Morgan Building and Spas, Inc. v. Gillett

762 So. 2d 366, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 396, 2000 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 160, 2000 WL 264247
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedMarch 10, 2000
Docket2980788
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 762 So. 2d 366 (Morgan Building and Spas, Inc. v. Gillett) 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
Morgan Building and Spas, Inc. v. Gillett, 762 So. 2d 366, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 396, 2000 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 160, 2000 WL 264247 (Ala. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

762 So.2d 366 (2000)

MORGAN BUILDING AND SPAS, INC.
v.
Joseph E. GILLETT.

2980788.

Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama.

March 10, 2000.

*367 Patrick H. Sims and Ian D. Rosenthal of Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O'Neal, Mobile, for appellant.

Marcus E. McCrory, Mobile, for appellee.

PER CURIAM.

Joseph E. Gillett sued Morgan Building and Spas, Inc. (hereinafter "Morgan"), alleging numerous counts of fraud, breach of warranty, and breach of both the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty-Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act. The claims all related to his purchase of a recreational camper from Morgan. We note that although the manufacturer of the camper was also initially named as a party to the action, the manufacturer was never served with process. The record indicates that the manufacturer went through bankruptcy proceedings and is no longer in business.

At trial, Gillett dismissed his claims based on the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. After Gillett presented evidence in support of his case and rested, Morgan moved for a judgment as a matter of law on all claims. The trial court granted Morgan's motion for a judgment as a matter of law on Gillett's claims of intentional fraud and breach of an express warranty. At the close of the evidence, Morgan again moved for a judgment as a matter of law as to the remaining claims; the trial court denied that motion.

The jury returned a verdict in favor of Gillett, awarding him $12,000 in compensatory damages and $10,000 in punitive damages. Morgan filed a renewed motion for a judgment as a matter of law. The trial court denied that motion. Morgan appealed.

*368 On appeal, Morgan does not challenge the jury's findings on the factual issues. Rather, Morgan appeals as to several legal issues determined by the trial court. Therefore, because this appeal concerns only questions of law, there is no presumption of correctness in favor of the trial court's judgment; this court's review of legal issues is de novo. Allstate Ins. Co. v. Skelton, 675 So.2d 377 (Ala.1996); Stewart v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 686 So.2d 1225 (Ala.Civ.App.1996).

The record indicates that on December 15, 1995, Gillett purchased a camper from Morgan for $7,219.12. Gillett testified that he purchased the camper so that he and his family could go camping together. Gillett testified that he decided to purchase the camper from Morgan after a salesman assured him that Morgan performed all warranty work and that if he had any problems with the camper, Morgan would remedy those problems.

The camper Gillett purchased folds down for towing behind a vehicle. In order to use the camper, the top of the camper must be raised by turning a crank. The beds fold out from the ends of the camper.

On December 15, 1995, after he had towed the camper to his home, Gillett set up the trailer. He noticed that the bed rails were bent and that it was very difficult to pull the beds into their proper position. On December 17, 1995, Gillett telephoned Morgan about the problem with the bed rails; Gillett informed a secretary at Morgan that he had planned to use the camper immediately on a two-week vacation to Idaho. The secretary told Gillett to proceed with his vacation and to take the camper to Morgan for the needed repairs when he returned.

Gillett testified that he used the camper during his vacation and that he experienced difficulties in setting up and taking down the camper because of the bent bed rails. Gillett took the camper to Morgan for repairs in mid-January 1996. At that time, Gillett informed Morgan of at least one other minor problem with the camper that also needed to be repaired. Gillett testified that he was told the repairs would take one week to complete. However, it was not until February 8, 1996, that he received a call from Brad, the service manager at Morgan, who informed him that the camper had been repaired.

Gillett immediately went to Morgan's place of business to pick up the camper, but when he arrived Brad told him that although some repairs had been made the bent bed rails had not been repaired. Gillett testified that Brad told him to take the camper home with him and that he would order the parts necessary to repair the bed rails and that he would travel to Gillett's home to perform the repairs.

Gillett testified that he telephoned Morgan several times during the months between the time he took the camper home and the date that Brad finally contacted him, in mid-May 1996. Brad told Gillett that the parts needed to repair the camper were on back-order and that they would arrive within one week. Gillett told Brad that a crank on the camper had broken and that, because of the broken crank, it was almost impossible to attach the camper to a vehicle. Gillett testified that Brad said that he would travel to Gillett's home in one week to fix both the bed rails and the crank.

Brad never went to Gillett's home to fix the camper. Gillett testified that in mid-June 1996, approximately one month after his mid-May 1996 conversation with Brad, he telephoned Morgan and asked to speak to a manager about obtaining a refund of the money he had paid for the camper. Gillett testified that the day after he called and asked to speak to a manager, Brad called and spoke with Gillett's wife. Brad told Gillett's wife that the parts to repair the camper were in and that Brad could fix the camper.

Gillett testified that he telephoned and left several messages for a manager to contact him, but that no manager from *369 Morgan ever returned his calls. On June 24, 1996, Gillett took the camper back to Morgan's place of business. Gillett spoke with a manager named Wayne. Gillett testified that he told Wayne that he wanted a refund of the money he had paid for the camper. Gillett testified that Wayne told him he could not refund his money but that he promised to have the camper fixed within two days.

The camper was not repaired within two days. Gillett telephoned Morgan a week after his conversation with Wayne and spoke with Brad, who informed him that the camper was still not repaired. Brad told Gillett that the camper would be repaired by the next day. Brad called over two weeks later and left a message with Gillett's wife, telling her that the camper was repaired and that Gillett could pick up the camper. Gillett testified that when he traveled to Morgan's place of business, "there was another service mechanic out there and he had a screwdriver and he said they were going to try to fix [the camper]." Gillett testified that Morgan never repaired the trailer.

Gillett's claim alleging reckless fraud, his breach-of-implied warranty claims, and his claim under the Magnuson-Moss Act were submitted to the jury. The trial court also charged the jury on the issues of revocation of acceptance and mental-anguish damages. The jury returned a verdict finding that Morgan had breached an implied warranty regarding the camper and awarding Gillett $2,000 as the amount by which that breach reduced the value of the camper. In addition, the jury also awarded Gillett $10,000 in other compensatory damages and $10,000 in punitive damages.

On appeal, Morgan first argues that the trial court erred in allowing the jury to consider Gillett's claim for punitive damages. At the close of the plaintiffs evidence, the trial court granted a judgment as a matter of law in favor of Morgan on Gillett's claim of intentional fraud. Morgan argues that none of the remaining claims that were submitted to the jury would support an award of punitive damages.

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Bluebook (online)
762 So. 2d 366, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 396, 2000 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 160, 2000 WL 264247, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morgan-building-and-spas-inc-v-gillett-alacivapp-2000.