Title: Worden v. Village Homes

State: wyoming

Issuer: Wyoming Supreme Court

Document:

WYOM Found Document:Worden v. Village Homes






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Wyoming Supreme Court Cases



Worden v. Village Homes1991 WY 154821 P.2d 1291Case Number: 91-25Decided: 12/03/1991Supreme Court of Wyoming
Cite as: 1991 WY 154,  Wyo., 821 P.2d 1291



BERNICE NORSKOG WORDEN, 
APPELLANT (PLAINTIFF),
v.
VILLAGE HOMES, A 
PARTNERSHIP, J.B. HENDRIX, DONALD R. CARROLL, WILLIAM RAWLINGS, JOHN A. CARROLL, 
AND THE CITY OF SHERIDAN, WYOMING, A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, APPELLEES 
(DEFENDANTS).
Appeal from the 
District Court, Sheridan County, Elizabeth Kail, 
J.
Micheal K. Shoumaker, 
argued, Sheridan, for appellant.
Stephenson D. Emery, 
argued, of Williams, Porter, Day & Neville, Casper, for appellee Village 
Homes.
Robert W. Brown, argued, 
of Lonabaugh and Riggs, Sheridan, for City of Sheridan.
Before URBIGKIT, 
C.J., THOMAS, CARDINE and GOLDEN, JJ., and RAPER, J., 
Retired.
CARDINE, 
Justice.
[¶1.]     This was an action in 
which appellant, Bernice Worden, sought to recover claimed damages to her more 
than ten-year-old dwelling house resulting from a construction defect of 
appellee, Village Homes, which defect appellee, City of Sheridan Building 
Inspector, failed to detect and prevent. Summary judgment 
was entered in favor of appellees based on the statute of repose barring an 
action against Village Homes and on the immunity of the 
City.
[¶2.]     We 
affirm.
[¶3.]     Worden states the 
issues as: 
"I. Is Wyoming 
Statute 1-3-111 unconstitutional?
"II. Is the City of 
Sheridan immune 
from suit for its building inspector's negligence under the Governmental Claims 
Act?"
[¶4.]     In 1977, Village Homes 
constructed the Bernice Worden house in Sheridan, Wyoming. Construction was completed by June 
14, 1977, and a warranty deed for the house was issued to the original 
purchasers on July 8, 1977. Worden purchased the house in September 1986. On 
June 4, 1988, a water pipe broke in the basement. The cause of the break, 
according to an engineering report issued on September 6, 1988, was that the 
soil on which the foundation sits was unsuitable, improperly compacted, and the 
foundation footings were not below the frost line.
[¶5.]     Worden brought suit on 
April 3, 1990, against Village Homes for negligence and violating an implied 
warranty of habitability, and against the City of Sheridan for negligently inspecting the 
foundation. The suit asked for $20,000 in damages.
[¶6.]     Village Homes and the 
City of Sheridan 
both moved for summary judgment. Village Homes argued that W.S. 1-3-111 barred 
Worden's action since it was brought more than ten years after the house was 
substantially completed. See W.S. 1-3-110. Wyoming Statute 1-3-111 
states:
"(a) Unless the 
parties to the contract agree otherwise, no action to recover damages, whether 
in tort, contract, indemnity or otherwise, shall be brought more than ten (10) 
years after substantial completion of an improvement to real property, against 
any person constructing, altering or repairing the improvement, manufacturing or 
furnishing materials incorporated in the improvement, or performing or 
furnishing services in the design, planning, surveying, supervision, observation 
or management of construction, or administration of construction contracts 
for:
"(i) Any deficiency 
in the design, planning, supervision, construction, surveying, manufacturing or 
supplying of materials or observation or management of 
construction;
"(ii) Injury to any 
property arising out of any deficiency listed in paragraph (i) of this 
subsection; or
"(iii) Injury to the 
person or wrongful death arising out of any deficiency listed in paragraph (i) 
of this subsection.
"(b) Notwithstanding 
the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, if an injury to property or 
person or an injury causing wrongful death occurs during the ninth year after 
substantial completion of the improvement to real property, an action to recover 
damages for the injury or wrongful death may be brought within one (1) year 
after the date on which the injury occurs."
Worden responded by 
arguing that W.S. 1-3-111 was unconstitutional. We had found a different version 
of this statute unconstitutional in 1980. Phillips v. ABC Builders, Inc., 611 P.2d 821 (Wyo. 
1980).
[¶7.]     The City of Sheridan argued that it 
was immune because Worden's claim was not one of those for which it was liable 
under the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act, W.S. 1-39-101 through -120. The City 
maintained that none of the enumerated waivers of immunity covered Worden's 
claim nor did the City maintain insurance coverage which would extend liability 
for her claim pursuant to W.S. 1-39-118. Worden responded by contending that the 
Wyoming Governmental Claims Act waived immunity for her claim under W.S. 
1-39-108(a), which provided liability for damages caused
"by the negligence of 
public employees while acting within the scope of their duties in the 
operation of public utilities and services, including gas, electricity, 
water, solid or liquid waste collection or disposal, heating and ground 
transportation." (emphasis added)
[¶8.]     The trial court found 
that there was no issue of material fact and granted summary judgment in favor 
of both defendants. The court held that W.S. 1-3-111 applied to the cause of 
action against Village Homes and that it was constitutional. It also found the 
City possessed immunity from this claim under the Wyoming Governmental Claims 
Act.
[¶9.]&