Tracker Marine Retail, LLC v. Oakley Land Co.

190 So. 3d 512, 2015 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 180, 2015 WL 4600855
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedJuly 31, 2015
Docket2140505
StatusPublished

This text of 190 So. 3d 512 (Tracker Marine Retail, LLC v. Oakley Land Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tracker Marine Retail, LLC v. Oakley Land Co., 190 So. 3d 512, 2015 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 180, 2015 WL 4600855 (Ala. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

THOMAS, Judge.

. In 1994, DeWayne Oakley and his wife, Nancy Oakley, purchased a parcel of real property (“the premises”) from Jerome Beckman and his wife, Angie T. Beckman. The Oakleys later deeded the premises to Oakley Land Company, L.L.C. (“Oakley”); DeWayne is the managing member of Oakley. Jerome Beckman had operated a boat dealership and repair business .(“the business”) on the premises since 1992. Oakley continued operating the business until October 1996, when it leased the premises to Travis Boating Center, Inc., which, at other times, was Travis Boating Center, LLC, and Travis Boats and Motors, LLC, all of which ultimately became Tracker Marine Retail, LLC (“Tracker Marine”) (hereinafter the four entities will be referred to collectively as “Tracker”).1 Tracker continued to operate the business on the premises. In 2008, as Oakley prepared to sell the premises to Robert'Bevis, elevated levels of petroleum hydrocarbons (“TPH”) were discovered on the rear' of the premises. After initial efforts to discuss the matter with Tracker representatives were unfruitful, Oakley dug up and hauled away .the .contaminated soil, replaced it with fill dirt, and added recommended equipment to prevent further contamination.,

When Tracker refused to pay the costs Oakley had incurred, Oakley sued Tracker in the Lauderdale Circuit Court, alleging that Tracker had breached certain provisions of the lease agreement, and, in the alternative, seeking damages for trespass to land, negligence, or wantonness. After a bench trial held on April 21, 2014, and September 12, 2014, the trial court entered a judgment in favor of Oakley and against Tracker Marine and awarded $49,960.51 in damages and $17,848.54 in prejudgment interest.2 The trial court, after an additional hearing, awarded a [515]*515$53,052.37 attorney fee to Oakley. Tracker Marine filed a timely postjudgment motion, which the trial court denied. Tracker Marine timely appealed the judgment to the Alabama Supreme Court, which transferred the appeal to this court, pursuant to Ala.Code 1975, § 12-2-7(6). Tracker Marine seeks review of whether the evidence established that Tracker had breached a provision of the lease and whether the trial court’s award of damages was in error because it included a sum for improvements to the premises as opposed to the sum necessary to remediate the contamination.

Our review of the judgment in the present case is well settled.

“When ore tenus evidence is presented, a presumption of correctness exists as 'to the trial court’s findings on issues of fact; its judgment based on these findings of fact will not be disturbed unless it is clearly erroneous, without supporting evidence, manifestly unjust, or against the great weight of the evidence. J & M Bail Bonding Co. v. Hayes, 748 So.2d 198 (Ala.1999); Gaston v. Ames, 514 So.2d 877 (Ala.1987). When the trial court in a nonjury case enters a judgment without making specific findings of fact, the appellate court ‘will assume that the trial judge made those findings necessary to support the judgment.’ Transamerica Commercial Fin. Corp. v. AmSouth Bank, 608 So.2d 375, 378 (Ala.1992). Moreover, [u]nder the ore tenus rule, the trial court’s judgment and all implicit findings necessary to support it carry a presumption of correctness.’ Transamerica, 608 So.2d at 378.”

City of Prattville v. Post, 831 So.2d 622, 627-28 (Ala.Civ.App.2002); see also Rearick v. Sieving, 103 So.3d 815, 818-19 (Ala.Civ.App.2012).

As ^mentioned above, the premises had housed the business since approximately 1992, when the premises were owned by the Beckmans. Oakley took over the business when it acquired the premises in 1994, and it leased the business to Tracker beginning in October 1996. The 1996 lease provided, among other things, that Tracker would have á duty to keep the leased premises in good condition and to repair any damage done to the premises. Specifically, Paragraph 5 of the 1996 lease provided:

“5.' Tenant’s Duty to Repair:
“(a) Except as otherwise stated herein, during the Initial' Term and any Extended Term; [Tracker], at its own expense, shall' maintain the Premises in good condition and shall promptly make all necessary interior and exterior, ordinary as well as extraordinary, repairs to the pipes, heating :and air conditioning system; plumbing system, window glass, fixtures, and all other appliances and appurtenances, all equipment used in connection with, the Premises, and the sidewalks, curbs, and vaults adjoining or appurtenant to the Premises. Notwithstanding this duty to repair, [Tracker] shall not be responsible for replacement of the HVAC system in the event that such system cannot be reasonably repaired unless the need for replacement is a result of" [Tracker’s] unreasonable, extraordinary or improper use or acts or is a result of [Tracker’s] leasehold improvements. All repairs and replacements shall be at least equal to the original work in quality and class. [Oakley] shall make any necessary structural repairs and roof repairs during the Initial Term and any Extended Term, except for such repairs which are the result of [Tracker’s] unreasonable, extraordinary or improper use or acts. .[Oakley’s] duty to make .such repairs shall be limited to conditions about [516]*516which it receives notice from [Tracker], and [Oakley] shall have no duty to inspect the Premises to ascertain the existence of conditions requiring roof or structural repairs.
a • '
“(c) [Tracker], at its own expense, shall repair all damage or injury done to the Premises by [Tracker] or’ by any person who may be in or on the Premises, except [Oakley or its] agents, servants, and employees.”

Tracker and Oakley entered into a new lease in 2006. The 2006 lease contained Paragraphs 5(a) and (c) that were substantially similar , to the provisions quoted above.3 The 2006 lease included two additional provisions, relating , to Tracker’s duties under the lease: Paragraphs 18 and 19.

Paragraph 18 is labeled “Environmental Compliance Indemnity,” and it states, in pertinent-part:’

“(a) By Tenant. [Tracker] warrants and agrees that it will not, during- the Initial Term or’ Extended Term(s), if any, of this Léase, knowingly or negligently allow or cause the presence, disposal, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials on,' from or undér the Premises, nor in the construction of the improvements or any alterations. Furthermore, [Tracker] covenants that it will comply with all federal, state and local laws regulating the creation, maintenance, storage, transportation and disposal of Hazardous Materials.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
190 So. 3d 512, 2015 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 180, 2015 WL 4600855, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tracker-marine-retail-llc-v-oakley-land-co-alacivapp-2015.