Joshua L. Faw v. Kyle S. Parker, Et Ux

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedDecember 10, 2013
Docket42840-7
StatusUnpublished

This text of Joshua L. Faw v. Kyle S. Parker, Et Ux (Joshua L. Faw v. Kyle S. Parker, Et Ux) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Joshua L. Faw v. Kyle S. Parker, Et Ux, (Wash. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

FILL -D APPEALS Is10t it IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHIlN,, T 4, 10 ti l

DIVISION II

JOSHUA L. FAW, a single person, 12 MIbD- M

Appellant,

AIM

TARA MILLAM, individually; JEFFREY L. l J 1 ill C A t ` 01 ! I J ' 1 1 [ ]

MILLAM, individually; and TARA MILLAM and JEFFREY L. MILLAM, formerly wife and husband, and the marital community composed thereof,

Respondents,

and

KYLE S. PARKER, individually; " JANE DOE" PARKER, individually; and KYLE S. PARKER and " JANE DOE" PARKER, husband and wife, and the marital community composed thereof,

Defendants.

HUNT, J. — Joshua L. Faw appeals the superior court' s summary judgment dismissal of

his tort claims against Tara Millam and her husband, Jeffrey L. Millam. Faw' s claims arise from

a collision with a Toyota Paseo driven by Kyle S. Parked, given to him by Tara Millam. Faw

argues that ( 1) there were genuine issues of material fact about whether the Millams owned the

vehicle or had negligently entrusted it to Parker at the time of the accident, precluding summary

judgment; ( 2) the trial court erred in ruling admissible under ER 1003 the " Bill of Sale" ( gifting

the Paseo from Tara Millam to Parker as an acceptable duplicate of the original; and ( 3) the trial

1 Faw' s claim against Parker is not at issue in this appeal. No. 42840 -7 -II

court erred in failing to address whether the Pasco was the. Millams' community property. We

affirm the superior court' s summary judgment dismissal of Faw' s claims against the Millams.2 FACTS

On August 3, 2009, Kyle S. Parker was racing another driver on a public street in Pierce

County, driving a 1992 Toyota Pasco, which Tara Millam had given him several weeks earlier in

Oklahoma. Parker' s Pasco crossed the center line and struck Joshua Faw' s oncoming vehicle,

causing Faw numerous serious and permanent injuries, and disabling him for life. Parker, whose

Washington driver' s license had been previously suspended, pleaded guilty to a criminal charge

of vehicular assault based on this incident and was sentenced to jail.

3, " On January 19, 2010, Faw filed a personal injury action against Parker Jane Doe"

Millam4,

Parker, Tara Millam, and " John Doe" alleging that, as the Pasco' s owner, Tara' had

negligently entrusted it to Parker. The Millams moved for summary judgment, arguing that they

no longer owned the Pasco at the time of the accident. In support of their motion, Tara submitted

a declaration, exhibits, and deposition statements asserting that ( 1) she was friends with Parker

and his brother, who had helped her move from Washington to Oklahoma in February 2009,

driving a Haul; ( 2) she and Parker had gone together to the Oklahoma Department of U-

Licensing, surrendered their Washington driver' s licenses, and received Oklahoma driver' s

2 Accordingly, we need not address Faw' s other arguments. 3 Although Faw' s complaint referenced a " Jane Doe" Parker, nothing in the record before us reflects that Kyle Parker is or was married.

4 Faw' s original complaint referred to Tara Millam' s former husband as " John Doe" Millam; but his second amended complaint refers to Tara' s former husband as Jeffrey L. Millam.

We use Tara Millam' s first name for clarity as necessary. We intend no disrespect.

2 No. 42840 -7 -II

licenses; ( 3) she did not know that Parker' s Washington driver' s license had been suspended; ( 4)

when the Parkers' van suffered an engine malfunction, she had purchased them a 1992 Toyota

6 Paseo, which Tara drove only once; ( 5) on July 13, 2009, she had written a " bill of sale " that

7 purported to gift the Paseo to Kyle Parker, Clerk' s Papers ( CP) at 174; ( 6) the Paseo and Kyle

Parker were insured under her ( Tara' s) insurance policy when the Parker brothers drove it to

Washington; and ( 7) on July 30, she had informed her insurer that she no longer owned the 8 Toyota Paseo and instructed her insurer to remove the Paseo and Kyle Parker from her policy.

The Millams also submitted Parker' s declaration that there were no conditions attached to Tara' s

gift of the Paseo to him and no expectations that he would return it to her.

The superior court granted summary judgment to the Millams and dismissed Faw' s action

against them for the following reasons: ( 1) under Oklahoma law (which controlled ownership of 9; ( the Paseo), Parker was the owner at the time of the accident 2) there was " no evidence that

Tara Millam knew or had any reason to know that Kyle Parker was reckless, heedless or

incompetent in the operation of [the] automobile "; ( 3) under Washington law ( which controlled

whether the Millams were liable to third party Faw in Washington), Faw failed to raise a genuine

6 The Millams presented a copy of this bill of sale to the court. 7 Tara and Parker declared that the document submitted as a copy of the " bill of sale" was

authentic and was a true copy of the original created by Tara Millam. CP at 14. The original bill of sale" had been in the Paseo' s glove compartment, that the police had seized the vehicle, and that the document had been destroyed when the car was crushed. CP at 54.

8 The Millams also submitted an Allstate Insurance representative' s declaration that Tara Millam had removed Parker and the Paseo from her insurance policy because she said that she no longer owned it.

9 The superior court did not expressly rule on the admissibility of the " Bill of Sale," which

purportedly reflected Tara' s gift of the Paseo to Parker.

3 No. 42840 -7 -II

issue of material fact about Tara' s knowledge of Parker' s competence to drive; and ( 4) the

Millams were not liable to Faw as a matter of law. 10 Verbatim Report of Proceedings ( VRP) at

25. Faw appealed the superior court' s summary judgment dismissal of his action against the

Millams. 11

ANALYSIS

I. SUMMARY JUDGMENT DISMISSAL OF CLAIMS AGAINST THE MILLAMS

Faw argues several grounds to support his contention that the superior court erred in

dismissing his claims against the Millams. He contends that the Millams owned the Paseo,

negligently entrusted it to Parker,. and, therefore, were liable to Faw for his injuries. These

arguments fail.

We review de novo summary judgment orders, engaging in the same inquiry as the trial

court and treating all facts and inferences in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party,

here, Faw. Hisle v. Todd Pac. Shipyards Corp., 151 Wn.2d 853, 860, 93 P. 3d 108 ( 2004).

Summary judgment is proper where there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, the moving

party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law, and a reasonable person could reach only one

conclusion. Saddle Mountain Minerals, LLC v. Joshi, 152 Wn.2d 242, 248 -49, 95 P. 3d 1236

2004); Lamon v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., 91 Wn.2d 345, 350, 588 P. 2d 1346 ( 1979).

10 Accordingly, the superior court did not reach the issue of whether the Paseo was the Millams' separate or community property.

11 Our court initially treated Faw' s notice of appeal as a petition for discretionary review under RAP 6. 2. Our court commissioner later re- converted this petition to a notice of appeal.

rd No. 42840 -7 -II

A. No Third Party Liability Based on Vehicle Ownership 12 Faw first argues that, under either Oklahoma or Washington law, the Millams should be

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