Stovall v. Ford

661 S.W.2d 467, 1983 Ky. LEXIS 307
CourtKentucky Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 23, 1983
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 661 S.W.2d 467 (Stovall v. Ford) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Kentucky Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stovall v. Ford, 661 S.W.2d 467, 1983 Ky. LEXIS 307 (Ky. 1983).

Opinion

LEIBSON, Justice.

Ann C. Stovall, plaintiff below, filed a negligence action against Clifton J. Ford, alleging she was injured in an automobile collision in Mayfield, Kentucky on November 28, 1977.

After controverting the allegations of the complaint, in the seventh defense in Ford’s Answer, Ford alleged that “in consideration of the sum of $420.00” Stovall had “released and discharged” Ford “from any and all liability.”

Approximately five months later Ford moved for summary judgment. He filed a copy of a release, styled “Release of All Claims,” and of a settlement check for $420.60 as exhibits in support of his motion for summary judgment.

Ford carried liability insurance with American Hardware Mutual Insurance Co. A claims adjuster for American Hardware Mutual, W.H. Brooks, had contacted Stovall on December 2, 1977, four days after the accident, given her the check for $420.60 and obtained the release.

Stovall filed a response to the motion for summary judgment alleging that the release was obtained by “fraud,” stating “that she signed the purported Release ... upon the representation of the adjuster ... that same was for the sole purpose of repairing her automobile and was not in settlement of any claim after she had informed the adjuster that she did not have her glasses and could not read the document.” She filed her sworn affidavit in support of these allegations.

The adjuster filed his counter-affidavit admitting that “Stovall furnished him with an estimate of the costs of repairs” and “inquired as to the source of payment for any medical bills,” but denying “any false statements, misrepresentations, or deceptive remarks.” The adjuster further admitted that he “advised plaintiff Stovall that she should turn any medical bills in to her no-fault carrier for payment under the PIP provisions.”

While the motion for summary judgment was pending Home Insurance Co., Stovall’s “PIP” carrier, filed a motion to intervene in the action accompanied by a complaint alleging payments to Stovall of $10,000 in basic reparations benefits and seeking repayment from Ford and his liability insurer, American Hardware Mutual.

Ten months after Home Insurance filed its motion to intervene, the trial court entered summary judgment against Stovall on grounds that Stovall “was under a duty to read the contract or release before signing it.” Another year passed and the trial court then ruled against Home Insurance Company’s motion to intervene. Both Sto-vall and Home Insurance Company appealed the final judgment.

The Kentucky Court of Appeals affirmed the summary judgment dismissing Stovall’s complaint but reversed the judgment against Home Insurance Company “with directions to grant (Home’s) motion to intervene and for further proceedings on the intervening complaint.”

Stovall appeals the summary judgment against her. Ford and American Hardware Mutual appeal from the decision ordering the trial court to grant Home Insurance Company’s motion to intervene.

We reverse the grant of a summary judgment against Stovall and affirm the order directing that the motion to intervene be sustained.

The trial court relied on Trevathan v. Tesseneer, Ky., 519 S.W.2d 614 (1975), in sustaining the motion for summary judgment against Stovall. Trevathan involved an attempt to invalidate a release based not on fraud but on mutual mistake regarding the extent of plaintiff’s injuries. In Treva-than the court states:

“Since the record is devoid of any indication of fraud, overreaching, or physical impairment at the time of execution, the simple question becomes whether the release is final and binding according to its terms or whether it may be invalidated [469]*469on the ground of mutual mistake as to the nature and extent of Miss Trevathan’s injuries.” 519 S.W.2d at 615.

Trevathan represents the class of cases “where the terms (of the release) are unambiguous and unequivocal, the releasor was capable of reading and understanding the release, and there is no evidence of fraud.” 519 S.W.2d at 615.

But in Schlachter v. Henderson’s Adm’r, 259 Ky. 759, 83 S.W.2d 491 (1935), we upheld the decision of the trial court to set aside a release from an automobile accident claim where there was evidence of fraud and the jury so found. We stated that while “a court will not interfere with legitimate business transactions merely because one of the parties through folly or improvidence may sustain a loss in bargaining, ... (the court) will lay hold on the slightest circumstances of deception and fraud to set aside and annul a contract where there is an unconscionable want of consideration.” 83 S.W.2d at 496.

Later cases in which general releases from automobile accident claims were set aside on grounds of fraudulent misrepresentation include People’s Central Transit Lines v. Myers, 267 Ky. 277, 102 S.W.2d 21 (1937), Toppass v. Perkins’ Adm’x, 268 Ky. 186,104 S.W.2d 423 (1937) and McGregor v. Mills, Ky., 280 S.W.2d 161 (1955).

The statements in Stovall’s response to the motion for summary judgment and in her affidavit filed therewith, if believed, support setting aside the release on grounds of fraud.

Factors bearing on whether fraud is proved in the circumstances include the extent to which the sum paid is “probably inadequate (Toppass, supra)’’ and the extent which the evidence produced by the party claiming fraud is “clear, unequivocal and convincing (McGregor, supra).” These considerations remain for the trial of the cause. Suffice it to say that for purposes of summary judgment, the allegations of the plaintiff’s response to the motion for summary judgment and the plaintiff’s affidavit in support of the response are sufficient that summary judgment is inappropriate.

The Court of Appeals held that Stovall could not properly allege fraud for the first time in response to the motion for summary judgment when she had not done so previously, citing CR 9.02 and Johns v. Kubaugh, Ky., 450 S.W.2d 259 (1970).

But a close'look at the Civil Rules fails to establish any grounds for requiring Stovall to plead fraud earlier in the case. Stovall’s cause of action was for damages for personal injuries caused by Ford’s negligence. At that point, according to Stovall, she was unaware that she had signed a paper purporting to be a release.

Ford alleged a release as one of the defenses in his answer. Our rules do not provide for the plaintiff to respond to the allegations of the defendant’s answer, even if it contains an affirmative defense. CR 7.01. On the contrary, CR 8.04 provides that such “averments” in the answer “shall be taken as denied or avoided.”

CR 9.02 requires that “averments of fraud ...

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661 S.W.2d 467, 1983 Ky. LEXIS 307, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stovall-v-ford-ky-1983.