Town of Cornersville, Tennessee v. Meleathie Harmon

Court of Appeals of Tennessee·Decided January 28, 2005·No. M2003-01061-COA-R3-CV·Published

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE AT NASHVILLE

July 6, 2004 Session

TOWN OF CORNERSVILLE, TENNESSEE v.

MELEATHIE HARMON, ET AL.

Appeal from the Chancery Court for Marshall County No. 12,301 James B. Cox, Chancellor

No. M2003-01061-COA-R3-CV - Filed January 28, 2005

The Town of Cornersville filed suit against a local business seeking injunctive relief to require compliance with its zoning ordinance. During the pendency of the matter, the trial court found the local business in contempt on three separate occasions for failure to comply with orders of the court requiring compliance with the ordinance. At a hearing on the merits, the trial court found that since the property at issue was within the town limits, it was subject to the zoning ordinance. Furthermore, the court found the business in contempt for failure to comply with its prior orders and thus subject to a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00) per day. The business appeals insisting that part of the subject property is not within the town’s zoning jurisdiction, that the trial court exceeded its statutory contempt authority, and that the town is estopped from raising any complaint regarding zoning noncompliance. We agree with the trial court and affirm its judgment.

Tenn. R. App. P. 3 Appeal as of Right; Judgment of the Chancery Court Affirmed

PATRICIA J. COTTRELL, J., delivered the opinion of the court, in which WILLIAM B. CAIN and FRANK G. CLEMENT , JR., JJ., joined.

William L. Abernathy, Jr., Shelbyville, Tennessee, for the appellants, Meleathie Harmon; Camuel Harmon; Harmon Scrap Metal, Inc. and Harmon Scrap Metal, LLC.

Paul B. Plant, J. Christopher Williams, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, for the appellee, Town of Cornersville, Tennessee.

OPINION

At issue is the trial court’s finding that Camuel Harmon and his businesses, Harmon Scrap Metal, Inc. and Harmon Scrap Metal, LLC, violated the Town of Cornersville’s zoning ordinance. Cornersville filed suit against Mr. Harmon, his businesses and his mother (who owned one of the

parcels) seeking injunctive relief to prohibit use of two tracts in violation of the zoning ordinance.

Camuel Harmon, Harmon Scrap Metal, Inc., and Harmon Scrap Metal, LLC own and operate a scrap metal plant inside the town limits of Cornersville, Tennessee. Between 1998 and 2000, two parcels of property across the street from the plant were purchased by Mr. Harmon, his mother, and/or his businesses to expand the scrap metal plant’s operations (“Tract 2” and “Tract 3”). Mr. Harman was using the parcels to park vehicles and store equipment. Both parcels are zoned under the Town of Cornersville’s municipal zoning ordinance for “R-1”, which is light residential development and use. There is no dispute that the entire parcel designated on Tract 2 is zoned R-1. There is an issue regarding whether and to what extent the parcel designated as Tract 3 is located within the limits of Cornersville and is thus subject to the zoning restriction of R-1. The validity and interpretation of the R-1 zoning classification is not at issue.

When Mr. Harmon began to expand the scrap metal business on Tracts 2 and 3, he applied to the Cornersville Board of Zoning Appeals for an exception or variance from the R-1 restriction that would allow him to use the parcels in his scrap metal business. The Board of Zoning Appeals denied the request in September of 2000. Mr. Harmon did not appeal the decision of the Board of Zoning Appeals. Thereafter, Mr. Harmon continued to expand the operation of the scrap metal business to the two tracts by putting up fences and parking vehicles there.

After continued complaints from neighboring property owners, the town filed suit against Mr. Harmon, his businesses, and his mother in March of 2002, seeking, among other things, both a temporary and permanent injunction barring Mr. Harmon’s use of the two tracts in violation of the town’s zoning ordinance.

Prior to a scheduled hearing for temporary relief, the parties entered into an Agreed Order on April 5, 2002. In the Agreed Order, Mr. Harmon agreed to bring the property into compliance with the R-1 zoning classification and keep it in compliance with Cornersville’s zoning classification pending a final hearing on the suit. The Agreed Order also provided that its violation was grounds for contempt.

Thereafter, the town filed a Motion for Attachment of Contempt on July 9, 2002, alleging the defendants continued to use the tracts in violation of the R-1 classification and Agreed Order. After a hearing on the contempt matter on July 24, 2002, the trial court found Camuel Harmon and the two businesses in contempt for failure to comply with the Agreed Order because they failed to bring the tracts in compliance with the R-1 zoning classification. The court found the contempt was not intentional or malicious and that Mr. Harmon could correct the violation by bringing the tracts into compliance with the R-1 zoning classification within one week. In its order (hereinafter the “July Contempt Order”) the trial court ordered that Mr. Harmon’s use of the property comply with the R-1 residential zoning classification and described specifically what Mr. Harmon must do to comply with the Court’s order:

Specifically, said Defendants shall remove any and all items of property, including automobiles, trucks, trailers, and/or vehicles, whether operable or inoperable, and specifically including “rolloffs” and/or any scrap metal or containers which may hold scrap metal, whether said containers are empty or filled, from said parcel by said time and date, and shall keep said parcel free of such property pending further orders of this Court. . . . Defendants may allow passenger vehicles, as such is used by employees and/or guests of Defendants to be parked upon said parcel for a de minimus time. Further, Defendants may allow trucks to be parked upon said parcel for de minimus time.

In violation of the Agreed Order and the court’s July Contempt Order, Mr. Harmon inexplicably continued to store and/or park trucks, automobiles, trailers, containers, and scrap metal on the subject property. The trial court held yet a second hearing regarding contempt on August 14, 2002, that resulted in another order (hereinafter referred to as the “August Contempt Order”). In the August Contempt Order, the court found that Mr. Harmon failed to comply with the Agreed Order and the July Contempt Order since he did not bring the property into compliance with the R-1 zoning classification. The court found this contempt to be intentional and/or malicious and assessed a civil penalty of One Hundred ($100) dollars. This sanction is not an issue on appeal. In its August Contempt Order, the court again ordered that Mr. Harmon bring the property into compliance with the R-1 zoning classification.

Specifically, said Defendants shall remove any and all items of property, including automobiles, trucks, trailers, and/or vehicles, whether operable or inoperable, and specifically including “rolloffs” and/or any scrap metal or containers which may hold scrap metal, whether said containers are empty or filled.

Additionally, the court was clear as to what use could be made of the property:

. . . Defendants may allow passenger vehicles, as such is used by employees and/or guests of the Defendants, to be parked upon said parcel for de minimus time. Further, Defendants may allow trucks to be parked upon said parcel for de minimus time. For the purposes of this Order, de minimus time shall not be taken to include overnight parking unless said vehicles are directly related to Defendant(s)’ scrap metal business and have been received on said property in such late time in the day as to not allow said vehicle’s contents to be processed, provided that there is no room for said vehicle within the confines of Defendants’ business across the street from said parcel and that said vehicle will be removed the next following morning.

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