bl e by t he Le s s e e on d e ma nd, a nd ma y b e r e c ove r e d a s r e nt i n a r r e a r .

. . . .

( g) Tha t i t wi l l ke e p a l l bui l di ngs a nd pr e mi s e s , i n c l udi ng t he pl umbi ng a nd e l e c t r i c a l s ys t e ms , i n s uc h r e pa i r a s t he s a me a r e a t t he c omme nc e me nt of t he s a i d t e r m or ma y be put i n dur i ng t he c ont i nua nc e t he r e of , r e a s ona bl e we a r a nd t e a r a nd da ma ge by f i r e or ot he r u n a voi da bl e c a s ua l t y onl y e xpe c t e d [ s i c ] a nd wi l l p r ompt l y r e pl a c e a l l gl a s s t he r e of br oke n dur i ng t he s a i d t e r m by ot he r of t he s a me s i z e a nd qua l i t y.

4.

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