# FILED February

3, 1997 Cecil Crowson, Jr. App ellate C ou rt Clerk I N THECOUR

TOFAPPEALS

HAR R Y GR AY SM I TH, ) KNOX C HANC ER Y ) C. A . N O . 03A 01- 9609- C

H - 00287 ) Pl a i ntif f

- A pp e lla nt ) ) ) ) ) ) vs . ) HON. SHAR ON BELL ) C HANC ELLOR ) ) ) ) ) C I TY OFKNOXVI LLE, CODE ) R

EVER SED, J UDGM

ENTVAC

ATED a n d ENFOR C EM ENT, ) R EM ANDED ) D

e f e n d a nt - A

pp e l l ee )

U . W I LFR ED N W A U W A , K n o x v ille , for A

pp e lla nt . K. DI CKS ON GR

I S S OM , De p ut yl a w di r e c t or , C i t yo f K

nox v i l l e , f or a pp e l l ee.

O PI N I O N

Mc Mur r a y , J .1 A l t hough th e Pl a i n t i f f al l e g e d per s ona l i n j u r i e s as a r e s u l t of def e nda n t ' s a c t i ons , t h e Ch a n c e l l o r r u l e d t h a t t h e ci t y w a s i m m une f r o m

s u i t under t h e p r ovi s i ons o f t h e G o v e r n m e n t a l To r t Li a b i l i t y A c t . Th e p l a i n t i f f h as no t r a i sed t h a t as an i s s u e o n ap p eal . 2 Thi s i s a n a c t i on f or da m a ge s f or pe r s ona l i nj ur y a nd t he ne gl i ge nt , m

a lic i o u s a n dw

r ongf ul de s t r uc t i on of r e a l a nd pe r s ona l pr op e r t yo f th e p l a i ntif f , H a r r yG r a ySm ith . Pl a i ntif f f ile ds u i t i n t he C

ha nc e r y C

our t f or K

nox C ount y a l l e gi ng t ha t t he de f e nda nt de s t r oye dt hr e e pi e c e s of hi s pr ope r t y, l oc a t e d a t 1417 M a gnol i a A ve nue , 1421 M

a gnol i a A

ve nue a nd 400 W

i nona St r e e t N

or t h, w

i t hout pr ope r n o tic e . Pl a i ntif f c l a i m e dth a t, n o t w

ith s t a n di n ga " N o Tr e s p a ssi n g " s i gn he ha d e r e c t e d on t he pr e m i s e s , e m

pl oye e s of t he C ityde s t r oye d t he s t r uc t ur e s w i t hout s e r vi c e of a ny f i na l c onde m na t i ono r d e m

o litionn o tic e . H e f ur t he r a s s e r t s th a t the de f e nda nt r e f us e d t o a l l ow hi m t o r e m ove m e di c a l e qui pm

e nt f r om

one of t he s t r uc t ur e s i n w hi c h he w

a s l i vi ng. H

e f ur t he r a l l e ge d t ha t a s a r e s ul t of t he de m o litio na n dve r ba l t hr e a t s of bodi l y ha r m whi c hh e cl a i m

s w e r e m a de b yag e nt s o f t h e de f e n d a nt , p l a i nt i f f s u f f e r e da hear t at t ackn ecess i t a t i n gh o s p i t a l i zat i o n . 1

D e f e n d a nt f ile da m o tio ntodi s m

i s s b a s e d upon gr ounds t ha t t h e C i t y w a s i m m une f r om

s ui t unde r t he pr ovi s i ons of t he G ove r nm e nt a l Tor t L

i ab i l i t yA

c t. T

h a t m o t i o nw

a s de ni e d , a n d de f e nda nt f i l e d a n A ns w e r , w hi c h w a s s ubs e que ntlya m e nde d t o s e t f or t ht h e de f e n s e s o f ex c l u s i v e r e m e di e s a n dlim

ita tio n s o f act i o n s a s s e t f or t h i n t he Sl um C l e a r a nc e a nd R

e de ve l opm

e nt A c t , c odi f i e d i nT. C. A

. § 13- 21- 101 e t s e q . D e f e nda nt t he n f i l e d a s e c ond m ot i on3

t odi s m

i s s ba s e d upon t hos e gr ou nds . A f t e r a he a r i ng on t he m ot i on, t he t r i a l c our t i s s ue d a m e m or a ndum

opi ni on gr a nt i ng t h e de f e nda nt ' s m

ot i on. Th e p l a i ntif f a n dde f e nda nt s t a t e t he i s s ue f or our c o ns i de r a t i o nv i r t u a l l yt h e s a m e . W e s u m m a r i ze t h e i s s u e as f o llo w s : W he t he r t he t r i a l c our t e r r e d i n gr a nt i ng a m ot i on t o di s m i ss.

D e s p ite bot h pa r t i e s l a be l i ng t he i s s ue a s a m ot i on t o di s m i s s , it a pp e a r s th a t thi s m a tte r w

a s di s p o s e do f b ythe tr i a l c our t a s a m

ot i on f or s um

m a r y j udgm

e nt . A

t r i a l c our t c a n c onve r t a R ul e 12. 02( 6) m

ot i on t o di s m

i s s i nt o a R

ul e 56 m

ot i on f or s um

m a r y j udgm e nt by c ons i de r i ng m a t e r i a l out s i de of t he pl e a di ngs . K ni e r i m v. Leat h e r w

o o d , 542 S . W

. 2d 806, 808 ( Te nn. 1976) . Bot h pa r t i e s s t a t e th a t the tr i a l c o ur t di dc o n s i de r m a t e r i a l o ut s i de o f the pl e a di ngs , t he r e f or e , w e m us t c ons i de r t he m ot i on a s a m

ot i on f or s um m a r y j udgm

e nt . Th e s t a nda r ds gove r ni ng a n a ppe l l a t e c our t ' s r e vi e w o f a tr i a l c our t ' s a c t i on on a m ot i on f or s um

m a r y j udgm

e nt a r e w

e l l

- s e t t l e d. Si n c e our i nqui r y i nvol ve s pur e l y a que s t i on of l a w , no pr e s um

pt i on of c or r e c t ne s s a t t a c he s t o t he t r i a l c our t ' s j udgm e nt , a nd our t a s k i s c onf i ne d t ore vi e w i ng t he r e c or d t o de t e r m i ne w he t he r t he r e qu i r e m

e nt s of T. R. C. P. 56 ha ve be e n m e t . C ow de n v. S ovr a n4

Ba nk/ C e nt r a l S out h , 8 1 6 S . W . 2d 741, 744 ( Te nn. 1991) . T. R. C. P. 56. 03 pr ovi d e s t ha t s um m a r y j udgm

e nt i s onl y a ppr opr i a t e w he r e t h e r e i s no ge nui ne i s s ue w i t h r e ga r d t o t he m a t e r i a l f a c t s r e l e v a nt tothe cl a i m or de f e ns e c ont a i ne d i n t he m ot i on a nd t he m ovi ngp a r t yis e ntitle dtoju d g m e nt a s a m

a tte r o f la w

o nthe undi s put e df act s . Byr d v. H a l l , 847 S . W

. 2d208, 210 ( Te nn. 1993) ; A nde r s o nv. St a nda r d R e gi s t e r C

o . , 857 S . W

. 2d 555, 559 ( Te nn . 1993) . The m

ovi ng pa r t y ha s t he bur de n of pr ovi ng t ha t i t s m ot i on s a tis f i e s t h e s e r e qu i r e m e nt s . Do wn e nv . A l l s t a t e I n s . C

o ., 8 1 1 S . W . 2 d523, 524 ( Te nn. 1991) . The s t a nda r ds gove r ni ng t he a sse ssm

e nt of e vi de nc e i n t he s um m a r y j udgm

e nt c ont e xt a r e a l s o w e ll e s t a b lis h e d . Co ur t s m u s t v i e w

the e v i de n c e inthe light m o s t f a vor a bl e t o t he nonm ovi ng pa r t y a nd m us t a l s o dr a w

a l l r e a s ona bl e i nf e r e n ces i n t he nonm ovi ng pa r t y' s f a vor . Byr d v. H a l l , 847 S . W

. 2d a t 210- 11. C

our t s s houl d gr a nt a s um m a r y j udgm

e nt onl y w

he n bot h t he f a c t s a nd t he c onc l us i ons t o be dr a w n f r om t he f a c t s pe r m

i t a r eas o n a b l e pe r s on t o r e a c h onl y one c onc l us i on. Ca r v e l l v . Bo tto m s , 900 S . W

. 2d 23 ( Te nn. 1995) . Th e C ity ' s m

a i nde f e n s e tothi s a c tio nw a s th a t the p l a i ntif f f a ile dt o a va i l hi m s e l f of t he e xc l us i ve r e m e dy a nd w

i t hi n t he s t a t ut e o f li m

i t a t i o nc o nt a i ne dinT. C. A . § 13- 21- 101 e t s e q . Th e C h a n cel l or , i n he r m e m or a ndum

opi ni on f r om

t he b e n c h , s u m

m a r i zed t h a t r e m

e dy a s f ol l ow

s : " R e s pe c t f ul l y, c ouns e l , I be l i e ve unde r the s t a t u t e t h a t t h e ex c l u s i v e r e m e dyat l eas t i nr e g a r dt ot h e r eal2 T . C. A. § 13- 21- 105 r equi r e s t hat t he m uni c i pal i t y s e r ve or der s i s s ued by a pu b l i c off i cer e i t her per s onal l y , by r egi s t e r ed ma i l or publ i c a t i on i f t he wher e a bout s of t he pr oper t y i s unknown andcann o t be ascer t a i nedby t he p u b l i c off i cer i n t he ex e r c i se of r eason abl e di l i gen ce. 5 pr ope r t yis tof ile f or the inj un c tiv e r e lie f w ithi n60 da ys a f t e r s e r v i c e a nd pos t i ng of t he or de r . " S h e f u r t he r s t a t e dth a t the C ityha d m

a i l e d t he not i c e s t o pl a i nt i f f , but t ha t he i gnor e d a nd/ or r e j ect e ds u c hn o t i ces . 2We be l i e ve t ha t unde r t he s um m a r y j udgm e nt s t a nda r d, t hi s w a s e r r or . Pl a i ntif f a l l e ge d i n hi s c om pl a i nt a nd s t a t e d i n a f f i da v i t s s uppor t i nghi s br i e f i n oppos i t i on t o t he s e c ond m ot i on t o di s m

i s s t ha t he ha d not r e c e i ve d not i c e . Si nc e t he t r i a l j udge t ook s uc h e vi de nc e i nt o c ons i de r a t i on i n de c i di n g t h e s e c ond m ot i on t o di s m i ss, t he c our t w

a s t o c ons t r ue t ha t e vi de nc e i n a lig ht m os t f a vor a bl e toth e p l a i ntif f . W e b e lie v e th a t the e v i de n c e s ub m itte d byt h e p l a i nt i f f di dcr eat e a g e nu i n e i s s u e o f m a t e r i a l f act as t o w he t he r pl a i nt i f f a c t ua l l y r e c e i ve d s uc h not i c e t hus pr e c l udi ng a s u mma r yj udgm

e nt . W e m a ke no de t e r m

i na t i on, how

e ve r , a s t o t he m e r its o f p l a i nt i f f ' s c l a i m tha t he di dn o t r e c e i ve n o t i c e , b ut m e r e l y hol d t ha t i n l i ght of t hi s di s put e d f a c t , s um m a r y j udgm

e nt wa s i na ppr opr i a t e a nd t he de f e nda nt w a s not e nt i t l e d t o j udgm e nt a s a m a t t e r o f l a w

. For t h e r eas o n s s e t f or t hab o v e , w e v acat e t h e t r i a l cour t ' s j udgm e nt gr a nt i ng s um

m a r y j udgm

e nt , a nd r e m

a nd t he c a s e t o t he6

t r i a l c our t f or f ur t he r pr oc e e di ngs c ons i s t e nt w i t h t hi s opi ni on. C os t s of a ppe a l a r e a dj udge d t o t he a ppe l l e e .

______________________________ D on T. M

c M ur r a y, J . CONC UR:

___________________________________ H ous t on M

. G odda r d, Pr e s i di ng J udge

___________________________________ C ha r l e s D

. Sus a no, J r . , J udgeI N THECOUR TOFAPPEALS

HAR R Y GR AY SM I TH, ) KNOX C HANC ER Y ) C. A . N O . 03A 01- 9609- C

H - 00287 ) Pl a i ntif f

- A pp e lla nt ) ) ) ) ) ) vs . ) HON. SHAR ON BELL ) C HANC ELLOR ) ) ) ) ) C I TY OFKNOXVI LLE, CODE ) R

EVER SED, J UDGM

ENTVAC

ATED a n d ENFOR C EM ENT, ) R EM ANDED ) D

e f e n d a nt - A

pp e l l ee )

O RDE R

Thi s app eal cam

e o nt ob e he a r d up on t he r e c or d f r om t he C h a n cer yC

our t of K

nox C ount y, br i e f s a nd a r gum e nt of c ouns e l . U ponc ons i de r a t i on t he r e of , t hi s C our t i s of t he opi ni on t ha t t he r e w a s r e v e r s i b l e er r or i nt h e t r i a l cour t . We va c a t e t he t r i a l c our t ' s j udgm e nt gr a nt i ng s um m a r y j udgm e nt , a nd r e m

a nd t he c a s e t o t he t r i a l c our t f or f ur t he r pr oc e e di ngs c ons i s t e nt w i t h t hi s opi ni on. C os t s of a ppe a l a r e a dj udge d t o t he a ppe l l e e .8

PER CU RI A M