Swichtenberg v. Brimer

828 P.2d 1218, 171 Ariz. 77, 96 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 26, 1991 Ariz. App. LEXIS 245
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedSeptember 19, 1991
Docket1 CA-CV 88-532
StatusPublished
Cited by54 cases

This text of 828 P.2d 1218 (Swichtenberg v. Brimer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Swichtenberg v. Brimer, 828 P.2d 1218, 171 Ariz. 77, 96 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 26, 1991 Ariz. App. LEXIS 245 (Ark. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinions

OPINION

TAYLOR, Judge.

Marvin R. Swichtenberg appeals from a judgment dismissing his negligence action against defendant Jack Brimer. The parties urge the following issues on appeal: (1) did Brimer’s statements to his worker’s compensation carrier and at his deposition that Swichtenberg was not his employee estop him from claiming immunity under A.R.S. § 23-1022(A) as Swichtenberg’s employer; (2) do genuine issues of material fact exist which would require a trial on [79]*79the question whether Brimer was Swichtenberg’s employer; (3) did Swichtenberg waive his right to deny he was Brimer’s employee by naming Brimer as his employer on his worker’s compensation claim; (4) assuming Brimer was Swiehtenberg’s employer, may Swichtenberg nevertheless pursue a negligence claim against Brimer based on actions and conditions that did not arise from or relate to Brimer’s business; and (5) did Brimer lack exclusive possession and control over the skylight through which Swichtenberg fell, and if so, was Brimer thereby protected from liability for allegedly installing the skylight in violation of the Mesa building code. We hold that equitable estoppel cannot be applied to preclude Brimer from contending that the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction under A.R.S. § 23-1022(A). We further hold that under the circumstances of this case, the question whether Brimer was protected from tort liability by A.R.S. § 23-1022(A), including resolution of disputed fact issues, was for the trial court to determine, and that the record contains substantial evidence to support the trial court’s conclusion that Brimer was protected.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Viewed in the light most favorable to sustaining the judgment, the record reveals the following facts. Beginning in June of 1985 and continuing through the date of the accident that generated this litigation, appellee Jack Brimer engaged in business as the sole proprietor of B & B Associates. As B & B Associates, Brimer provided general management for the homeowners associations connected with Villa Patrician, Country Club Heights, Woodridge Lake and The Landings, all condominium complexes in Maricopa County. As general manager of each association, Brimer was responsible for taking care of the lawns, pools, general upkeep, painting, outside repair work, trees, waterways, accounting and collecting association monthly fees.

Each homeowners association’s monthly fees were deposited to its separate checking account. Checks were then written either directly to persons who provided services for the association’s benefit or to B & B Associates to reimburse it for expenses incurred on the association’s behalf.

Approximately a year and a half before the accident, Swichtenberg told Brimer he would like to have a job painting at the complexes Brimer managed. Brimer and Swichtenberg agreed on wages and other terms, and Swichtenberg began painting approximately fifty townhouses at The Landings. After Swichtenberg finished his painting project at The Landings, Brimer had him paint the garage roofs and trim at Villa Patrician and all 152 units at the Country Club Heights complex. There was no written employment agreement between Brimer and Swichtenberg.

Swichtenberg was paid $7.00 per hour when he painted for the various townhouse associations. Brimer purchased a heavy duty ladder for Swichtenberg’s use, and The Landings Homeowners Association paid for it. Brimer also furnished Swichtenberg with painting supplies including paint brushes and paint, which were also paid for by The Landings.

Swichtenberg testified that Brimer would merely tell him what he wanted done, and Swichtenberg would do it. He testified that before his accident he painted part of the buildings at The Landings, and then Brimer sent him to Country Club Estates to finish a painting project previously started at that location. He then returned to The Landings and completed that project.

Brimer testified he tried to control the manner in which Swichtenberg did his work to ensure safety. He testified he told Swichtenberg to watch himself and informed him of any potential problems of which he was aware. Swichtenberg, however, did not get instructions from Brimer each morning when he reported to work.

While Swichtenberg was painting for B & B Associates, he received checks from both B & B and from the individual townhouse associations. All the checks were signed by Brimer, either in his capacity as manager of the various associations or as sole proprietor of B & B Associates. No deductions were taken from Swichtenberg’s checks for federal taxes, state taxes [80]*80or social security. Brimer testified that the associations looked to B & B to “pick up all employee relationships” and then bill the associations for the gross amounts due. He testified the associations did not want to file the federal taxes and “all of this other stuff associated with having an employee of their own.”

During Swichtenberg’s tenure, Brimer repeatedly asked him for a certificate of insurance. Swichtenberg kept assuring Brimer he had one, but did not produce it. In late 1985 Swichtenberg spent several months in Texas. Sometime in or before early January of 1986, Swichtenberg returned from Texas and called Brimer, telling him he wanted to go back to painting. Brimer testified that he told Swichtenberg:

... that if he did not give me a certificate of insurance before I would start paying him again that he would have to be under the State Fund to make sure that everyone was covered.

Brimer’s testimony continued:

The only thing is that I could not get him to give me a certificate of insurance.
Q. What did you do about that?
A. What did I do? I figured if I had no certificate of insurance that he would have to go under the State Fund as an employee.
Q. Of whom?
A. Of B & B. B & B had carried the workmen’s comp for quite a [while], I don’t know how long, quite a while, but we had had State Fund for quite a while. Q. When did you put Marvin on as an employee of B & B?
A. The day of the accident, when he started. Excuse me, the day that he actually started was when it really was. Q. Started painting at The Landings again?
A. Yes, well whether it was the 7th or 8th or 9th, or whatever it was of January.

Brimer testified there was a fairly large number of two and three bedroom townhouses to be painted at The Landings. He testified he wanted Swichtenberg to paint a three bedroom townhouse and a two bedroom townhouse to see how long they took and how much paint was used, so that Brimer could estimate the total cost for painting up to fifty more townhouses. The two bedroom townhouse Brimer selected for painting was owned by Brimer personally, as his residence.

Brimer’s townhouse included a jacuzzi in a small patio area. After Brimer moved in, he enclosed the patio area and had a skylight installed over the jacuzzi.

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Bluebook (online)
828 P.2d 1218, 171 Ariz. 77, 96 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 26, 1991 Ariz. App. LEXIS 245, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/swichtenberg-v-brimer-arizctapp-1991.