APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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Montague vs. TDOC

M1999-00513-COA-R3-CV
This Court determined a previous appeal by Charles Montague to be frivolous and remanded the case to the trial court to set attorney's fees. The state submitted evidence of attorney's fees incurred, both in the trial court and in this Court. Montague appeals and we modify the judgment of the trial court so as to only allow attorney's fees on the initial appeal.
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Ellen Hobbs Lyle
Davidson County Court of Appeals 01/22/01
Perry vs. TN Bd. of Paroles

M1998-01018-COA-R3-CV
This appeal involves a prisoner's efforts to be released on parole. After the Tennessee Board of Paroles declined to release him on parole, the prisoner filed petitions for both common-law and statutory certiorari in the Chancery Court for Davidson County asserting that the Board had acted illegally, arbitrarily, and fraudulently. The trial court dismissed the prisoner's petition. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Ellen Hobbs Lyle
Davidson County Court of Appeals 01/22/01
Janine S. Taylor Hines vs. Richard Michael Tilimon

E2000-00912-COA-R3-CV
This is an interstate custody dispute. Janine S. Taylor Hines ("Mother") filed this action seeking a declaratory judgment pertaining to the custody of the parties' minor child. She also sought to modify certain foreign orders pertaining to the visitation rights of the defendant, Richard Michael Tilimon ("Father"). The trial court (a) entered a default judgment against Father, (b) declared Tennessee to be the child's home state, (c) decreed that custody would remain with Mother, and (d) limited Father's visitation to supervised visits in the state of Tennessee. The court later denied Father's motion to set aside the default judgment. Father appeals, raising issues as to subject matter jurisdiction, in personam jurisdiction, venue, and service of process. He also argues that the trial court erred (1) in denying his request for a continuance of the hearing on the plaintiff's motion for default judgment; (2) in not allowing him to participate by telephone in the hearing on his motion to set aside the default judgment; (3) in denying his motion to set aside the default judgment; (4) in ordering supervised visitation; and (5) in awarding Mother her attorney's fees. By a separate issue, Mother seeks attorney's fees for this appeal. We affirm and remand for a hearing to set Mother's fees on appeal.
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Originating Judge:Bill Swann
Knox County Court of Appeals 01/19/01
Joseph Hough v. State of Tennessee

E2000-01621-COA-R12-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Originating Judge:Michael S. Lacy
Greene County Court of Appeals 01/19/01
Custom Packaging, Inc. vs. Patti Holliday, et al

E2000-01744-COA-R3-CV
Custom Packaging, Inc., appeals a summary judgment granted against it in its suit seeking recovery on a sworn account for merchandise sold according to the complaint to "Patti Holliday, Ind. & d/b/a Repeat Fibre." The Trial Court sustained Ms. Holliday's motion for summary judgment, finding there are no material disputed facts. We vacate the judgment below and remand the case for further proceedings.
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Originating Judge:Daryl R. Fansler
Knox County Court of Appeals 01/19/01
State Department of Children's Services vs. RC

E2000-01939-COA-R3-CV
In this action to terminate parental rights, the mother didn't appear for trial and the Trial Court terminated her parental rights. On appeal, she argues her constitutional rights were violated by proceeding to trial in her absence, and termination was not supported by clear and convincing evidence. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Originating Judge:William H. Russell
Loudon County Court of Appeals 01/19/01
In Re: Estate of Constantine Anagnost

E2000-02321-COA-R3-CV
This litigation involves a claim against an estate. The claimant asserts that the decedent breached a contract which purportedly obligated the decedent to convey to the claimant a certain parcel of property upon the claimant's satisfaction of his contractual obligations. The estate moved for summary judgment, arguing that the issues relating to the existence of the purported contract had been decided adversely to the claimant in an earlier suit, thereby barring the present claim under the doctrine of res judicata. The trial court granted summary judgment to the estate, and the claimant now appeals, asserting that the prior judgment does not bar the instant claim. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Originating Judge:Daryl R. Fansler
Knox County Court of Appeals 01/19/01
Brian Mayes v. Ronald LeMonte

M2002-00625-COA-R3-CV
In this dog bite case, the trial court awarded a meter reader $5000 in compensatory damages against the dog owner. The dog owner claims on appeal that he was not negligent in handling his dog and that the sitting trial judge was biased and prejudiced against him. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Russ Heldman
Montgomery County Court of Appeals 01/17/01
John Rogers, Sr. vs. Est. of Newton Russell, Larry Holbert, Pers. Rep .

E2000-01054-COA-R3-CV
Plaintiff's claim in Probate Court against the estate of his stepfather was denied by the Probate Court because it was not filed timely. The Probate Court advised Plaintiff, who appeared at the hearing pro se, that he should seek counsel if he wished to challenge the ruling of the Probate Court. Although Plaintiff immediately retained counsel, no further action was taken on the matter for eleven months. With new counsel, Plaintiff then filed a Motion to Set Aside Order Denying Claim pursuant to Tenn. R. Civ. P. Rule 60.02. This Motion was heard on the pleadings, documents in the case file, including the Affidavit of Plaintiff, and arguments of counsel. The Probate Court dismissed the Motion. We affirm the Judgment of the Probate Court.
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:Hugh E. Delozier
Blount County Court of Appeals 01/16/01
Sheila Goodner and Amy Goodner vs. Arthur Sass

E2000-00837-COA-R3-CV
The Trial Judge granted defendant's Motion to Dismiss for insufficient process. We reverse and remand.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Originating Judge:L. Marie Williams
Hamilton County Court of Appeals 01/16/01
Todd Hutcheson v. Irving Materials

M2002-03064-COA-R3-CV
Plaintiff filed suit for breach of contract and negligence alleging that concrete provided by Defendant did not meet specifications. Defendant filed counterclaim for Plaintiff's unpaid bill. Plaintiff failed to timely respond to requests for admissions. Defendant filed motion to have requests deemed admitted, which the trial court granted. Plaintiff took no remedial action until seven months later, after Defendant filed its motion for summary judgment that was primarily based on the now disputed admissions. Plaintiff then filed Tenn. R. Civ. P. 36.02 motion for relief from the admissions. Trial court denied Plaintiff's motion for relief, granted Defendant's summary judgment, awarding damages against Plaintiff, and dismissed Plaintiff's cause of action against Defendant. This is an appeal from the trial court's denial of Plaintiff's motion for relief pursuant to Tenn. R. Civ. P. 36.02, and the trial court's granting of Defendant's motion for summary judgment, rendering judgment in favor of Defendant. We affirm the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Frank Clement, Jr.
Originating Judge:Robert E. Burch
Cheatham County Court of Appeals 01/16/01
Javius vs. Javius

M2000-00314-COA-R3-CV
After a stormy and sometimes violent marriage, the trial court awarded a divorce to the wife, divided the marital property, and ordered the husband to pay alimony. The husband claims on appeal that the wife's fault should have resulted in the divorce being granted to both parties; that the property was divided in an inequitable manner; and that the trial court should have ordered rehabilitative alimony rather than alimony in futuro. We affirm the grant of divorce to the wife and the property division, but modify the alimony award.
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Jeffrey S. Bivins
Williamson County Court of Appeals 01/11/01
Clarence Lewis vs. State

M2000-01529-COA-R3-CV
A prisoner in the custody of the Department of Correction suffered a severe hand injury while working in a prison industries workshop. He submitted a claim to the Tennessee Claims Commission, contending that negligence on the part of his supervisors caused his injuries. Following a hearing, the Commissioner dismissed his claim, finding that the prisoner's own negligence was more than 50% of the cause of his injuries. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Court of Appeals 01/10/01
State Dept. of Children's Services vs. T.M.L.

M2000-01785-COA-R3-JV
The juvenile court granted a petition to terminate parental rights to three of the children of a Nashville woman. On appeal, the mother challenges the termination in regard to her oldest child only, on the ground that it is not in the child's best interest to be permanently separated from her. We affirm the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Betty Adams Green
Davidson County Court of Appeals 01/10/01
Madge Fell,e t al vs. Gloria Rambo, et al

M2000-02100-COA-R3-CV
This case is before the Court on appeal from the action of the trial judge in overruling a Rule 60.02 Motion for Relief From a Final Judgment. Non-jury trial on the merits of the case resulted in a judgment of the trial court finding no lack of capacity of Nannie Bell Crockett and no undue influence exerted upon her. That same final judgment held that Plaintiffs, as remaindermen, under the will of John E. Crockett, received at the death of Nannie Bell Crockett, the remaining proceeds from the sale of a farm during her lifetime, which farm had been willed to her for life by her husband, John E. Crockett, with unlimited power of disposition. On appeal, this Court reversed the judgment of the trial court, finding that the pre-1981 version of Tennessee Code Annotated section 66-1-106 (1993) applied to the case, and that the sale of the farm by the life tenant with unlimited power of disposition, terminated the interest of the remaindermen, and that the remaindermen were not entitled to the proceeds of the sale of the farm still remaining in the possession of Nannie Bell Crockett at the time of her death. This judgment is now final and is reported in Fell v. Rambo, 36 S.W.2d 837 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000). On remand, the trial court denied the Rule 60.02 motion in issue on this appeal and we affirm the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Lee Russell
Marshall County Court of Appeals 01/10/01
Lon Walker v. William Cameron

M2000-01903-COA-R3-CV
This is a legal malpractice action which was dismissed on motion for summary judgment. Fourteen months before suit was filed the plaintiff sent a holographic letter to the Disciplinary Counsel complaining, in considerable detail, of the defendant's purported shortcomings. The trial judge held that the action was barred by the one-year statute of limitations. Judgment affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Per Curiam
Originating Judge:John J. Maddux
Putnam County Court of Appeals 01/10/01
Omawali Ashanti Shabazz, a/k/a Fred Dean vs. Donal Campbell, et al

M2000-01780-COA-R3-CV
Appellant, a prison inmate, filed suit under the Tennessee Public Records Act against the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections and others seeking disclosure to him of various records alleged to be public records, together with injunctive relief. The Chancellor dismissed the complaint with prejudice and we affirm the Chancellor.
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Ellen Hobbs Lyle
Davidson County Court of Appeals 01/10/01
Fred Birdsall, et al., v. Floyd Birdsall

E2000-01544-COA-R3-CV

Plaintiffs/Appellants sought the return of several items, including a shotgun, tiller and lawn mower, as well as $1,500 in damages to a 1980 Ford pick-up truck, from Defendant/Appellee. The Trial Court found the matter too speculative and dismissed the case. We have no transcript and no Statement of the Evidence. Accordingly, we must assume that the record, had it been preserved, would have contained sufficient evidence to support the Trial Court's factual findings. Judgment of the Trial Court affirmed.

Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:Judge Conrad E. Troutman, Jr.
Campbell County Court of Appeals 01/05/01
Melissa Suzanne Dew v. ProTemp, et al.

E2000-01750-COA-R3-CV

This appeal arises from a grant of summary judgment to Pro-Temp ("Defendant"), a temporary employment agency. Melissa Suzanne Dew ("Plaintiff") brought suit against her employer, Defendant, and Eagle Bend Manufacturing, Inc. ("Eagle Bend"). Defendant assigned Plaintiff to work in a temporary position at Eagle Bend where Plaintiff sustained a work-related injury. A few months later, Plaintiff received a reprimand from her Eagle Bend supervisor related to Plaintiff's work performance. Thereafter, Defendant terminated Plaintiff's assignment at Eagle Bend. Plaintiff claims Defendant terminated her employment in retaliation for exercising her worker's compensation rights. Plaintiff argues there are genuine issues of material fact which preclude the granting of summary judgment to Defendant. We affirm.

Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:Chancellor William E. Lantrip
Anderson County Court of Appeals 01/05/01
Unifirst Corporation, v. Harry Lane, et al.

M2000-00357-COA-R3-CV

This is an appeal from an award of damages by the Chancery Court of Davidson County for a breach of a contract. The defendants assert that the individual executing the contract did not have the authority to bind the corporation and that the contract ended when the corporation sold its assets. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Chancellor Claudia C. Bonnyman
Davidson County Court of Appeals 01/04/01
River City Resort, Inc. v. Norfolk Southern Ry Co., Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific R. Y. Co. & Jit Terminal, Inc.

E1999-02567-COA-R3-CV

This is a dispute over the validity of an easement between River City Resort, Inc. (“River City”), and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (“Railroad”) which is across a certain property owned by River City. River City brought this declaratory judgment against the Railroad and JIT Terminal, Inc. (“JIT”), an adjoining landowner who derives benefit from the easement.

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel Pickens Franks
Originating Judge:Chancellor W. Frank Brown, III
Hamilton County Court of Appeals 01/03/01
Gabriel Alwin vs. Percy Pitzer

W1999-00537-COA-R3-CV
An inmate filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus alleging that the sentencing court in Wisconsin was without authority to convict on one of the three counts under which he was convicted and that his sentence had expired. The trial court dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Jon Kerry Blackwood
Hardeman County Court of Appeals 12/29/00
Jaleesa Davis

W1999-01662-COA-R3-CV
The Shelby County Juvenile Court terminated parental rights of the natural mother and father of minor child. Parents have appealed. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Originating Judge:A. V. Mcdowell
Shelby County Court of Appeals 12/29/00
James Garrett vs. Isiah Roswer

W1999-02369-COA-R3-CV
This is a dispute among the members and officials of a church and the church pastor. The plaintiff church members and officials filed for injunctive relief against the defendant pastor of the church, seeking to remove him as pastor and prevent him from disposing of or eroding church assets. The trial court enjoined the pastor defendant from disposing of, eroding or concealing church assets, and also ordered an election. Under the court-ordered church election, the defendant was removed as pastor of the church. Subsequently, the defendant pastor executed a trust deed encumbering certain church properties. After the trust deed was foreclosed and the property was sold at a foreclosure sale, the defendant pastor filed a counter-complaint in the pending suit, alleging that he was the successful bidder at the foreclosure sale and that title of the church property should be transferred to him. In payment of his bid, the defendant pastor tendered bonds issued by the church. The trial court referred to a special master eight issues relating to the ownership and value of the bonds. The special master and trial court found that the defendant pastor had not established that he paid for the bonds. The defendant pastor appeals, arguing that the trial court erred in its finding on the bonds and that it failed to address or take evidence on additional issues raised in his counter-complaint. We affirm the decision of the trial court on the bonds, but remand the cause for proof on the remaining issues.
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Originating Judge:Walter L. Evans
Shelby County Court of Appeals 12/29/00
Eddie Williams vs. Alton Hesson

W2000-02725-COA-R3-CV
This appeal involves a claim of discrimination and denial of access to the courts by a maximum security inmate in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Correction. The court below granted summary judgment to the defendants. For the following reasons, we affirm the trial court's entry of summary judgment.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Joseph H. Walker, III
Lauderdale County Court of Appeals 12/29/00