McDonald v. Wingard

309 So. 2d 192
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMarch 14, 1975
DocketV-136
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 309 So. 2d 192 (McDonald v. Wingard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McDonald v. Wingard, 309 So. 2d 192 (Fla. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

309 So.2d 192 (1975)

Thomas V. McDonald and Eunlce R. McDonald, Appellants,
v.
J.D. WINGARD, Appellee.

No. V-136.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.

March 14, 1975.

Leo A. Thomas, of Levin, Warfield, Graff, Mabie & Rosenbloum, Pensacola, for appellants.

Robert P. Gaines, of Beggs, Lane, Daniel, Gaines & Davis, Pensacola, for appellee.

BOYER, Judge.

This appeal emanates from a final summary judgment in favor of the defendant in a "slip and fall" case.

*193 The "statement of facts" contained in appellee's brief states that J.D. Wingard (appellee) purchased a residence in Crestview, Florida, to which he had repairs made by one Churchwell. The repairs included painting of a concrete front porch with a paint especially designed to be used on poured concrete surfaces. Subsequent to the repairs, the dwelling was rented to Mattie Davis (tenant). Thomas V. McDonald (one of the appellants) was a door-to-door salesman who had called on Mattie Davis at the subject premises on many previous occasions. On the day of his injury, it was raining and he could see that the concrete front porch was wet. As he walked across it, his foot slipped and he was injured. Based upon the depositions of Mr. Wingard, Mr. Churchwell and Mr. McDonald the trial court found that there was no genuine issue as to any material fact in regard to the liability of the landlord to the tenant's invitee, and summary judgment was thereupon entered.

In appellants' reply brief it is stated that "we agree with the case and facts as stated by appellee", therefore it appears that the facts are not in dispute. However, elsewhere in the record we find that the landlord (Wingard) concedes that during the period of rental to the tenant the landlord was responsible for repairs to the subject premises. Further, it appears that the tenant had advised her landlord that the porch was very slippery when wet during rainy weather.

The first issue to be resolved by us is whether the landlord by virtue of his rental of the entire premises to the tenant thereby absolved himself from any liability to persons who might thereafter be injured on the premises as a result of defects thereat. (The record reveals an affidavit, the allegations of which are sufficient to raise a factual issue as to whether the premises were in fact defective. It was therefore necessary, of course, in passing on the motion for summary judgment to assume, for the purpose of that motion, that the premises were so defective.)

In Simms v. Kennedy, Sup.Ct.Fla. 1917, 74 Fla. 411, 76 So. 739, the Supreme Court of Florida, considering an appeal in a personal injury action arising out of injuries sustained by a pedestrian on a public side-walk who was injured by the falling of a part of an awning overhanging the side-walk but attached to an abutting building, held that a tenant or occupant of premises having the entire control thereof is, so far as third persons are concerned, the owner and that prima facie where the tenant is in entire possession, occupancy and control of the premises and the premises were in good condition at the commencement of the landlord-tenant relationship the landlord is not liable in damages for injuries to third persons caused by defects in the premises. The Court further stated however, that a landlord may be liable to third persons for injuries caused by defects in demised premises during the term of the demise, when the defect or condition of the premises at the commencement of the relationship was a violation of law, or was in the nature of a nuisance existing or incipient because of negligent construction or otherwise, or when the landlord has entire or partial control of the premises, or is required by law or undertakes to keep or assist in keeping the premises in repair, or where the landlord's negligence or participation is a proximate cause of the injury.

In Brooks v. Peters, 1946, 157 Fla. 141, 25 So.2d 205, an oft cited case, a tenant was injured by an explosion of gas which was used to heat water in an apartment building in which was located the apartment rented by the tenant from the landlord. There the Supreme Court, citing Simms v. Kennedy, supra (and other cases) recited "It is not disputed that the supervision and control of both the cubbyhole and the heating equipment * * * passed from the defendant Peters * * * to the plaintiffs and continued in them until the explosion and injury * * * ". Basing its *194 affirmance of a final judgment on demurrer for the defendant squarely upon control by the tenant the Court said:

"It is established law that when a landlord delivers to the tenant possession and control of the demised premises, including the plumbing, drains, and appliances for heating, lighting, and power, the landlord is not liable for an injury to the property or person of the tenant or those on the premises in the right of the tenant, although such injuries are attributable to defects in such apparatus, appliances or fixtures. Thus a tenant may not hold a landlord liable for injuries caused by explosion of plumbing, or heating apparatus on premises, the possession and control of which have been surrendered to him in the absence of fraud or concealment. 32 Am.Jur. 624, 625, § 746.
"The landlord's liability is based on his right of control over the appliances and he is not liable for injuries from defects in appliances located on the leased premises if he does not reserve control thereof, and accordingly it has been held that he is not liable for defects in water pipes in an apartment when the only purpose of such pipes is to supply and distribute water for the apartment. On the other hand, he is liable for defects in pipes on the leased premises if he retains control thereof. Tiffany on Landlord and Tenant, Vol. 1, pages 644, 645, par. 92.
"Where the landlord surrenders possession and control of the leased premises to the tenant, in the absence of fraud or concealment, the tenant assumes the risk as to the condition of the premises, including the heating, lighting apparatus, plumbing, water pipes, sewers, etc. In other words, the rule of caveat emptor applies, hence the landlord is not liable for any personal injuries or sickness of tenants, although attributable to the defects in the fixtures. See Mansell v. Hands, 235 Mass. 253, 126 N.E. 391, 13 A.L.R. 835, and annotations; Gobrecht v. Beckwith, 82 N.H. 415, 135 A. 20, 52 A.L.R. 858, and annotations." (25 So.2d at pages 206 and 207)

Control, therefore, appears to be an all important factor. (See Nussbaum v. Sovereign Hotel Corp., Sup.Ct.Fla. 1954, 72 So.2d 814)

In Propper v. Kesner, Sup.Ct.Fla. 1958, 104 So.2d 1, our Supreme Court distinguished, but did not recede from, Brooks v. Peters, supra, observing that "in that case there was no notice to the landlord of any possible defective condition of the heater, no covenant to repair, and no reservation by the landlord of any control over the appliance." In Propper v. Kesner, the Supreme Court reversed a judgment entered on a directed verdict for the landlord reciting that there the landlord had specifically instructed a tenant not to make repairs and the injury to the tenant occurred after the tenant had reported the defective condition to the landlord and the landlord had specifically directed the tenant to take the action which she did.

This Court, in Wiley v. Dow, Fla.App. 1st 1958, 107 So.2d 166, citing Brooks v.

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Related

Kapetanopoulos v. Herbert
449 So. 2d 947 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1984)
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348 So. 2d 573 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1977)

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Bluebook (online)
309 So. 2d 192, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcdonald-v-wingard-fladistctapp-1975.