Tolliver v. 5 G Homes, LLC

563 S.W.3d 827
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 27, 2018
DocketNo. ED 106391
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 563 S.W.3d 827 (Tolliver v. 5 G Homes, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tolliver v. 5 G Homes, LLC, 563 S.W.3d 827 (Mo. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

Angela T. Quigless, J.

5 G Homes, LLC ("Appellant") appeals from the judgment of the Circuit Court of Cape Girardeau County, finding in favor of Kasey L. Tolliver ("Ms. Tolliver") on her claim for breach of implied warranty of habitability. On appeal, Appellant contends the circuit court erred in entering judgment in favor of Ms. Tolliver because her claim is barred by the exculpatory clause *829in the June 1, 2017 residential lease agreement. Appellant also contends the circuit court erred in ruling against it on its counterclaim for breach of contract and finding Appellant was not entitled to damages for unpaid rent. Finding no error, we affirm.

Factual and Procedural History

In May 2016, Ms. Tolliver and her roommate signed a one-year residential lease for the basement apartment of a property located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. At this time, Appellant did not own the property and was not a party to the lease agreement. In the spring of 2017, during the lease term, Appellant, a property investment firm, purchased the property from the prior owner and, as a result, became Ms. Tolliver's new landlord. It is undisputed that the 2016 lease remained in full force and effect despite the change in landlords. On March 25, 2017, Ms. Tolliver and her roommate renewed their one-year lease with Appellant for the term of June 1, 2017, through May 31, 2018 ("2017 lease"). At trial, the parties agreed the renewed 2017 lease did not go into effect until June 1.

On April 10, 2017,1 Ms. Tolliver contacted Appellant about a water leak in her room, which was causing surface mold and mildew to grow. Appellant sent a maintenance man who put sealant on the exterior wall of the property where he thought the water was leaking into the apartment. A dehumidifier was also placed inside the apartment to remove moisture. On April 23, Ms. Tolliver again contacted Appellant, complaining that she was suffering from allergy problems because mold and mildew were still in the apartment. Three days later, Ms. Tolliver informed Appellant that water was leaking through cracks in the wall of her laundry room, and mold was beginning to grow.

Frustrated, Ms. Tolliver subsequently contacted the City Inspector who provided an inspection of the property. In his report, dated April 28, the City Inspector noted that one of the bathrooms was very humid, which was causing mold to grow behind the toilet and on the shower floor. Additionally, the drywall at the rear entrance was waterlogged, and the carpet and pad in several of the bedrooms were saturated with water, causing mold to grow in these areas. The City Inspector advised Appellant to remove all sections of waterlogged drywall and replace it with material that would not absorb water. Appellant also was advised to remove water-saturated carpet and pad, and clean existing carpet or replace it with a nonabsorbent flooring material. The City Inspector advised Ms. Tolliver to run an exhaust fan or dehumidifier to remove humidity and prevent mold growth.

In early May, Ms. Tolliver had to move everything out of the bedrooms so a construction crew could begin replacing the carpet. Ms. Tolliver asked Appellant on two occasions to pay for a hotel room during the on-going construction because she and her roommate were suffering from allergies. However, Appellant declined and instead offered to reduce June's rent by half. On May 9, Ms. Tolliver informed Appellant that she and her roommate had decided not to renew their lease, and would vacate the apartment by June 15. Construction continued in the apartment through the month of May. On June 8, the City Inspector gave a follow-up inspection of the apartment. While Appellant had fixed most of the issues, the City Inspector *830noted some surface mold was still growing on the bathroom wall behind the toilet and on the shower floor, and a small section of waterlogged drywall behind the rear foyer doors still needed to be replaced.

On June 15, Ms. Tolliver and her roommate vacated the apartment. Ms. Tolliver did not pay full or partial rent for the month of June. Appellant subsequently terminated the 2017 lease and did not return the security deposit.

Thereafter, Ms. Tolliver filed a petition in small claims court, alleging damages due to a breach of the implied warranty of habitability in the amount of $5,000.2 Ms. Tolliver asserted, in part, that items of her personal property were damaged by the water leakage and mold in the apartment. Following a hearing, the court entered a judgment in favor of Ms. Tolliver, awarding her $2,141 in damages. Appellant subsequently filed an application for trial de novo with the circuit court. Appellant filed a motion to dismiss Ms. Tolliver's petition or, in the alternative, motion for more definite statement. The circuit court denied the motion. Appellant then filed an answer, affirmative defenses, and counterclaim. As an affirmative defense, Appellant argued the 2017 lease "contained an explicit and specific liability waiver ... that states Defendant is not liable for any damages incurred by Plaintiff relating to the conditions alleged in Plaintiff's petition." Appellant stated Ms. Tolliver initialed the waiver, and it "was in full force and effect at the time of the events complained of in Plaintiff's petition," which is a complete defense to Ms. Tolliver's claim for breach of implied warranty of habitability. Appellant also asserted a counterclaim for breach of contract, alleging Appellant failed to pay rent for June as obligated under the 2017 lease.

At trial, Ms. Tolliver appeared pro se , and Appellant appeared by counsel and its property manager. Ms. Tolliver and the property manager gave varying accounts of the above-stated events. Additionally, Ms. Tolliver testified that numerous items of her personal property were damaged by the water leakage and mold in the apartment. Ms. Tolliver offered into evidence a list of the damaged items and their values.3 She also claimed damages for a medical bill, food costs, rent for May 2017, her security deposit, and emotional distress.

Following trial, the circuit court entered its findings of fact, conclusions of law, and judgment, finding in favor of Ms. Tolliver on her claim for breach of implied warranty of habitability. The circuit court found Ms. Tolliver offered evidence that the defects in the apartment were material, and that Appellant failed to correct them within a reasonable time to prevent her damages. The court found Ms. Tolliver suffered damage to her personal property, which "resulted from the negligence, inactions, or actions" of Appellant. The circuit court also found that although the 2017 lease was a valid and enforceable contract, and Ms. Tolliver acknowledged she failed to pay June's rent as required, Ms. Tolliver's testimony established Appellant agreed to waive rent for June. Accordingly, the circuit court ordered Appellant to *831pay Ms. Tolliver damages in the amount of $2,240.4 This appeal follows.

Points on Appeal

Appellant raises two points on appeal. In Point I, Appellant argues the circuit court erred in entering judgment in favor of Ms. Tolliver on her claim for breach of implied warranty of habitability because the claim is barred by the exculpatory clause in the 2017 lease.

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Bluebook (online)
563 S.W.3d 827, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tolliver-v-5-g-homes-llc-moctapp-2018.