Michael Keith PINZONE v. PAPA'S WINGS, INC.

72 So. 3d 620, 2010 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 189, 2010 WL 2712689
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedJuly 9, 2010
Docket2090472
StatusPublished

This text of 72 So. 3d 620 (Michael Keith PINZONE v. PAPA'S WINGS, INC.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Michael Keith PINZONE v. PAPA'S WINGS, INC., 72 So. 3d 620, 2010 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 189, 2010 WL 2712689 (Ala. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

THOMAS, Judge.

Michael Keith Pinzone appeals from the judgment of the Baldwin Circuit Court enjoining him from operating pizza restaurants using the Papa’s Pizza name and logo within the corporate limits of Fair-hope and declaring that Papa’s Wings, Inc., owns the exclusive rights to use that name and logo within the corporate limits of Fairhope.

Facts and Procedural History

In 1993, Pinzone opened a pizza restaurant in Fairhope (“the Fairhope business”) under the name Papa’s Pizza. Pinzone also entered into franchise agreements with other individuals to operate Pappa’s Pizza restaurants in other cities. In 1997, Pinzone, in his individual capacity, registered with the state a logo that he used in association with his business as a service mark; in 2002, Pinzone registered the name Papa’s Pizza. Pinzone divorced Donna Brill in 1997, and, as part of the settlement agreement entered into between Pinzone and Brill and incorporated into the judgment divorcing Pinzone and Brill, Pinzone agreed to transfer his interest in the Fairhope business to Brill in lieu of paying child support. The settlement agreement stated, in part, that

“the business heretofore owned by [Pin-zone] known as Papa’s Pizza-Fairhope, Inc., located at 300 Village Square, Fair-hope, Alabama 36532, is awarded to [Brill]. Within thirty (30) days from the date of the decree of divorce, [Pinzone] shall take all necessary and proper measures to divest himself of any interest whatsoever in the above mentioned corporation and to vest [Brill] as the sole owner of said business. If, at any time within twelve (12) months immediately following the date of the decree of divorce, [Brill] decides to sell the business, she shall give [Pinzone] the first right of refusal.”

Brill operated the Fairhope business for over one year, and then, in 1998, she sold it to Dennis Nicholson, one of the owners of Papa’s Wings, Inc. The contract between Brill and Nicholson stated that Brill had sold to Nicholson “Papa’s Pizza located at 300 Village Sq. Fairhope Al. with the right to use the name Papa’s Pizza and logo in Fairhope only. This restaurant name and logo and all its interest were given to [Brill] in lieu of child support at [the time of Brill’s divorce from Pinzone].” The contract further stated that Brill was not “selling any other rights to [the] name and logo given to [Brill] by her divorce.” Nicholson subsequently transferred ownership of the Fairhope business to Papa’s Wings, Inc., a corporation owned by Nicholson and other members of his family. At the time Nicholson purchased the Fair-hope business from Brill, he was operating, as part owner of other corporations, two other Pappa’s Pizza locations — both operating under franchise agreements entered into between those corporations and Pinzone. The corporations that owned the non-Fairhope Papa’s Pizza locations paid Pinzone royalties under the franchise agreement for the right to use the Papa’s Pizza name and logo in association with the two non-Fairhope locations; Papa’s Wings, Inc., did not pay any royalties in connection with operation of the Fairhope business.

Papa’s Wings, Inc., operated the Fair-hope business until 2006, when it closed its location at 300 Village Square with the intention of relocating the Fairhope business to another location in Fairhope. When Papa’s Wings, Inc., closed the Fair-hope business at 300 Village Square, Pin-zone directed an attorney representing his interests to send Papa’s Wings, Inc., a letter stating that if Papa’s Wings, Inc., opened a Papa’s Pizza in any location in Fairhope other than at 300 Village Square [623]*623it would have to enter into a franchise agreement and pay royalties to Pinzone in exchange for the right to operate at that location.

In 2008, Pinzone decided to open a Papa’s Pizza restaurant in Fairhope. After Nicholson learned of Pinzone’s intentions to open a Papa’s Pizza restaurant in Fairhope, Papa’s Wings, Inc., filed a complaint in the trial court requesting that it enjoin Pinzone from operating a restaurant using the Papa’s Pizza name and logo in Fairhope and seeking a judgment declaring that Papa’s Wings, Inc., had the exclusive right to use the Papa’s Pizza name and logo in Fairhope.1

After holding a hearing at which it heard ore tenus evidence, the trial court entered a judgment on October 6, 2009, declaring that Papa’s Wings, Inc., had the exclusive right to use the Papa’s Pizza name and logo in Fairhope and enjoining Pinzone from using the Papa’s Pizza name and logo in connection with the operation of a restaurant in Fairhope. Pinzone filed a postjudgment motion, pursuant to Rule 59(e), Ala. R. Civ. P. The trial court denied Pinzone’s postjudgment motion, and Pin-zone appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court. Our supreme court transferred the appeal to this court, pursuant to Ala.Code 1975, § 12-2-7(6).

Standard of Review

The trial court entered its declaratory judgment after hearing ore tenus evidence.

“ ‘ “ ‘[WJhen a trial court hears ore tenus testimony, its findings on disputed facts are presumed correct and its judgment based on those findings will not be reversed unless the judgment is palpably erroneous or manifestly unjust.’ ” ’ Water Works & Sanitary Sewer Bd. v. Parks, 977 So.2d 440, 448 (Ala.2007) (quoting Fadalla v. Fadalla, 929 So.2d 429, 483 (Ala.2005), quoting in turn Philpot v. State, 843 So.2d 122, 125 (Ala.2002)). ‘“The presumption of correctness, however, is rebuttable and may be overcome where there is insufficient evidence presented to the trial court to sustain its judgment.” ’ Wattman v. Rowell, 913 So.2d 1083, 1086 (Ala.2005) (quoting Dennis v. Dobbs, 474 So.2d 77, 79 (Ala.1985)). ‘Additionally, the ore tenus rule does not extend to cloak with a presumption of correctness a trial judge’s conclusions of law or the incorrect application of law to the facts.’ Wattman v. Rowell, 913 So.2d at 1086.”

Retail Developers of Alabama, LLC v. East Gadsden Golf Club, Inc., 985 So.2d 924, 929 (Ala.2007).

The trial court also permanently enjoined Pinzone from using the Papa’s Pizza name and logo in Fairhope.

“ ‘To be entitled to a permanent injunction, a plaintiff must demonstrate success on the merits, a substantial threat of irreparable injury if the injunction is not granted, that the threatened injury to the plaintiff outweighs the harm the injunction may cause the defendant, and that granting the injunction will not disserve the public interest.’
“TFT, Inc. v. Warning Sys., Inc., 751 So.2d 1238, 1242 (Ala.1999), overruled on another point of law, Holiday Isle, LLC v. Adkins, 12 So.3d 1173 (Ala.2008). The entry of a permanent injunction is [624]*624reviewed de novo, TFT, Inc., 751 So.2d at 1242; however, this Court has recognized that a ‘a trial court’s consideration of ore tenus testimony has a bearing upon the standard of review we apply to the entry of a permanent injunction.’ Classroomdirect.com, LLC v. Draphix, LLC, 992 So.2d 692, 701 (Ala.2008). See also Kappa Sigma Fraternity v. Price-Williams, 40 So.3d 683 (Ala.2009) (according a presumption of correctness to portions of the trial court’s decision based on representations of counsel regarding a settlement agreement where a permanent injunction was issued).”

Sycamore Mgmt. Group, LLC v. Coosa Cable Co., 42 So.3d 90, 93 (Ala.2010).

Analysis

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Related

Russell v. Mullis
479 So. 2d 727 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1985)
Water Works & Sanitary Sewer Bd. v. Parks
977 So. 2d 440 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2007)
Holiday Isle, LLC v. Adkins
12 So. 3d 1173 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2008)
Sycamore Management Group, LLC v. Coosa Cable Co.
42 So. 3d 90 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2010)
Philpot v. State
843 So. 2d 122 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2002)
Retail Developers of Alabama, LLC v. East Gadsden Golf Club, Inc.
985 So. 2d 924 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2007)
Joseph v. Hopkins
158 So. 2d 660 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1963)
Ex Parte Dyess
709 So. 2d 447 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1997)
Waltman v. Rowell
913 So. 2d 1083 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2005)
TFT, Inc. v. WARNING SYSTEMS, INC.
751 So. 2d 1238 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1999)
Classroomdirect. Com, LLC v. DRAPHIX, LLC
992 So. 2d 692 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2008)
Fadalla v. Fadalla
929 So. 2d 429 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2005)
Friddle v. Raymond
575 So. 2d 1038 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1991)
Dennis v. Dobbs
474 So. 2d 77 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1985)
Kappa Sigma Fraternity v. Price-Williams
40 So. 3d 683 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2009)
Yost v. Patrick
17 So. 2d 240 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1944)
Collas v. Brown
100 So. 769 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1924)

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72 So. 3d 620, 2010 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 189, 2010 WL 2712689, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/michael-keith-pinzone-v-papas-wings-inc-alacivapp-2010.