Pate v. Alian

2002 OK CIV APP 68, 49 P.3d 85, 73 O.B.A.J. 1911, 2002 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 47, 2002 WL 1365649
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedFebruary 5, 2002
Docket96,368, 96,394
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 2002 OK CIV APP 68 (Pate v. Alian) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pate v. Alian, 2002 OK CIV APP 68, 49 P.3d 85, 73 O.B.A.J. 1911, 2002 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 47, 2002 WL 1365649 (Okla. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

Opinion by

RONALD J. STUBBLEFIELD, Judge.

1 1 In these consolidated appeals, Plaintiff, Robert L. Pate, appeals from trial court orders granting summary judgment to two defendants-the franchisor corporation and the individual owner/manager of the restaurant-in a dram shop lability action seeking recovery for injuries caused by a patron who became intoxicated at a franchised Pizza Inn restaurant. At the time of this appeal, Plain *86 tiffs claims in the district court were still pending against the defendant franchise restaurant. The trial court certified the orders granting summary judgment as appealable judgments pursuant to 12 O.S. Supp.2000 § 994(A). The consolidated appeals have been assigned to the accelerated docket pursuant to Okla. Sup.Ct. R. 1.36(@), 12 0.8. Supp.2000 ch. 15, app. 1. Based on our review, we find that judgment was correctly granted in favor of the franchisor, but not against the individual owner/manager. We affirm in part and reverse in part and remand for further proceedings.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

T2 On December 1, 1995, Rahman Alian, as an individual, entered into a "Franchise Agreement" with Pizza Inn, Inc., a Missouri corporation, to operate an Oklahoma City pizza restaurant under the name Pizza Inn. 1 The franchise agreement identified "Rahman Alian, an individual" as the sole "Franchisee." However, Alian apparently incorporated the restaurant as Alian's, Inc., doing business as Pizza Inn, and acted as the manager of the restaurant.

[ 3 The record reveals that, on the night of August 1, 1997, Larry Martinez and his wife were patrons of the restaurant. Plaintiff alleged that Martinez had consumed four beers prior to arriving at the restaurant, and was served and consumed almost two pitchers of 3.2 beer while on the premises. When Martinez left the restaurant, he was intoxicated. While operating his vehicle in an intoxicated state, Martinez failed to yield the right of way in making a left turn off of May Avenue. He collided with Plaintiff, who was thrown from the motoreycle he was riding and sustained injuries. The accident occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m., on August 2, 1997. Martinez was arrested, charged and subsequently convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol.

T4 Plaintiff filed this action on April 1, 1999, seeking to recover both compensatory and punitive damages against Alian's, Inc., Rahman Alian, an individual, and Pizza Inn, Inc. He did not name Martinez as a party defendant.

T5 All of the named defendants sought summary judgment. Alian's, Inc., and Rab-man Alian claimed that they were entitled to judgment in their favor as a matter of law because, at the time of the collision, Plaintiff, like Martinez, was operating a vehicle while intoxicated. 2 This was the only basis on which Alian's, Inc., sought summary judgment. They argued that, under Brigance v. Velvet Dove Restaurant, Inc., 1986 OK 41, 725 P.2d 300, "a plaintiff who was intoxicated at the time of the subject accident does not have standing to assert a claim under the judicially created 'dram shop' laws of the State of Oklahoma." The trial court rejected this contention as a basis for summary judgment in favor of Alfan's, Inc., and the matter remains pending in the district court against that defendant.

T6 Rahman Alian asserted an additional basis for entry of judgment in his favor-that the Pizza Inn restaurant "was operated as a corporation at the time of the alleged incidents giving rise to this lawsuit." He maintained that, at the time of Plaintiff's accident, he was an employee of Alian's, Inc., but did not personally serve beer to Martinez-that was done by a female employee. He further claimed that his status as a principal and shareholder of Alian's, Inc., did not expose him to liability in his individual capacity. He attached to his brief the "Certificate of Incorporation" for Alian's, Inc., which was filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on January 15, 1997.

17 Pizza Inn, Inc's summary judgment quest was based on the fact that it was not a commercial vendor of alcohol subject to li *87 ability under Brigance, and did not "sell, deliver or knowingly furnish alcoholic beverages to an intoxicated person" such that liability for violation of a statutory duty would be triggered under 37 O.S. Supp.1994 § 537 3 Pizza Inn, Inc., also maintained that, although it required franchises to protect its propriety trademarks and food quality, it neither required Rahman Alian's franchise restaurant to sell beer nor asserted any control over it in the area of service of alcohol. And, if a franchisee did elect to sell beer, the terms of the franchise agreement delegated all duties to the franchisee to comply with state alcoholic beverage laws.

8 The trial court granted summary judgment to Rahman Alian, individually, based on a determination that "the undisputed material facts establish that [he] did not directly participate in the service of alcohol to Mr. Martinez or order others to do so ... [and he] is not liable to Plaintiff under the remaining allegations of Plaintiff in his individual capacity." The trial court also granted summary judgment to Pizza Inn, Inc., finding that it did not "have a duty to Plaintiff through the Franchise Agreement, at law or otherwise relating to the Plaintiffs claims."

19 Plaintiff filed motions to reconsider, which the trial court denied. Plaintiff now appeals the judgments entered in favor of Rahman Alian, individually, and Pizza Inn, Inc.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

1 10 Summary judgment should be granted only where it is clear from the evidentiary materials that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. First Nat'l Bank and Trust Co. of Vinita v. Kissee, 1998 OK 96, 859 P.2d 502. In reviewing the trial court's grant of summary judgment, this court will examine the pleadings and evidentiary materials and determine if the moving party has addressed all material facts and supported those facts with admissible evidence. Union Oil Co. of Calif. v. Bd. of Equalization of Beckham Co., 1996 OK 40, ¶ 12, 913 P.2d 1330, 1333-34. All inferences and conclusions to be drawn from the eviden-tiary materials must be viewed in a light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Carmichael v. Beller, 1996 OK 48, ¶ 2, 914 P.2d 1051, 1053. We are limited to the issues actually presented below, as reflected by the record before the trial court, rather than the one that could have been assembled. Norton v. Hughes, 2000 OK 32, ¶ 7, 5 P.3d 588, 590; Frey v. Independence Fire and Cas. Co., 1985 OK 25, ¶ 6, 698 P.2d 17, 20; Okla. Sup.Ct. R. 1.36(g), 12 O.S. Supp.2000, ch. 15, app. 1.

111 Plaintiffs motions to reconsider each were filed within ten days of the grant of summary judgment, and are properly treated as new trial motions. Horizon's, Inc. v. Keo Leasing Co., 1984 OK 24, ¶¶ 4-5, 681 P.2d 757, 758-59. Therefore, our standard of review here is abuse of discretion. Benson v. Tkach, 2001 OK CIV APP 100, ¶ 9, 30 P.3d 402, 404, citing Graves v. Lewis, 1958 OK 176, 327 P.2d 672.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

BOYLE v. ASAP ENERGY, INC.
2017 OK 82 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2017)
Smoot v. B & J Restoration Services, Inc.
2012 OK CIV APP 58 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 2012)
Jamison v. Morris
684 S.E.2d 168 (Supreme Court of South Carolina, 2009)
Smith v. Teel
2008 OK CIV APP 7 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 2007)
Rogers Ex Rel. Rogers v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
491 F.3d 1165 (Tenth Circuit, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2002 OK CIV APP 68, 49 P.3d 85, 73 O.B.A.J. 1911, 2002 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 47, 2002 WL 1365649, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pate-v-alian-oklacivapp-2002.