James Slyman v. National Knife Collectors Association

Court of Appeals of Tennessee

James Slyman v. National Knife Collectors Association

DecidedOctober 1, 1997

Docket03A01-9703-CV-00094

StatusPublished

This text of James Slyman v. National Knife Collectors Association (James Slyman v. National Knife Collectors Association) 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 Slyman v. National Knife Collectors Association, (Tenn. Ct. App. 1997).

Pincite

Opinion

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON FILED October 1, 1997

Cecil Crowson, Jr. Appellate C ourt Clerk

J AMES SLYMAN ) HAM LTON COUNTY I ) 03A01- 9703- CV- 00094 Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l e e ) ) ) v. ) HON. SAMUEL H. PAYNE, ) J UDGE ) NATI ONAL KNI FE COLLECTORS ) ASSOCI ATI ON ) ) De f e nda nt - Appe l l a nt ) AFFI RMED AND REMANDED

W LLI AM R. HANNAH OF CHATTANOOGA FOR APPELLANT I

ERSKI NE P. MABEE OF CHATTANOOGA FOR APPELLEE

O P I N I O N

Godda r d, P. J .

I n t hi s j ur y c a s e , Na t i ona l Kni f e Col l e c t or s

As s o c i a t i on a ppe a l s a $5000 j udgme nt r e nde r e d a ga i ns t i t i n f a v o r

o f J a me s Sl yma n, r a i s i ng t he f ol l owi ng t wo i s s ue s on a ppe a l ,

n e i t h e r of whi c h que s t i ons t he a mount of t he a wa r d:

1. W t he r t he Tr i a l Cour t e r r e d i n f a i l i ng t o he h o l d a s a ma t t e r of l a w t ha t pl a i nt i f f c oul d not r e c ove r a ga i ns t de f e nda nt f or de f a ma t i on. 2. W t he r t he Tr i a l Cour t e r r e d i n f a i l i ng t o he h o l d a s a ma t t e r of l a w t ha t t he 90/ 10 r ul e wa s not s e l e c t i ve l y e nf or c e d.

The c ompl a i nt s o ught da ma ge s a ga i ns t t he As s oc i a t i on 1 a n d i t s Pr e s i de nt , Bob Ca r gi l l , upon t wo t he or i e s . The f i r s t

wa s l i b e l , a nd t he s e c ond br e a c h of c ont r a c t . The l i be l t he or y

s t e ms f r om a n a l t e r c a t i on be t we e n M . Ca r gi l l a nd M . Sl yma n, r r

o c c u r r i ng on Se pt e mbe r 25, 1994, whe n M . Ca r gi l l a c c os t e d M . r r

Sl y ma n wi t h r e ga r d t o M . Sl yma n' s c onve r s a t i on t he da y be f or e r

wi t h Li s a Br oyl e s , who wa s e mpl oye d by t he As s oc i a t i on a s a n

e d i t o r of i t s ma ga z i ne a nd ma na ge r of i t s mus e um. The

c o n v e r s a t i on wi t h M . Br oy l e s c onc e r ne d M . Sl yma n' s be l i e f t h a t s r

t h e a d v e r t i s i ng f or a s how be i ng he l d i n Loui s vi l l e , Ke nt uc ky,

wa s i ns uf f i c i e nt .

As a l r e a dy not e d, M . Ca r gi l l c onf r ont e d M . Sl yma n r r

r e g a r d i ng hi s t r e a t me nt of M . Br oyl e s . s Thi s r e s ul t e d, a c c or d i n g

t o M . Ca r gi l l , i n hi s be i ng phys i c a l l y a s s a ul t e d by M . Sl yma n , r r

a n a c c u s a t i on whi c h M . Sl yma n s t e a df a s t l y de ni e d. r

Subs e que nt t o t h e c onf r ont a t i on, whi c h oc c ur r e d on

Se p t e mb e r 24, 1994, M . Ca r gi l l , on be ha l f of t he As s oc i a t i on, r

s e n t a l e t t e r t o M . Sl yma n da t e d Oc t obe r 11, 1994, whi c h s t a t e d r

t h e f o l l owi ng:

1 M . r Ca r g i l l wa s e x o n e r a t e d b y t h e j u r y .

2 Du e t o your c ont i nua l r e f us a l t o c ompl y wi t h t he NKCA s h ow r ul e t ha t 90% of your me r c ha ndi s e mus t be kni ve s , a n d your phys i c a l a t t a c k on me a t t he r e c e nt Loui s vi l l e NKCA Kni f e Show, you wi l l not be a l l owe d t o s e t up a t a n y NKCA Shows unt i l f ur t he r not i c e .

The p r e di c a t e f or t he l i be l s ui t i s t he s t a t e me nt i n

t h e l e t t e r a c c us i ng M . Sl yma n of a phys i c a l a t t a c k. r Copi e s of

t h e l e t t e r we r e s e nt t o t he c ha i r ma n of s hows t o be he l d i n

Ci nc i nn a t i , Ohi o, Spr i ngf i e l d, I l l i noi s , a nd Cha t t a nooga .

Al t hough a l mos t a l l of t he pa r t i e s ' br i e f s a r e di r e c t e d

t o t h e i s s ue of l i be l , we be l i e ve , f or t he r e a s ons he r e i na f t e r

s e t o u t , t he s e c ond i s s ue i s di s pos i t i ve of t hi s a ppe a l .

W t h r e ga r d t o t he s e c ond i s s ue , t he As s oc i a t i on ha s i

wh a t i s known a s a 90- 10 Rul e , whi c h i s s e t out i n i t s Pol i c i e s

a n d Pr o c e dur e s :

I I I - 5. 2 De a l e r s ha l l a gr e e t ha t 90% of t he di s pl a ye d me r c ha ndi s e s ha l l be c ut l e r y or c ut l er y r e l a t e d ma t e r i a l s . Any e xc e pt i ons t o t hi s a gr e e me nt mus t ha ve pr i or a ppr ova l of t he s how c ha i r ma n/ ma na ge r .

The e vi de nc e i s i n di s put e a s t o whe t he r ot he r

e x h i bi t o r s we r e a l l owe d t o vi ol a t e t hi s Rul e wi t h i mpuni t y, a s

wa s M . Sl yma n unt i l t he c onf r ont a t i on be t we e n hi m a nd M . r r

Ca r g i l l r e ga r di ng M . Sl yma n' s t r e a t me nt of M . Br oyl e s . r s

3 Al t hough, a s a l r e a dy not e d, t he c ompl a i nt s ought

d a ma ge s f or b r e a c h o f c ont r a c t , t he c a s e wa s t r i e d on t he t he or y

t h a t t h e As s oc i a t i on s e l e c t i ve l y e nf or c e d t he r ul e by pe na l i z i n g

h i m f o r non- c ompl i a nc e , but not ot he r e xhi bi t or s , a nd a l s o on t h e

t h e o r y t ha t be c a us e t he As s oc i a t i on ha d a l l owe d hi m t o vi ol a t e

t he r u l e i n t i me s p a s t he wa s e nt i t l e d t o r e a s ona bl e not i c e t ha t

i n t h e f ut ur e t he r ul e wou l d be e nf or c e d.

As a r e s ul t , M . Sl yma n wa s not a bl e t o pa r t i c i pa t e i n r

t he i r f u t ur e e xhi bi t s h e l d i n Ci nc i nna t i , Spr i ngf i e l d, a nd

Ch a t t a n ooga , f or whi c h he ha d a l r e a dy pa i d a f e e . Al t hough

u l t i ma t e l y t he f e e wa s r e t ur ne d by M . Ca r gi l l ' s l e t t e r of r

Oc t o b e r 11, M . Sl yma n ne ve r t he l e s s c ont e nds he s uf f e r e d da ma g e s r

a s a r e s ul t of be i ng ba r r e d f r om di s pl a yi ng hi s wa r e s , f or whi c h

he s ue s .

W f i r s t not e t ha t unde r s i mi l a r c i r c ums t a nc e s t he e

Su p r e me Cour t he l d i n Li ve l y v. Dr a ke , 629 S. W 2d 900 ( Te nn. .

1 9 8 2 ) , t ha t a de bt or , whos e i ns t a l l me nt l oa n wa s s e c ur e d by a

d e e d o f t r us t , wa s e nt i t l e d t o a r e a s ona bl e not i c e f r om t he

l e nd e r t ha t t he i r r e gul a r pa yme nt s he r e t of or e a c c e pt e d mus t be

ma d e i n a c c or da nc e wi t h t h e not e e vi de nc i ng t he i nde bt e dne s s

b e f o r e f or e c l os ur e of t he pr ope r t y c oul d be a c c ompl i s he d. In

r e a c h i n g t hi s c onc l us i on t he Supr e me Cour t s a i d t he f ol l owi ng ( a t

p a g e 9 0 3) :

4 I t i s a l s o s e t t l e d, h owe ve r , t hat as a r e s ul t of a c o ur s e of de a l i ng be t we e n pa r t i e s , t he hol de r of a n i n de bt e dne s s ma y be de e me d t o ha ve wa i ve d t he r i ght t o a c c e l e r a t e wi t hout gi vi ng pr i or not i ce t o t he de bt or of h i s i nt e nt i on t o do s o. As s t a t e d by t he Cour t of Ap pe a l s :

" The r e i s a not h e r t he or y upon whi c h t he Ch a nc e l l or ' s de t e r mi na t i on mi ght be s us t a i ne d, vi z . : t he c onduc t of t he pa r t i e s ha s be e n s uc h t ha t a n i mpl i e d modi f i c a t i on of t he t e r ms of t he a g r e e me nt e xi s t e d, b y whi c h t he de bt or wa s a l l owe d t o mi s s p a yme nt s f r om t i me t o t i me , a nd unt i l t he c r e di t or ga ve a c t ua l not i c e of hi s i nt e nt t o r e l y on t h e ol d t e r ms no de f a ul t a nd f or e c l os ur e c oul d be a c c ompl i s he d. "

The t he or y of s e l e c t i ve e nf or c e me nt a nd l a c k of not i c e

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