COURT OF APPEALS OPINIONS

In Re Estate of Dariel Blackledge Washington
M2022-01326-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Kenny Armstrong
Trial Court Judge: Judge Andra J. Hedrick

Decedent’s siblings filed a document they alleged to be decedent’s last will and testament. Decedent’s husband, the personal representative of her estate, moved to declare the alleged will invalid for lack of an effective signature. The trial court concluded that the will was ineffective due to the lack of decedent’s signature, and declined to admit it to probate. Discerning no error, we affirm.

Davidson Court of Appeals

In Re Charlee N. et al.
M2022-01686-COA-R3-PT
Authoring Judge: Judge Arnold B. Goldin
Trial Court Judge: Judge Daryl A. Colson

This is a termination of parental rights case. The trial court terminated the parental rights of the parents to two children, finding that there was clear and convincing evidence as to both parents regarding the ground of severe child abuse and that termination of the parents’ rights was in the children’s best interest. Having carefully reviewed the record, we affirm.

Overton Court of Appeals

In Re Serenity S. et al.
M2022-01091-COA-R3-PT
Authoring Judge: Judge Kristi M. Davis
Trial Court Judge: Judge Stella L. Hargrove

Heather B. 1 (“Mother”) and John S., III (“Father”) are the biological parents of Serenity S. Mother and Raymond R. are the biological parents of Harmony R., Mellody O., and Angel O. Tina S. (“Grandmother”) and John S., Jr. (“Grandfather” or, together with Grandmother, “Petitioners”) petitioned the Chancery Court for Giles County (the “trial court”) for termination of Mother’s and Raymond R.’s parental rights in April of 2021 and for adoption of the children. Father voluntarily surrendered his parental rights as to Serenity S. As for the grounds for termination, Petitioners alleged: substantial noncompliance with the permanency plan, persistence of conditions, and failure to manifest an ability and willingness to personally assume legal and physical custody of the children. Following a bench trial, the trial court concluded that Petitioners proved all three statutory grounds for termination and that termination was in the Children’s best interests. Mother appeals to this Court. Having reviewed the record, we conclude that the trial court’s order must be vacated and remanded. Because Petitioners proved no statutory grounds for termination by clear and convincing evidence, we need not consider whether termination of Mother’s parental rights is in the Children’s best interests.

Giles Court of Appeals

Mazie F. White v. Thomas Gray Miller
M2021-01189-COA-R3-JV
Authoring Judge: Judge Jeffrey Usman
Trial Court Judge: Judge Sharon Guffee

The trial court found Father to be willfully underemployed and imputed income to him for calculation of child support. Mother appeals the juvenile court’s determination, arguing the trial court erred as to the amount of income imputed to Father for the purposes of setting child support and also as to its determination of the amount of retroactive support. We affirm the trial court’s income imputation. However, we conclude the trial court erred in its calculation of retroactive support owed by Father. Therefore, this Court affirms the judgment of the trial court in part and reverses in part.

Williamson Court of Appeals

Pam Holzmer v. The Estate of James F. Walsh, Jr.
M2022-00616-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Andy D. Bennett
Trial Court Judge: Judge Joseph P. Binkley, Jr.

This is an appeal from a jury verdict awarding damages to a plaintiff injured in a car accident. The plaintiff asserts that the trial court erred in excluding evidence of her medical bills. Because the plaintiff failed to present expert proof that her medical expenses were necessary, we find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excluding the bills. The jury verdict is affirmed.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Daniel Harvey, et al. v. Shelby County, Tennessee, et al.
W2022-00683-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Carma Dennis McGee
Trial Court Judge: Judge Rhynette N. Hurd

Plaintiffs filed this inverse condemnation suit against numerous defendants, alleging that
their involvement with a construction project on an interstate highway resulted in increased
surface waters and flooding of Plaintiffs’ home and property. The trial court dismissed all
of the claims at various stages of the litigation. In a prior appeal, this Court affirmed the
dismissal of multiple claims, but we vacated the trial court’s grant of judgment on the
pleadings for two defendants because the trial court’s order stated that its decision was
based on “the entire record” and cited an exhibit to the complaint. See Harvey v. Shelby
Cnty., No. W2018-01747-COA-R3-CV, 2019 WL 3854297, at *4-6 (Tenn. Ct. App. Aug.
16, 2019). We remanded for consideration pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Civil Procedure
56. Id. at *6. After some limited discovery on remand, the trial court granted motions for
summary judgment filed by the two remaining defendants. Plaintiffs appeal. We reverse
and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Shelby Court of Appeals

In Re Michael C. Et Al.
E2022-01063-COA-R3-PT
Authoring Judge: Judge Jeffrey Usman
Trial Court Judge: Judge Marie Williams

The appellant challenges the trial court’s termination of her parental rights. The trial court
found that clear and convincing evidence established four grounds for termination of
parental rights including (1) abandonment by failure to visit; (2) persistent conditions; (3)
substantial noncompliance with the permanency plan; and (4) failure to manifest an ability
and willingness to assume custody. The trial court also found clear and convincing
evidence established that termination was in the children’s best interests. The appellant
challenges the trial court’s findings as to both the existence of grounds for termination and
the conclusion that termination was in the best interests of the children. We affirm.

Court of Appeals

In Re Zoey L.
E2022-01067-COA-R3-PT
Authoring Judge: Judge Jeffrey Usman
Trial Court Judge: Judge William Talley Ridley

In a private petition for terminationof parental rights, the petitioner alleged multiple grounds for termination: (1) abandonment for failure to visit; (2) abandonment for failure to support; and (3) failure to manifest an ability and willingness to assume custody. The trial court found the Father’s parental rights should be terminatedbased upon thesethree groundsand that termination was in the child’s best interest. We affirm the trial court’s ruling as to the termination grounds of abandonment by failure to visit and failure to support. Because the trial court did not make findings of factconcluding that placing legal and physical custody withFather would pose a risk of substantial harm tothe physical or psychological welfare of the child, we must vacatethe trial court’s ruling as to the failure to manifest an ability and willingness to assume custody ground. We affirm the trial court’s conclusionthat termination of Father’s parental rights is in the best interest of the child.

Court of Appeals

Nikita R. Thomas v. Donald L. Smith
E2022-00964-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas R. Frierson II
Trial Court Judge: Chancellor Ronald Thurman

In this real property dispute, the petitioner brought an action to quiet title to and remove
the respondent from a parcel of improved real property located in Cumberland County.
Following a bench trial, the trial court ordered that the title of the property be fully vested
in the petitioner. The trial court also ordered the respondent to vacate the premises within
ten days. Following a damages hearing, the trial court entered an order awarding to the
petitioner $8,000 in compensatory damages and $1,000 in attorney’s fees. The
respondent has appealed, and the petitioner has raised an issue alleging that this is a
frivolous appeal. Because we are unable to discern from the trial court’s judgment any
consideration of the Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 8, Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5
factors (“RPC 1.5 factors”), we vacate the award of attorney’s fees and remand for the
trial court to make a new determination of a reasonable attorney’s fee award to the
petitioner based on the RPC 1.5 factors. We deny the petitioner’s request for damages on
appeal. We affirm the trial court’s judgment in all other respects.

Court of Appeals

Lynne S. Cherry et al. v. Del Frisco’s Grille of Tennessee, LLC et al.
M2022-00969-COA-R10-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Arnold B. Goldin
Trial Court Judge: Judge Michael Binkley

In this premises liability case concerning a customer’s fall inside of a restaurant, video surveillance footage from a security camera in the restaurant was not preserved, precipitating the filing of a sanctions motion by the Plaintiffs for spoliation. Although several sources of evidence existed pertaining to the condition of the restaurant flooring where the customer fell, and although the trial court concluded that the Plaintiffs were not prevented from proving fault in this case in the absence of the video evidence, the trial court ultimately entered significant sanctions against the Defendants, including holding that it was conclusively established for purposes of trial that the Defendants had actual or constructive notice that the floor where the fall occurred was “slick” because of a substance or because of a general and continuing condition, as well as striking the Defendants’ affirmative defenses of comparative fault. Upon the filing of an application by the Defendants, we granted an extraordinary appeal under Rule 10 of the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure. For the reasons stated herein, we vacate the trial court’s sanctions order and remand for further proceedings consistent with this Opinion.

Williamson Court of Appeals

Heather R. Wilder v. Joseph C. Wilder
E2022-00990-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge D. Michael Swiney
Trial Court Judge: Judge Gregory S. McMillan

This appeal concerns a long-running domestic matter. Heather R. Wilder (“Mother”) and
Joseph C. Wilder (“Father”) were issued a final judgment of divorce by the Circuit Court
for Knox County (“the Trial Court”) in 2010. Issues concerning child support have
persisted since then. In the most recent chapter, the Trial Court allowed Mother’s attorney
to withdraw five days before trial but denied her request for a continuance. The Trial Court
subsequently entered its final order. Mother appeals. We find that the Trial Court abused
its discretion in denying Mother a reasonable continuance. We vacate the Trial Court’s
judgment and remand for a new trial to be conducted after Mother has had a reasonable
continuance in which to try to retain counsel or otherwise prepare for trial pro se.

Court of Appeals

Felicia Willett, et al. v. Olymbec USA, LLC
W2022-00028-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge J. Steven Stafford
Trial Court Judge: Chancellor JoeDae L. Jenkins

Tenant appeals the trial court’s decision to grant landlord a judgment under a holdover
provision in a commercial lease. Because we conclude that landlord voluntarily
relinquished its claim under the holdover provision, we reverse the trial court’s judgment
of damages, late fees, and attorney’s fees, but affirm the trial court’s decision to deny
tenant’s motion to amend her complaint. We remand this case for the determination of the
sole issue agreed to be heard by the parties.

Shelby Court of Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Michael L. Bailey
M2022-01386-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Jeffrey Usman
Trial Court Judge: Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle

The State of Tennessee sought the enforcement of a prior administrative order against the Appellant related to the Appellant’s violations of the Tennessee Water Quality Control Act of 1977, requesting civil penalties, damages, and injunctive relief. The State filed a motion for summary judgment, and the Appellant sought a continuance based on parallel criminal proceedings. The trial court denied the motion for a continuance and granted summary judgment to the State. On appeal, the Appellant asserts that the chancery court and administrative tribunal lacked personal jurisdiction and that the chancery court erred in denying his motion for a continuance. We conclude that any challenge to personal jurisdiction has been waived and that the chancery court did not abuse its discretion in denying the motion for a continuance. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Yakima Marks Green v. Derrick Lamar Green
M2021-00955-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Neal McBrayer
Trial Court Judge: Judge Phillip R. Robinson

A father petitioned to change the primary residential parent and for immediate physical custody of his child based on the mother’s allegedly inappropriate behavior. The court granted Father an ex parte order of immediate physical custody. At the show cause hearing, the court determined that the mother had engaged in a pattern of emotional abuse of the father and the child such that her parenting time should be limited. After a final hearing on the father’s petition, the court found a material change of circumstances had occurred and that it was in the child’s best interest to modify the permanent parenting plan. The court then adopted a modified parenting plan that named the father the primary residential parent and limited the mother’s parenting time. Discerning no abuse of discretion, we affirm.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Kim Renae Nelson v. Loring E. Justice
E2021-01398-COA-R3-JV
Authoring Judge: Judge Kenny Armstrong
Trial Court Judge: Senior Judge William B. Acree

The trial court found Appellant/Father in civil contempt for alleged failure to comply with discovery propounded by Appellee/Mother. The trial court also dismissed Father’s petition to modify visitation and child support on the ground that Father’s petition constituted an abusive civil lawsuit. We reverse the trial court’s findings of civil contempt and abusive civil lawsuit. However, because the parties’ child has reached majority, we conclude that Father’s petition to modify is moot. Therefore, we affirm the trial court’s dismissal of Father’s petition on the ground of mootness.

Court of Appeals

Rachel Karrie Bryant Ramsey v. Nathan Lynn Bryant Et Al.
E2022-01503-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas R. Frierson
Trial Court Judge: Chancellor Douglas T. Jenkins

The notice of appeal filed by the appellants, Nathan Lynn Bryant and Melissa Bryant, stated that appellants were appealing the judgment entered on September 27, 2022. Inasmuch as the order appealed from does not constitute a final appealable judgment, this Court lacks jurisdiction to consider this appeal.

Court of Appeals

Holston Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Inc. v. Bethany Presbyterian Church
E2022-01337-COA-R3-CV

A congregation within the Presbyterian Church sought to disaffiliate from its presbytery while retaining ownership of its real property. The presbytery argued that the congregation did not own the real property outright but rather held it in trust for the benefit of the national body of the Presbyterian Church. Following a hearing on competing motions for summary judgment, the trial court determined that the congregation owned the property outright. Thus, it denied the presbytery’s motion and granted the congregation’s motion. The presbytery timely appealed to this Court. Following careful review, we reverse.

Court of Appeals

Benjamin McCurry v. Agness McCurry
E2023-00827-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Per Curiam
Trial Court Judge: Judge Thomas J. Wright

Because the order appealed from does not constitute a final appealable judgment, this Court
lacks jurisdiction to consider this appeal.

Washington Court of Appeals

In Re Skylar M.
E2023-00875-COA-R3-PT
Authoring Judge: Per Curiam
Trial Court Judge: Chancellor Ronald Thurman

The appellant filed a notice of appeal more than thirty days from the date of entry of the
order from which the appellant is seeking to appeal. Because the notice of appeal was not
timely filed, we have no jurisdiction to consider this appeal.

Court of Appeals

State of Tennessee, ex re., Commissioner of the Department of Transportation v. Pagidipati Family General Partnership, et al.
W2022-00078-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas R. Frierson, II
Trial Court Judge: Judge Jerry Stokes

This is an eminent domain case in which the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department
of Transportation (“the State”) condemned two portions of the defendant’s eighteen-acre
property in Shelby County. Prior to a jury trial to determine the fair market value of the
condemned property, the State filed a motion in limine to exclude evidence of or reference
to a prior sale of a portion of the defendant’s real property to a neighboring fireworks
business. The State argued that the previous sale was not an arm’s-length transaction or a
comparable sale. The trial court granted the State’s motion in limine, excluding the prior
sale from the jury’s consideration. The defendant has appealed. Determining that the
defendant has failed to properly cite to the record in its appellate brief or provide us with a
sufficient record on appeal, we conclude that the defendant has waived its challenge to the
trial court’s exclusion of evidence. We therefore affirm the trial court’s order.

Shelby Court of Appeals

Linda C. Black as next of kin of Robert Junious Black v. State of Tennessee
M2022-00399-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Frank G. Clement, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Commissioner James A. Haltom

This is a wrongful-death health care liability action against a skilled nursing facility, the Tennessee State Veterans’ Home in Clarksville (“TSVH-Clarksville”), which is owned and operated by the State of Tennessee. The claimant, Linda Black (“Claimant”), is the surviving spouse of Robert Junious Black, deceased, who was a resident of TSVHClarksville from December 16, 2016, through January 9, 2017. Claimant asserted that TSVH-Clarksville proximately caused Mr. Black’s death by failing to monitor and report his symptoms under the applicable standard of care. In particular, Claimant alleged that the staff at TSVH-Clarksville (1) failed to follow Mr. Black’s care plan for risk of dehydration; (2) failed to prevent Mr. Black from developing a urinary tract infection; (3) failed to notify Mr. Black’s physician of a significant changes in his clinical status; and (4) failed to properly assess Mr. Black. Following a two-day bench trial, the Claims Commissioner found that Claimant failed to establish a health care liability claim because, inter alia, the State complied with the applicable standards of care and Claimant failed to establish causation. This appeal followed. We affirm.

Court of Appeals

In Re Anthony N.
M2022-01360-COA-R3-JV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Neal McBrayer
Trial Court Judge: Judge M. Wyatt Burk

A juvenile appeals the decision to re-commit him to DCS custody for treatment and
services. We conclude that this appeal is moot in light of post-judgment facts.

Bedford Court of Appeals

Tricon Construction, Inc D/B/A Tricon 3 Construction, Inc. v. Michelle Perry Et Al.
M2022-00664-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge J. Steven Stafford
Trial Court Judge: Judge Thomas W. Brothers

Husband and wife appellants, acting pro se, appeal the trial court’s decision to pierce the corporate veil of husband’s construction company to hold husband individually responsible for the corporation’s breach of contract, as well as the judgment against both husband and wife for contemptuous conduct. We do not reach the merits of the case due to the appellants’ failure to comply with the briefing requirements set out in Rule 27 of the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure and Rule 6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals of Tennessee and dismiss the appeal.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Carolyn Cruise v. Brittany Byrd
M2022-01578-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Carma Dennis McGee
Trial Court Judge: Judge Clifton David Briley

This appeal arises out of a dog bite incident that occurred at a dog park within an apartment complex. The plaintiff filed a complaint against the defendant who owned the dog that bit her. The defendant filed a motion for summary judgment. The trial court entered an order granting the defendant's motion for summary judgment and dismissing the plaintiff s complaint with prejudice. The plaintiff appeals. We affirm.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Paul W. Chrisman, Jr., Trustee v. SP Title, LLC, Et Al.
M2022-00944-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Carma Dennis McGee
Trial Court Judge: Judge Joseph A. Woodruff

This appeal arises out of a third-party complaint asserting claims arising from the sale of real property. The trial court entered an order granting in part and denying in part the thirdparty defendants’ motion for summary judgment. Afterward, the third-party plaintiff filed a notice of voluntary dismissal as to his remaining claim, which was then dismissed without prejudice by the trial court. The third-party plaintiff appeals. We reverse in part, vacate in part, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Williamson Court of Appeals