Title: Perlman v. Shurett

State: alabama

Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court

Document:

567 So. 2d 1296 (1990)
M.J. PERLMAN and Ben F. Perlman
v.
T.G. SHURETT.
89-416.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
September 7, 1990.
*1297 Eddie Leitman and S. Lynne Stephens of Leitman, Siegal, Payne & Campbell, Birmingham, for appellants.
Barry A. Ragsdale of Sirote & Permutt, Birmingham, for appellee.
ADAMS, Justice.
This is an appeal from a summary judgment granted in favor of defendant T.G. Shurett in an action filed by M.J. Perlman and Ben N. Perlman (hereinafter referred to together as "Perlman") against Warrior-Hinckle, Inc., for damages based on an alleged breach of a lease agreement and against Shurett for damages based on an alleged tortious interference with the lease contract. The judge entered a summary judgment for Shurett and made that judgment final pursuant to Rule 54(b), A.R. Civ.P. Perlman appeals. We affirm.
In 1984, Warrior-Hinckle entered into an agreement with Perlman to lease a building from him for a period of three years at a monthly rental payment of $3,675. Pursuant to the lease, Perlman was given a lien on all goods located on the premises. In 1985, Warrior-Hinckle defaulted on the lease and vacated the lease premises. Shurett, who was then the president of Warrior-Hinckle, ordered the removal of the inventory from the building and, once removed, the inventory was placed in storage at L & S Roofing Supply Company. Perlman sued Warrior-Hinckle for breach of the lease agreement and sued Shurett for tortious interference with business or contractual relations.
We have held:
"Gram, 384 Mass. at 663-64, 429 N.E.2d  at 24.
"The Supreme Court of Oregon in Wampler v. Palmerton, 250 Or. 65, 76-77, 439 P.2d 601 (1968), stated:
"Therefore, the trial court was correct when it held that defendants ..., were not liable as agents of the Hospital Board.
George A. Fuller Co. v. Chicago Col. of Ost. Med., 719 F.2d 1326, 1333 (7th Cir. 1983) (Emphasis in original).
Hickman v. Winston County Hospital Board, 508 So. 2d 237, 239-40 (Ala.1987). It was noted in a special concurrence in that case:
Hickman, supra, at 241 (Adams, J., concurring specially). In the case at bar, Perlman has failed to offer any evidence whatsoever that Shurett's order to remove the inventory from the building was done maliciously. In an attempt to show malice, Perlman states in his brief:
In and of itself, this statement does not show that Shurett was acting outside the scope of his employment and with malice. The fact that L & S Roofing was owned by Shurett's son-in-law is not an indication that the move was made for personal gain. In fact, so far as the record indicates, the goods are still stored at L & S Roofing and have not been sold for the benefit of anyone. One incident is not sufficient to "make a strong showing of a pattern of interference." Hickman, supra, at 241 (Adams, J., concurring specially). Perlman has failed to make a prima facie case of tortious interference with contractual relations. Therefore, the judgment is hereby affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
HORNSBY, C.J., and MADDOX, ALMON and STEAGALL, JJ., concur.