Papen v. Karpow

643 P.2d 375, 56 Or. App. 673, 1982 Ore. App. LEXIS 2637
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedApril 5, 1982
Docket41-066, CA A20270
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 643 P.2d 375 (Papen v. Karpow) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Papen v. Karpow, 643 P.2d 375, 56 Or. App. 673, 1982 Ore. App. LEXIS 2637 (Or. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

*675 BUTTLER, P. J.

Plaintiff brought this action against defendant Karpow and the City of Hillsboro for damages for injuries incurred when she slipped and fell on an icy sidewalk adjacent to Karpow’s property in Hillsboro. Karpow moved to dismiss for failure to state a claim; the City moved for summary judgment on the ground that its charter and ordinances exempted it from liability to plaintiff. The court denied the motion to dismiss, granted the motion for summary judgment and entered final judgment for the City pursuant to ORS 18.125. 1 Both plaintiff and defendant Karpow appeal. We reverse and remand for further proceedings.

JURISDICTION TO REVIEW

At oral argument we raised the question whether this court has jurisdiction over either appeal. Taking plaintiffs appeal first, we questioned whether it was from a final judgment so long as plaintiffs action against Karpow continued. If plaintiff recovered against Karpow, she would have no reason to complain of the dismissal of her action against the City. Further, although it recited the conclusion that there was “no just reason for delay,” ORS 18.125, the judgment dismissing the City did not state any findings or reasons to support that conclusion. We have held such support to be requisite to our jurisdiction over interlocutory appeals, unless the “reasons [are] apparent on the record.” Hill v. Oland, 52 Or App 791, 793, 629 P2d 867 (1981); Portland Elec. & Plumb, v. Cooke, 51 Or App 555, 626 P2d 397, rev den 291 Or 117 (1981). We requested supplemental briefs.

We now conclude that the reasons are apparent on this record and that there are sound reasons to entertain plaintiffs appeal. Plaintiff has only one claim; theoretically, it could be against either or both defendants, depending on the proper construction of the City’s charter and several of its ordinances, and their effect in light of prior decisions. If the trial court erred in deciding that the City was exempt from liability and that Karpow was potentially *676 liable, and if we decline jurisdiction, plaintiff and Karpow would have to expend time and money for a needless trial. The case would probably be moot if Karpow won on the merits, but if plaintiff won, Karpow could appeal the judgment dismissing the City, only to have plaintiff retry the same case against the City. Plaintiff, Karpow and the courts would have wasted time and funds. In the interest of judicial economy and efficiency, a final determination should be made now as to which defendant remains in the case. See Shaughnessy v. Spray, 55 Or App 42, 45-46 n 3, 637 P2d 182 (1981), rev den 288 Or 589 (1982).

As discussed below, the only way the trial court could have granted judgment for the City was for it to have concluded that the City had validly exempted itself from liability and imposed that liability on Karpow. Accordingly, that judgment adversely affected Karpow. For the same reasons we conclude that plaintiff may appeal, we conclude that Karpow may do so.

Our disposition of the City’s motion for summary judgment will dispose of the merits of Karpow’s motion to dismiss. 2

LIABILITY

It is well settled that an abutting landowner owes no common law duty to pedestrians to keep the public sidewalk free of ice and snow. The City, however, does owe such a duty, but may impose that duty by charter or ordinance on abutting landowners; if the charter or ordinance does no more than impose the duty, the City remains liable to injured third parties. Fitzwater v. Sunset Empire, *677 Inc., 263 Or 276, 279-80, 502 P2d 214 (1972); Anthis v. Bordeaux, 271 Or 73, 74-75, 530 P2d 836 (1975). 3 The City may, by express provision, give third parties a right of action against the abutting owner, but provisions exempting a municipality from liability may be sustained only if an adequate remedy is afforded the injured party against some other responsible person. Olson v. Chuck et al., 199 Or 90, 259 P2d 128 (1953). See, Or Const art I, § 10. At least, that was the case before the Tort Claims Act was enacted in 1967. 4

In this case, Section 291 of Hillboro’s amended charter provides in part:

“The City of Hillsboro shall not be liable to any one [sic] for any loss or injury to person or property, growing out of any casualty or accident happening to such person or property on account of [certain enumerated conditions] * * *; nor shall there be any recourse against the City for damage to person or property suffered or sustained by reason of accident on side walks [sic], streets, avenues, lane, alley, park, court or place, or by falling from any embankment thereon, or into any excavation therein; but this provision does not exonerate any officer of the City of Hillsboro, or any other person, from such liability whenever such casualty or accident is caused by the willful neglect of the duty enjoined upon such officer or person by *678 law, or by the terms of this Act, or when caused by the gross negligence or willful misconduct or such officer or person in any other respect.” (Emphasis supplied.)

That charter provision is not sufficient to exempt the City from liability, because it fails to provide an adequate alternative remedy. The phrase, “* * * does not exonerate * * * any other person * * is insufficient to impose liability on the abutting owner, who had none at common law from which to be exonerated. Further, the charter does not purport to impose liability for ordinary negligence. If it applies at all, it is only for gross negligence or willful misconduct.

The City also relies on two ordinances that it believes govern here when they are read together in light of the charter provision. No. 2841 governs construction and repair of sidewalks, driveways and curbs. Sections 2 (c) and (d) of that ordinance provide:

“(c) Repairs. Property owners shall maintain in good repair all sidewalks adjacent to their land, and shall be liable for any injuries resulting from a failure to so maintain. The City shall notify by certified or registered mail any owner of record who fails to repair a sidewalk when necessary. Any such notice shall specify the location of the sidewalk to be repaired, the kind of work required, the materials to be used and the time within which the work must be done. In the event such notice is not delivered or the owner of the property is not known, the City shall post a copy of the notice in a conspicuous place on the property.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
643 P.2d 375, 56 Or. App. 673, 1982 Ore. App. LEXIS 2637, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/papen-v-karpow-orctapp-1982.