Tip's PackageStore, Inc. vs. Commercial Ins. Mgrs., Inc. E2000-02070-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Trial Court Judge: Sharon J. Bell
Plaintiffs H. Wayne Tipton ("Tipton") and Tip's Package Store, Inc., (Tip's) brought this lawsuit against George P. Taylor ("Taylor") and Commercial Insurance Managers, Inc., ("Commercial") seeking indemnification for an agreed judgment entered against Tip's in a lawsuit involving the tragic deaths of two young University of Tennessee students. Plaintiffs claim that Defendants improperly obtained for them an "occurrence" liability policy as opposed to a "claims made" liability policy, thereby resulting in a lack of insurance coverage for the wrongful death claims. After a jury trial, the Chancery Court entered judgment in favor of both Plaintiffs in the amount of $1,000,000 for indemnification based on the jury's answers to interrogatories. Defendants appeal, arguing, among other things, that: (1) the statute of limitations had run; (2) a covenant not to execute entered into between the families of the deceased young women and Plaintiffs extinguished any potential liability; and (3) the jury's responses to interrogatories were fatally inconsistent. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand.
Knox
Court of Appeals
E2000-02268-COA-R3-CV E2000-02268-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Trial Court Judge: Russell E. Simmons, Jr.
Roane
Court of Appeals
Gloria Neuenschwander vs. Roy Neuenschwander E2001-00306-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: William M. Dender
Trial Judge refused to recuse, set amount of alimony, and established rental value of parties' property. On appeal we reverse the change in the amount of alimony by the Trial Court, but otherwise affirm.
Knox
Court of Appeals
Beal Bank vs. RBM Co., Est. of H.A. Webster, Michael Webster, and Richard Webster E2001-00520-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: W. Frank Brown, III
The trial court admitted into evidence the loan records from NationsBank through a witness who was thoroughly familiar with the record-keeping process. On appeal, we affirm.
Hamilton
Court of Appeals
Linda Musick vs. Calvin Musick E2001-01140-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: John S. Mclellan, III
The Trial Court granted parties a divorce, divided marital property, and awarded alimony. The parties have appealed on issues of evidence, division of marital property, the granting of alimony, and wife's attorney's fees. We affirm.
Polk County vs. Glenda B. Rogers , d/b/a Ocoee River Rats E2001-00004-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Trial Court Judge: Jerri S. Bryant
In this appeal from the Polk County Chancery Court the Appellant , Glenda B. Rogers, d/b/a Ocoee River Rats, contends that evidence presented at trial showed that the classification of whitewater rafting businesses and their customers under a private act applicable to the Appellee, Polk County, assessing a privilege tax on guided rafting ticket sales by such businesses in Polk County is without reasonable basis and that the Trial Court's finding to the contrary was in error. We affirm the judgment of the Trial Court and we adjudge costs of the appeal against the Appellant.
Polk
Court of Appeals
Vicky Lockhart vs. Robert Lockhart W2000-02922-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Trial Court Judge: Martha B. Brasfield
The Appellant and the Appellee were divorced by final decree of divorce incorporating a marital dissolution agreement entered into by the parties. The marital dissolution agreement provided that the Appellee was to have custody of the parties' two minor children. The Appellant filed a petition to modify custody of the parties' children in the Chancery Court of Tipton County. At the hearing on the petition, the Appellant first raised the issue that the Appellee was not the biological father of one of the children. The trial court held that the Appellant was judicially estopped to raise the issue of the paternity of one of the children and denied the petition to modify custody. The Appellant appeals the decision of the Chancery Court of Tipton County holding that the Appellant was judicially estopped to raise the issue of paternity and denying the petition to modify custody. For the reasons stated herein, we affirm the trial court's decision.
Tipton
Court of Appeals
Constance/Marcus Cherry vs. State W2001-00038-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
This is a wrongful death case. The decedent was a patient at a state mental health institution. He died at the institution because he was not properly treated for urinary problems. The mother of the decedent filed this wrongful death action against the State, seeking damages for the decedent's loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, as well as her loss of consortium. The complaint was later amended to add the decedent's son as a plaintiff. The son sought damages only for his loss of consortium. After a hearing, the Tennessee Claims Commission denied the mother any damages for wrongful death, holding that persons of unequal kinship cannot both maintain a wrongful death action relating to the same death. However, the Claims Commission awarded the mother her out-of-pocket funeral expenses, and awarded $25,000 to the son for his loss of consortium. The mother and son now appeal. We affirm, finding that, as between the mother and son of the decedent, the son has the greater degree of kinship with the decedent, and therefore the mother cannot be awarded damages for the decedent's wrongful death.
Court of Appeals
Myrtle Brown vs. Norma Daly W2001-00953-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: Floyd Peete, Jr.
This appeal involves the disputed ownership of real property. Appellee claims title to the land by prescription, or in the alternative, under the doctrine of laches. After a jury trial, the trial court entered a judgment in favor of Appellee. Appellants assert that the trial court erred by admitting a check into evidence as proof that Appellee's predecessor in interest lived on the property without the permission of Appellants. We agree that the trial court erred by admitting the check, but we affirm the judgment of the trial court because the record contains material evidence to support the jury's findings and corresponding verdict.
Eva Woods vs. County of Dyer W2001-00224-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Trial Court Judge: Lee Moore
This appeal arises from the Appellees' denial of an application for a beer permit filed by the Appellant. The Appellant filed a petition for writ of certiorari against the Appellees in the Circuit Court of Dyer County. Following a hearing on the petition for writ of certiorari, the trial court affirmed the decision of the Appellees and dismissed the petition for writ of certiorari. The Appellant appeals the dismissal of the petition for writ of certiorari by the Circuit Court of Dyer County. For the reasons stated herein, we affirm the trial court's decision.
Dyer
Court of Appeals
State, ex rel Steven Wrzesniewski, vs. Lori Miller E2001-00317-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: W. Dale Young
Appellant was not ordered to pay child support when divorce was granted. Subsequently, retroactive child support was ordered. On appeal, we affirm.
Blount
Court of Appeals
Anthony McNabb, et ux vs. Highways, Inc., et al E2001-00867-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: Lawrence H. Puckett
Plaintiffs' action for damages for personal injury allegedly due to defendant's negligence, was dismissed by the Trial Judge for failure of plaintiffs to join all alleged tort feasors in one action. On appeal, we vacate and remand.
Polk
Court of Appeals
State ex rel. Benjamin Bowman, et al vs. City of Elizabethton E2001-00597-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Trial Court Judge: G. Richard Johnson
In this condemnation suit the landowners, whose property was originally proposed to be annexed but later excluded, appeal the Trial Judge's determination that they have no standing to prosecute the suit contesting the annexation. Other landowners who were in the original annexation ordinance and remained therein after the amended ordinances excluding realtors, sought to intervene and contest the City's right to annex. Their suit was likewise dismissed upon a finding by the Trial Court that they had not filed an exception within the 30-day period allowed by Statute. We affirm the Trial Court's resolution both as to the Realtors and the parties attempting to intervene.
Carter
Court of Appeals
Sam Mirabella, et al vs. State E2001-00960-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
This is a suit by Sam Mirabella and his son Charles Mirabella and their wives, seeking damages against the State of Tennessee and the University of Tennessee for damages incurred as a result of the unlawful arrest of both Mr. Mirabellas and negligence resulting in injury to Sam Mirabella. The Trial Court found it did not have jurisdiction to hear the unlawful arrest claim and awarded damages for the injury to Sam Mirabella in the amount of $4528 and to his wife in the amount of $800. As to Sam Mirabella we modify the judgment to increase the award to the sum of $11,528 and as to his wife $1800.
Court of Appeals
Mark Wishon, et ux vs. Ear, Nose, & Throat Associates, PC., et al E2001-01031-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: Thomas J. Seeley, Jr.
Plaintiffs appeal from summary judgments in medical malpractice case granted to defendants, and from the Trial Court's refusal to grant them a voluntary dismissal during the pendency of the summary judgment motions. We affirm.
Grace Fellowhip Church vs. Lenoir City Beer Bd. & KVAT Food Stores, Inc. E2000-02777-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: Frank V. Williams, III
The Trial Court voided Beer permit issued by the Beer Board. We vacate the Trial Court's Judgment and remand to the Board to reconsider the application on grounds the Board's actions were in violation of the Open Meetings Act.
Loudon
Court of Appeals
Patricia Parks vs. Julie Nelson E2000-02943-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Trial Court Judge: W. Dale Young
In this appeal from the Blount County Circuit Court the Plaintiff/Appellant, Patricia D. Parks, contends that the Trial Court erred in granting the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by the Defendants/Appellees, Julie Nelson and Nelson Realtors/ Better Homes and Gardens, Inc. Ms. Parks also contends that the Trial Court erred in failing to grant her motion for continuance and in failing to grant her motion to accept a late filed deposition. We affirm the judgment of the Trial Court and remand the case for collection of costs below.
Blount
Court of Appeals
Sheila Byrd vs. David Buhl M2001-00070-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Trial Court Judge: Carol A. Catalano
This appeal involves a custody and visitation dispute brought by divorced parents having joint custody of their child. After the mother of the child moved out of state, the child's father petitioned the court for change of custody. The mother then counter-petitioned the court for an increase in child support. After a hearing on the matter, the court altered the previous visitation agreement, increased child support, granted the father the right to claim the child as a dependent for income tax purposes, and refused to grant the mother attorney's fees. This appeal followed and for the following reasons, we affirm.
Montgomery
Court of Appeals
Joanne Barrett vs. Christopher Barrett M2000-00380-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Trial Court Judge: Royce Taylor
In this divorce appeal the wife asserts that the trial judge erred in awarding custody of the children to the father, in refusing to award her rehabilitative alimony, and in the division of the marital estate. We affirm the trial court.
Rutherford
Court of Appeals
In re: The Estate of Luther Garrett M1999-01282-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Trial Court Judge: Billy Joe White
The testator, a father of six, left a will which devised to one of his children a specific tract of land which, according to the will, was described in an attached survey map. No survey map was attached to the will. Appellant, the recipient of that bequest, disagreed with his siblings about the size of the tract to which he was entitled. After hearing both parties' evidence, the trial court found that the testator's intent was to devise separate seven acre tracts to both Appellant and one of his brothers with the remainder of the estate's property to be divided equally among the six children. Appellant then commenced this appeal. We affirm in part and reverse in part.
Fentress
Court of Appeals
Terry Brough vs. Muriel Adcroft W2001-00786-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Trial Court Judge: George H. Brown
This appeal involves a trial court's grant of prejudgment interest on arbitration awards. Subsequent to an automobile accident, the plaintiffs filed suit against their uninsured motorist policy carrier and another individual involved in the accident. The case proceeded to arbitration and the plaintiffs were awarded $140,000.00, which was paid by the insurance company. Upon obtaining new counsel, the plaintiffs learned of a relationship between the arbitrator and the insurance company and motioned the court to vacate the arbitration award. The trial court granted plaintiff's motion and resubmitted the case for a second arbitration. The plaintiffs were awarded $245,000.00 at the second arbitration and, soon after, motioned the court for prejudgment interest on the award. The trial court awarded the plaintiffs $71,042.72 of prejudgment interest. The insurance company appealed the decision to grant prejudgment interest and both parties have contested the method of calculation employed by the trial court. For the following reasons, we affirm in part, vacate in part, and remand this case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
