Summers Hardware & Supply Co. v. Steele

794 S.W.2d 358, 1990 Tenn. App. LEXIS 300
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedApril 26, 1990
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 794 S.W.2d 358 (Summers Hardware & Supply Co. v. Steele) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Summers Hardware & Supply Co. v. Steele, 794 S.W.2d 358, 1990 Tenn. App. LEXIS 300 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

OPINION

LEWIS, Judge.

Plaintiff, Summers Hardware and Supply Company, Inc. (Summers), filed its complaint against defendant John M. Steele and alleged, inter alia, that as a part of a lease agreement defendant agreed to indemnify Summers “from any liability ... in connection with [defendant’s] occupation of the premises” and that Summers, as the result of injuries to a third party occurring on the leased premises, made payments to the third party and the defendant failed to indemnify Summers as required by the lease.

Defendant moved for summary judgment and Summers moved for partial summary judgment on the issue of liability.

The trial court denied Summers’ motion for partial summary judgment, granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment and dismissed Summers’ complaint with prejudice.

In ruling on a motion for summary judgment, both the trial court and the appellate court must consider the matter in the same manner as a motion for a directed verdict made at the close of the plaintiff’s proof, ie., the court must view all evidence before it in the light most favorable to the opponent of the motion and draw all legitimate conclusions of fact therefrom in the opponent’s favor. If a disputed issue of material fact is made out after so doing, the motion must be denied. Berry v. Whitworth, 576 S.W.2d 351 (Tenn.App.1978); Tenn.R.Civ.P. 56.03.

The pertinent facts are as follows:

[360]*360Summers owned and controlled a two-story building (the Annex) located at the corner of Buffalo and Ash Streets in Johnson City, Tennessee, across the street from Summers’ main office. The upper floor of the Annex contained four rooms, a small bathroom and a landing for a lift device. The lift device was located approximately in the center of the Annex and went from the lower level to the upper level and was previously used by Summers for moving merchandise from one floor to another.

On 18 March 1986, Summers and defendant entered into a written lease agreement (Lease) whereby Summers would lease the upper floor of the Annex to defendant, an art professor at East Tennessee State University, for defendant’s use as a private studio.

The pertinent portions of the Lease are as follows:

Description of premises:
The upper floor of the Summers Hardware Annex located at the corner of Buffalo and Ash Streets, Johnson City, Tennessee, being 301 Ash Street, including the stairway going up to the second floor.
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12. Lessee agrees to indemnify and hold the Lessor harmless from any liability whether in tort or contract, in any way arising in connection with this Lease or in connection with the Lessee’s occupation of the premises. The Lessee agrees to maintain liability insurance covering anyone who may be injured on or about the premises in the amount of $25,000.00 per person and $50,000.00 per occurrence. The Lessee agrees to hold Lessor harmless and pay any and all liability that Lessor my incur because of any person injured on or about the leased premises. Further, Lessee agrees to hold Lessor harmless and assume all liability to any person on account of any property damages resulting from Lessee’s use of the leased premises.
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18. Wherever this Lease Agreement refers to the demised premises or the space included in the demised premises, it is understood and agreed that the space of the demised premises is measured from the center line of each wall which encloses the space of the demised premises.

Defendant began moving into the leased premises on 24 March 1986. Mr. Wallace, President of Summers, offered the use of the lift to defendant when defendant was moving something into the leased premises that was “heavier than normal.” Nothing in the Lease provided that defendant could use the lift and defendant was not permitted the use of the lift on a daily basis.

Defendant’s only access to the upper floor of the Annex was through an outside stairway leading to an outside door which faced Buffalo Street. Defendant was to use the stairway outside the building for his daily use. Defendant had no responsibility for the first floor.

The lift was inspected by Summers’ insurer and Summers’ employee Paul Davi-son. Summers was solely responsible for the maintenance and repairs for the lift. Defendant did not have a duty to repair, maintain or inspect the lift and did not possess any right to operate the lift. The lift device had a sign on it which said “No riders.” When the lift device was on the first floor, it left a hole in the second floor with a “fence” on each side. It was contemplated that the lift would be left in position on the upper floor for safety purposes and to make the upper floor easier to heat.

When defendant began moving into the leased premises, he was helped by his son, Paul Steele, and Bill Nickels. In accordance with Summers’ offer of the use of the lift when necessary to move something heavier than normal, defendant chose ■ to use the lift device to move a table saw to the upper floor. Since defendant did not have access to the lower floor, Summers’ maintenance and electrical employee, Paul Davison, unlocked the doors of the building to enable defendant to gain entry to the first floor and the lift. Defendant, Paul Steele, Mr. Nickels, and Mr. Davison loaded the table saw onto the lift platform. Paul Steele got on the lift with the table saw at [361]*361defendant’s request and Mr. Davison pushed the button that set the lift in motion. The lift traveled to the second floor, but before the doors opened, a clicking noise was heard and the lift fell to the lower floor and injured Paul Steele.

Paul Steele subsequently sued Summers. Summers tendered the defense of the lawsuit to defendant who refused to defend or hold Summers harmless. Summers settled the lawsuit with Paul Steele and brought suit to recover monies expended in the defense and settlement of the lawsuit.

Summers first argues that the lift device was a part of the leased premises.

We find nothing in the language of the Lease from which it can be argued that the lift is a part of the leased premises. Defendant leased only the upper floor. His access to the upper floor was from an outside stairway. Defendant had no access to the lower floor except by express permission. The lower floor remained locked and the keys were in the possession of Summers. Defendant was not to have the use of the lift absent express permission. On the date Paul Steele was injured, an employee of Summers unlocked the front door and defendant used the lift with the express permission of Summers. Summers’ employee then pressed the button which set the lift in motion at the time Paul Steele was injured.

Summers next argues that the trial court erred in granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment because the defendant agreed to “indemnify and hold [Summers] harmless from any liability ... in any way arising in connection with this Lease or in connection with [defendant’s] occupation of the premises.”

It is not contended, nor does the record show, that Paul Steele’s injuries were in any way caused by defendant’s negligence. Any negligence is attributable to Summers only.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
794 S.W.2d 358, 1990 Tenn. App. LEXIS 300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/summers-hardware-supply-co-v-steele-tennctapp-1990.