Title: Bazzel v. Pine Plaza Joint Venture

State: alabama

Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court

Document:

491 So. 2d 910 (1986)
Jerry Frank BAZZEL
v.
PINE PLAZA JOINT VENTURE, A General Partnership composed of individual partners, to-wit: J. Gaines Betbeze, David F. Dabney, the Estate of John B. Broadway, deceased, Northwest Management Corporation, and Hendrik J. Schure.
84-892.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
May 30, 1986.
Robert E. McDonald, Jr., Mobile, for Appellant.
William B. Jackson II of Hess, Atchison & Horne, Mobile, for Appellees.
MADDOX, Justice.
Plaintiff Pine Plaza Joint Venture (hereinafter "Pine Plaza") instituted this action to recover overdue rent on a building leased to defendant Jerry Frank Bazzel. The trial court granted a directed verdict in favor of Pine Plaza both on the complaint and on Bazzel's counterclaim. Bazzel appeals from the resulting judgment. We affirm.
*911 We note at the outset that the standard for granting a directed verdict is the same as that for granting a summary judgment. If there is even a scintilla of evidence to support the position of the opposing party, a directed verdict is improper. Rule 50(e), Ala.R.Civ.P.; Deaton, Inc. v. Burroughs, 456 So. 2d 771 (Ala.1984). The movant must demonstrate that there is no genuine issue of material fact, and that he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Ex parte Bennett, 426 So. 2d 832 (Ala.1982); Houston v. McClure, 425 So. 2d 1114 (Ala. 1983). On appeal, after a directed verdict, this Court must examine the record to determine if there was any evidence to support the theory of the opposing party; if so, that would render the directed verdict improper. Reynolds v. McEwen, 416 So. 2d 702 (Ala.1982).
The record shows the following facts: Bazzel operated a furniture store in Mobile. In December, 1981, he leased a building in a shopping center owned by Pine Plaza for a term of three years and six months, beginning on February 1, 1982. Prior to signing the lease, Bazzel inspected the premises several times and noticed several defects, which he pointed out to Joey Betbeze, who negotiated the lease for Pine Plaza. Betbeze promised to repair the defects, which included covering a trough around the walls inside the building, painting the walls, and replacing a small piece of broken glass. In addition, apparently in an effort to make the premises more attractive to Bazzel, Betbeze pointed out that the building had a new roof.
Bazzel occupied the building on February 10, 1982. On this day he discovered that Pine Plaza was covering the trough with plywood rather than filling it in with cement, as he had assumed Pine Plaza would do. However, Betbeze never indicated that Pine Plaza would fill in the trough with cement, and Bazzel accepted the work.
Sometime before March 10, 1982, it rained heavily in Mobile and Bazzel discovered that the roof of the leased building leaked badly. He complained to Betbeze, who sent a crew to repair the roof. However, the roof continued to leak every time it rained. Bazzel testified that during the year he occupied the building, $60,000 worth of furniture was damaged by rain water which flooded the building as a result of the leaking roof.
Bazzel vacated the building in February 1983 and refused to pay rent after that date. On March 1, 1984, Pine Plaza sold the building and sued Bazzel, claiming rent from February 1983, to March 1984. Bazzel answered, contending that the premises were rendered "wholly untenantable" and that the lease was void because he had been fraudulently induced to sign it. He also filed a counterclaim seeking money damages for fraud. At the close of the evidence, the trial court directed a verdict in favor of Pine Plaza for the full amount of the rent claimed and for attorneys' fees, and against Bazzel on his counterclaim.
The lease between Bazzel and Pine Plaza contains the following provisions:
Bazzel contends that the building was rendered untenantable, within the terms of the lease, because Pine Plaza failed to repair the roof so that it did not leak. We disagree.
"In Barry, the damage consisted of burned joists supporting the first floor of the building. The ceiling and side walls were burned and damaged by water. The furnace, heating pipes and electrical wiring were also damaged by fire and water. Hence, under similar circumstances as in the present case, the Maryland court held the lease was not terminated. Also in accord is 51C C.J.S. Landlord and Tenant § 99(2)(b) (1968), wherein it is stated:
"The majority of the damage done to the building leased by Cambron was to the interior of the building. The ceiling was damaged by fire and water. The interior paneling was burned, as was the electrical wiring. The estimates as to the costs of repairs were approximately $30,000. The lease was not to expire for another eight years. Cambron had paid $125,000 for the business and was paying $1,200 per month as rent. In order to purchase the business Cambron had obtained a $100,000 loan from Birmingham Trust National Bank. Approximately $70,000 of the loan remained unpaid at the time of the trial. The repair time estimates ranged from thirty to ninety days with the majority of the testimony indicating that the repairs could be completed in thirty days.
Cambron v. Carlisle, 406 So. 2d  at 866-67.
Similarly, the lease in this case provided that if the leased building was "rendered wholly untenantable," the lease was cancelled. As this Court in Cambron stated, quoting Barry v. Herring, supra, this language means that "the tenancy is thereby terminated if to restore such building it becomes necessary to rebuild it, thereby depriving the tenant of its use."
The evidence presented in this case indicates that the roof leaked before Bazzel occupied the building. Even assuming that the building was damaged by one of the causes set out in the quoted lease provision, Bazzel was only entitled under the lease either (1) to repair the roof himself and charge Pine Plaza for the cost of the repairs, or (2) to take an abatement of rent until Pine Plaza made the repairs. He was not entitled to terminate the lease.
Bazzell also contends that the lease was void because Betbeze had fraudulently induced him to enter it, and that the trial court erroneously directed a verdict against him on this issue.
*914 We have reviewed the evidence before the trial judge, and we are of the opinion that the trial judge did not err.
Bazzel testified that Betbeze promised that the trough around the inside walls of the building would be filled in. He also testified as follows:
Bazzel also testified that Betbeze told him that "the roof would be repaired in such a manner as to stop leakage." However, the record shows that Betbeze did not know that the roof leaked until after Bazzel had occupied the building. Bazzel testified:
Therefore, it is apparent that Bazzel's contract could not have been induced by the alleged representation.
Further, Bazzel admitted that Betbeze made no representation regarding the roof's quality. The record shows the following:
Therefore, we are of the opinion that the trial judge did not err in directing a verdict on the issue of fraudulent inducement to enter the lease with Pine Plaza.
We have reviewed Bazzel's other contentions of error and find them to be without merit. The judgment of the trial court is due to be, and it hereby is, affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
TORBERT, C.J., and ALMON, SHORES and BEATTY, JJ., concur.