Sims v. Silver Springs-Martin Luther School

15 Pa. D. & C.4th 186, 1992 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 231
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County
DecidedApril 16, 1992
Docketno. 86-05267
StatusPublished

This text of 15 Pa. D. & C.4th 186 (Sims v. Silver Springs-Martin Luther School) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sims v. Silver Springs-Martin Luther School, 15 Pa. D. & C.4th 186, 1992 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 231 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1992).

Opinion

ROSSANESE, J.,

This is an appeal from this court’s order of January 22,1991, granting summary judgment in favor of co-defendant township of Whitemarsh, against both defendant Colonial School District, and plaintiff William D. Sims. Both of these parties [187]*187appealed and submitted their statement of matters complained of pursuant to this court’s 1925(b) order.

FACTS

This suit was commenced by plaintiffs to recover damages for the drowning death of plaintiff’s decedent William H. Sims, a minor, on April 27, 1984. The drowning occurred at the Plymouth-Whitemarsh Senior High School swimming pool, which is the property of defendant Colonial School District.

Pursuant to a contract between Colonial School District and defendant township of Whitemarsh, the township was using the pool on the evening of the drowning. The township also provided its own lifeguards, defendants David M. Nagle and Jeanne Marie Epps-O’Brien, who were attendant at the pool the night of the drowning.

On May 22,1986, plaintiffs filed their complaint against defendants David M. Nagle, Jeanne Marie Epps-O’Brien and Whitemarsh Township and Colonial School District. Colonial School District filed their 2252(d) cross-claim against Whitemarsh alleging that, on the basis of a contract between the two, Whitemarsh was jointly liable or liable over to Colonial School District for the death of plaintiff’s decedent.

ISSUES

With few exceptions, defendant Colonial School District and plaintiff Sims’ basis for appeal are identical and will be incorporated here. They allege the following points of error:

(1) Trial court erred in granting defendant White-marsh’s and Sim’s motion for summary judgment in that there are material questions of fact as to whether township [188]*188of Whitemarsh had “care, custody, or control of real property in its possession” at the time of the accident;

(2) There are genuine issues of fact as to whether the swimming pool was in a defective condition, the defect of which was established through the expert report and deposition testimony of Dr. Ralph L. Johnson.

(3) Defendant Whitemarsh is jointly liable or liable over to defendant Colonial School District by virtue of the contract wherein the township of Whitemarsh agreed to be responsible for its own actions and activities while using the Colonial School District pool.

(4) Summary judgment should not have been entered against plaintiff because, under the same contract, plaintiff’s decedent was a third-party beneficiary.

DISCUSSION

Standard of Review

Under Pa.R.C.P. 1035(b), moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law, if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, admissions on file and supporting affidavits show there is no genuine issue as to any material fact. Giddings v. Tartler, 130 Pa. Commw. 175, 567 A.2d 766 (1989), Staiano v. Johns Manville Corp., 304 Pa. Super. 280, 450 A.2d 681 (1982).

Trial court’s grant of summary judgment will only be reversed if there has been error of law or a clear abuse of discretion. MacCain v. Montgomery Hospital, 396 Pa. Super. 415, 578 A.2d 970 (1990), Lower Lake Dock Co. v. Messinger Bearing Corp., 395 Pa. Super. 456, 577 A.2d 631 (1990).

It should first be noted that both plaintiffs and defendant Colonial’s basis for appeal allege that this court erred in its finding that no genuine issue of fact existed. As [189]*189noted above, mistake as to fact is not a basis for review. Nonetheless, this court will address the merits of appellants’ arguments.

I. SUMMARY JUDGMENT GRANTED

Trial court properly granted summary judgment. Defendant township of Whitemarsh did not have “care, custody, or control of real property in its possession” within the meaning of 42 Pa.C.S. §8542(b)(3).

Both defendant and plaintiff argue that defendant White-marsh is liable under an exception to governmental immunity at 42 Pa.C.S. §8542(b)(3), which is the real property exception.

There is no doubt that Whitemarsh Township is a local agency as defined by the Actions Against Local Parties Act, 42 Pa.C.S. §8501 et seq. Thus, the provisions of the Act apply to the instant action. The Act states that municipalities and their employees are immune from liability resulting from tortious conduct, 42 Pa.C.S. §8541. A plaintiff asserting a claim against a local agency must comply precisely with all of the statutory requirements of Title 42 Pa.C.S. §8542 et seq. Section 8542 of the Act provides that liability may be imposed only if two conditions

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Related

Giddings v. Tartler
567 A.2d 766 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1989)
Prescott v. Philadelphia Housing Authority
555 A.2d 305 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1989)
Lower Lake Dock Co. v. Messinger Bearing Corp.
577 A.2d 631 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1990)
MacCain v. Montgomery Hospital
578 A.2d 970 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1990)
Belefski Estate
196 A.2d 850 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1964)
Staiano v. Johns-Manville Corp.
450 A.2d 681 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1982)
Burkey v. Borough of Auburn
514 A.2d 273 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1986)
E-Z Parks, Inc. v. Philadelphia Parking Authority
532 A.2d 1272 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1987)
McCloskey v. Abington School District
539 A.2d 946 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1988)
Vann v. Board of Education
464 A.2d 684 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1983)
Davies v. Barnes
503 A.2d 93 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1986)

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Bluebook (online)
15 Pa. D. & C.4th 186, 1992 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 231, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sims-v-silver-springs-martin-luther-school-pactcomplmontgo-1992.