COURT OF APPEALS OPINIONS

25840-COA-R3-CV
25840-COA-R3-CV
Trial Court Judge: Samuel H. Payne

Hamilton Court of Appeals

Christopher Woods vs. Ellis Woods
W1999-00733-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: D'Army Bailey
This appeal arises from a dispute between Plaintiff Christopher Lamar Woods and Defendant Ellie Joan Woods regarding Mr. Woods' financial obligations under the parties' final decree of divorce. The trial court approved the ruling of the arbitrator, which was that Mr. Woods is responsible for the expense of Ms. Woods' "tummy tuck" and breast reduction surgery but is not responsible for the expense of Ms. Woods' Obagi cream treatments, collagen injections, lip implants, and other topical procedures. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm the ruling of the trial court.

Shelby Court of Appeals

Lawson vs. Lawson
M2000-00729-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Trial Court Judge: Samuel E. Benningfield
The General Sessions Court of Van Buren County awarded the wife a divorce, divided the marital property, and awarded the wife rehabilitative alimony. On appeal the husband attacks the property division and the amount of the alimony. Because the record does not provide a basis for properly assessing the issues raised by the appellant, we affirm with a memorandum opinion.

Van Buren Court of Appeals

Goggin Truck Line Co. vs. Brake Pro
M1999-01277-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Trial Court Judge: Lee Russell
This appeal arises from a breach of contract case initiated by Goggin Truck Line Company, Inc. ("Goggin") against Brake Pro, Inc. ("Brake Pro"). Goggin sought payment for unpaid freight shipping services provided to Brake Pro. In addition, as provided for under a company tariff, Goggin sought recovery of an additional amount because of the necessity to initiate legal action. The court below found in favor of Goggin. Brake Pro appeals.

Bedford Court of Appeals

Charles High vs. P.D.Q. Disposal, Inc., et al
M1999-02310-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Trial Court Judge: Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
Plaintiff/Appellant, Charles I. High, appeals dismissal of his pro se complaint filed in the Chancery Court of Davidson County, Tennessee, seeking judicial review of the denial of his application for unemployment benefits. The trial court dismissed the complaint for failure to join indispensable parties. We affirm the Chancellor.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Israel vs. Williams
M1999-02400-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Trial Court Judge: Russell Heldman
This appeal presents the issue of whether the trial court was correct to grant summary judgment against Plaintiffs regarding their suit for damages resulting from alleged negligent misrepresentation by Defendants. Plaintiffs claim that Defendants made negligent misrepresentations regarding the condition of their house prior to the sale of the house to Plaintiffs. Summary judgment was granted by the trial court. Upon review of this record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Williamson Court of Appeals

Johnson vs. Traughber
M1999-02472-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Trial Court Judge: Carol L. Mccoy
Appellant, Edward Johnson, is an inmate in the Tennessee Department of Corrections, and in this case, he has filed a Petition for Common Law Certiorari to review a denial of parole by the Board of Paroles. The Chancery Court of Davidson County sustained a motion to dismiss his petition, and we affirm the judgment of the Chancellor.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Shelbourne vs. Shelbourne
M1999-02557-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Trial Court Judge: Muriel Robinson
The trial court granted the wife a divorce, awarded her custody of the parties' minor child, divided the marital property, and ordered the husband to pay rehabilitative alimony for two years. We affirm

Davidson Court of Appeals

State ex rel Cihlar vs. Crawford
M1999-00517-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Betty Adams Green
This appeal involves Thomas Matthew Cihlar's second attempt to obtain a judicial declaration that he is the father of a child whose mother was married to another man when the child was born. On this appeal, the estranged husband of the child's biological mother asserts that Mr. Cihlar's petition to establish parentage was foreclosed by Evans vs. Steelman. We have determined that the current parentage statutes are constitutional and that they authorize not only Mr. Cihlar, but also the State and Mr. Cihlar's child, to file an action to establish Mr. Cihlar's paternity. Accordingly, we affirm the juvenile court.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Larry Ward on behalf of Antonio Ward
W1999-01324-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: Kay S. Robilio
This is a dispute between Plaintiff Larry D. Ward and Defendants A.C. Gilless, Jr., The Shelby County Sheriff's Office ("Sheriff's Office"), Ted Fox, and The Shelby County Division of Public Works ("Division of Public Works") regarding the cause of an automobile accident that resulted in the death of Reco Antonio Ward ("Decedent"), Mr. Ward's son. The trial court found that the Decedent was negligent, that the Decedent's own negligence was the proximate cause of his death, and that any negligence on the part of the Defendants was exceeded by the negligence of the Decedent. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm the ruling of the trial court.

Shelby Court of Appeals

Ella Pruett vs. Wal-Mart
W1999-01026-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Plaintiff sued employer under Americans With Disabilities Act and case was tried before a jury. After a jury verdict for plaintiff, defendant moved for judgment notwithstanding the verdict which the court granted. Plaintiff has appealed. The record reflects that defendant failed to move for a directed verdict at the conclusion of all of the evidence and also reflects that no judgment was entered on the jury verdict. Appeal dismissed.

Madison Court of Appeals

Richardson vs. Miller
M1997-00205-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Marietta M. Shipley

Davidson Court of Appeals

Richardson vs. Miller
M1997-00205-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Marietta M. Shipley

Davidson Court of Appeals

Mills vs. Solomon
M1998-00393-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: Robert E. Corlew, III
These proceedings began when David Mills filed a complaint seeking to condemn an easement across Linda Solomon's property. In bifurcated proceedings, the jury first determined the location of Mills' easement across Solomon's property and, later, found that Solomon was entitled to an award of damages totaling $11,908 for the easement, including $9900 in incidental damages. On appeal from the trial court's judgment entered on the jury's verdict, Mills challenges only the award of $9900 in incidental damages. We agree with Mills' contention that the record fails to contain material evidence to support the award of incidental damages, and we reverse that portion of the trial court's judgment.

Cannon Court of Appeals

Walter Jefferson vs. Captain D's et al
W1999-00574-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Trial Court Judge: George H. Brown
In this personal injury action, plaintiff timely filed suit, which was subsequently dismissed for failure to prosecute. Another suit was commenced within one year of the first dismissal. This suit was voluntarily nonsuited at a later date. A third suit was commenced within one year of the voluntarily nonsuit, but more than one year from the date of the first dismissal. The trial court granted summary judgment on the ground that the suit was barred by the statute of limitations. Plaintiff has appealed.

Shelby Court of Appeals

Paul Wallace vs. Rhonda Mitchell
W1999-01487-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Trial Court Judge: Ron E. Harmon
Tenured teacher was discharged after an evidentiary hearing before the school board upon finding that the teacher inappropriately touched students and failed to discontinue the practice after warnings. The teacher filed a petition for writ of certiorari for review by the chancery court and after the chancery court's review of the record of the school board hearing, the action of the board dismissing the teacher was affirmed. The teacher has appealed to this Court.

Decatur Court of Appeals

State of Tennessee, Department of Children Services, v. MR
E1999-02703-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: Judge David Schulty

The Trial Judge granted the Department's petition to terminate parental rights of the mother to her ten year old child on numerous grounds. The mother has appealed, and we affirm termination.

 


 

Greene Court of Appeals

Carl O. Koella, Jr. vs. Fred McHargue, et al
E1999-02752-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: C. K. Smith
This is the second time that this case has been before us on appeal. On the first appeal, which was filed with respect to an order entered pursuant to Tenn. R. Civ. P. 54.02, we affirmed the trial court's grant of partial summary judgment to the plaintiff on the primary issue raised by the original complaint for declaratory judgment. While that case was pending on appeal, the original plaintiff, Carl O. Koella, Jr., died, and, on motion of his counsel, we entered an order substituting his widow, Maribel Koella, in his place. On remand, the plaintiff -- not otherwise identified in the pleading -- filed a motion in the trial court to dismiss the defendants' still-pending counterclaim. That motion was based on the failure of the defendants, in their capacity as counter-plaintiffs, to file a motion "to substitute the proper party for [Mr. Koella] in the trial court." The trial court granted the motion. We reverse.

Blount Court of Appeals

Hartsville Hospital vs. Bay Nat'l Bank & Trust Co.
M1999-01276-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Trial Court Judge: C. K. Smith
This appeal arises from a dispute over the ownership of monies held in a bond fund. Hartsville Hospital Incorporated ("Hartsville") filed suit against Bay National Bank ("Bank") seeking the contents of the fund. The court below entered judgment for Hartsville, holding that Bank had no claim to the bond fund money pursuant to a release agreement between the parties and that Hartsville was not estopped from asserting ownership. Bank appeals.

Trousdale Court of Appeals

Huffer vs. State
M1999-01278-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
The claimants sought to hold the State liable for the personal injuries and deaths caused in an automobile accident on U.S. Highway 64 in Franklin County. After first holding that the State's negligence was the cause of twenty-five percent of the damages, the Claims Commissioner modified his findings and concluded that the State had a discretionary function immunity and that the sole proximate cause of the accident was the negligence of the driver of the automobile in which the injured persons were riding. We affirm on the proximate cause issue.

Franklin Court of Appeals

Johnson vs. Allstate
M1999-01639-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Trial Court Judge: Buddy D. Perry
Insured sued his insurer to recover policy coverage due on a fire loss to his automobile after the insurer denied coverage under the fraud provision of the policy. Judgment was entered on a jury verdict for the insured, and the insurer has appealed.

Grundy Court of Appeals

Ross vs. Campbell
M1999-01805-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: Ellen Hobbs Lyle
An inmate in custody of the Tennessee Department of Correction brought an action for declaratory judgment contending that the Department failed to give him all sentence credits due. The trial court granted the respondent's motion for summary judgment and we affirm on the basis that no genuine issue of material fact was shown.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Wright vs. Hull
M1999-02307-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Trial Court Judge: Billy Joe White
Plaintiff/Appellee, Bill D. Wright, sued to set aside a 1986 deed whereby he conveyed a certain tract of land to Defendant/Appellant, Bonnie S. Hull. He charged failure of consideration and fraud. Defendant, Ms. Hull, asserted that she and Mr. Wright cohabited without marriage for twelve years until their separation in 1998. She asserted that the property conveyance was a gift and was also conveyed to her by Mr. Wright to put the property out of the reach of his creditors. The trial court held the parties to be equal tenants in common and ordered the property sold. We reverse the trial court and dismiss the case.

Fentress Court of Appeals

American Airlines vs. Johnson
M1999-02390-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: Carol L. Mccoy
American Airlines, Inc., appeals the trial court's final judgment denying its request for a refund of use taxes paid on aviation fuel purchased out of state during the years 1992 through 1995. We affirm the trial court's judgment.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Welborn vs. Sellars
M1999-00164-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Trial Court Judge: Robert E. Corlew, III
This is an insurance case. The plaintiff was driving a motorcycle when he was involved in an accident with an automobile driven by an uninsured motorist. The plaintiff's motorcycle was not listed in his insurance policy. The plaintiff filed suit seeking damages for his injuries sustained in the accident. The plaintiff's insurance company moved for summary judgment in the case based on an exclusion in the plaintiff's insurance policy which denied uninsured motorist coverage for vehicles for which insurance was not afforded under the policy. The trial court granted the insurance company's motion and the plaintiff appealed. We affirm, finding that the policy exclusion applies to the plaintiff's motorcycle.

Rutherford Court of Appeals