Title: Propst v. McNeill

State: arkansas

Issuer: Arkansas Supreme Court

Document:

James F. PROPST v. Dan McNEILL, in His
Official Capacity as Airport Commission
Chairman, Walnut Ridge Airport, and City of
Walnut Ridge, d/b/a Bertco, Inc.

95-1290                                            ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
               Opinion delivered November 18, 1996


1.   Landlord & tenant -- caveat lessee doctrine discussed. -- The
     caveat lessee doctrine states that unless a landlord agrees
     with his tenant to repair leased premises, he cannot, in the
     absence of statute, be compelled to do so or be held liable
     for repairs.  

2.   Landlord & tenant -- legislature must make changes to law --
     caveat lessee rule still adhered to. -- Because of the policy
     considerations and possible impact that would ensue in
     enlarging a landlord's liability, it is the legislature's
     province to change the state's landlord-tenant law; the
     supreme court has steadfastly adhered to the caveat lessee
     rule for one hundred years without a hint that it might
     consider abandoning it; it is a matter of public policy to
     uphold prior decisions unless great injury or injustice would
     result. 

3.   Landlord & tenant -- appellant could appreciate risk of
     storing his plane in old hangar -- facts did not warrant
     departure from caveat lessee rule. -- Although the supreme
     court did not foreclose its possible review of the caveat
     lessee rule and the efficacy in abandoning that rule in the
     future, where the appellant was a businessman who owned a
     plane and was not shown to be someone who could not appreciate
     the risk of storing his plane in an old hangar, the facts did
     not warrant departure from the well-established law of this
     state; the caveat lessee doctrine remains applicable.

4.   Landlord & tenant -- latent-defect exception inapplicable --
     appellant's proof lacking. -- Even if the latent-defect
     exception to the caveat lessee rule had been recognized by
     Arkansas courts, appellant's proof was insufficient to prove
     that a defect existed; he offered no proof that his leased
     hangar was defective or caused his damages, and the undisputed
     proof showed many other structures had been damaged by the
     windstorm. 

5.   Landlord & tenant -- retention-of-control exception not
     recognized -- Commission not shown to have any duty to repair
     or maintain the hangar. -- Where appellant failed to cite any
     Arkansas law where the retention-of-control exception had been
     recognized, his argument failed; only an express agreement or
     assumption of duty by conduct can remove a landlord from the
     general rule of nonliability; the appellee was not shown to
     have agreed or to have undertaken any duty to repair or
     maintain the leased hangar in question; the trial court's
     decision that no issue of material fact existed to be tried on
     this issue was correct.


     Appeal from Lawrence Circuit Court; Harold S. Erwin, Judge;
affirmed.
     Banks, Dodson, & Spades, by:  Mark S. Carter, for appellant.
     Robert H. Crank and Barrett & Deacon, by:  Paul D. Waddell,
D.P. Marshall, Jr., and Kevin W. Cole, for appellees.

     Tom Glaze, Justice.
     This case involves an issue concerning landlord-tenant
liability.  Appellant James F. Propst entered into a lease with
appellee Walnut Ridge Airport Commission and that lease set out
the terms under which Propst stored his plane, a 1972 Cessna 182,
in hangar space at the Walnut Ridge Airport.  Afterwards, a wind
storm damaged the hangar and Propst's plane.  Propst subsequently
brought suit against the Commission, alleging the Commission had
negligently failed to (1) secure the hangar to its foundation, (2)
replace defective structural supports, or (3) warn him of the
hangar's defective condition.  The Commission answered, denying the
allegations and raising a number of affirmative defenses. 
     Eventually, the Commission moved for summary judgment,
claiming any obligation it might have as a landlord was a matter of
contract and the parties' lease controlled the litigation.  The
Commission, without admitting its hangar building was in disrepair,
argued that, under Arkansas's landlord-tenant law, it was not
responsible for damages to Propst's plane because of the
Commission's failure to repair the leased building.  The trial
court agreed and granted the Commission's motion.  Propst appeals
from that summary judgment.
     In his first argument, Propst acknowledges that Arkansas has
recognized the caveat lessee doctrine for almost a century,
Haizlip v. Rozenberg, 63 Ark. 430, 39 S.W. 60 (1897), and under
that rule, unless a landlord agrees with his tenant to repair
leased premises, he cannot, in the absence of statute, be compelled
to do so or be held liable for repairs.  Stalter v. Akers, 303 Ark.
603,