FILED

February 3, 1997

Cecil Crowson, Jr.

Appellate Court Clerk

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS

HARRY GRAY SMI TH, ) KNOX CHANCERY

 ) C. A. NO. 03A01- 9609- CH- 00287

 )

 Pl a i ntif f - Appe lla nt )

 )

 )

 )

 )

 )

vs . ) HON. SHARON BELL

 ) CHANCELLOR

 )

 )

 )

 )

 )

CI TY OF KNOXVI LLE, CODE ) REVERSED, J UDGMENT VACATED a nd

ENFORCEMENT, ) REMANDED

 )

 De f e nda nt - Appe l l ee )

U. WI LFRED NWAUWA, Knoxville , for Appe lla nt .

K. DI CKSON GRI SSOM, De put y l a w di r e c t or , Ci t y of Knoxvi l l e , f or

a ppe l l ee.

O P I N I O N

Mc Mur r a y, J .
1Al 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 wa s i mmune f r o m s u i t under t h e

p r ovi s i ons o f t h e Go v e r nme n t a l To r t Li a b i l i t y Ac t . Th e p l a i n t i f f h as not 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 ma ge s f or pe r s ona l i nj ur y a nd t he

ne gl i ge nt , ma lic i ous a nd wr ongf ul de s t r uc t i on of r e a l a nd pe r s ona l

pr ope r t y of the pl a i ntif f , Ha r r y Gr a y Smith. Pl a i ntif f f ile d s ui t

i n t he Cha nc e r y Cour t f or Knox Count y a l l e gi ng t ha t t he de f e nda nt

de s t r oye d t 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 Ma gnol i a

Ave nue , 1421 Ma gnol i a Ave nue a nd 400 Wi nona St r e e t Nor t h, wi t hout

pr ope r notic e . Pl a i ntif f c l a i me d tha t, not withs t a ndi ng a " No

Tr e s pa ssi ng" s i gn he ha d e r e c t e d on t he pr e mi s e s , e mpl oye e s of t he

City de s t r oye d t he s t r uc t ur e s wi t hout s e r vi c e of a ny f i na l

c onde mna t i on or de molition notic e . He f ur t he r a s s e r t s tha 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 move me di c a l e qui pme nt f r om one

of t he s t r uc t ur e s i n whi c h he wa s l i vi ng. He 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 molition a nd ve r ba l t hr e a t s of bodi l y ha r m

whi c h he cl a i ms we r e ma de by age nt s of t he de f e nda nt , pl a i nt i f f

s uf f e r e d a hear t at t ack necess i t a t i ng hos pi t a l i zat i on.

1

De f e nda nt f ile d a motion to di s mi s s ba s e d upon gr ounds t ha t

t he Ci t y wa s i mmune f r om s ui t unde r t he pr ovi s i ons of t he

Gove r nme nt a l Tor t Li a bi l i t y Ac t. Tha t mot i on wa s de ni e d, a nd

de f e nda nt f i l e d a n Ans we r , whi c h wa s s ubs e que ntly a me nde d t o s e t

f or t h t he de f e ns e s of exc l us i ve r e me di e s a nd limita tions of act i ons

a s s e t f or t h i n t he Sl um Cl e a r a nc e a nd Re de ve l opme nt Ac t , c odi f i e d

i n T. C. A. § 13- 21- 101 e t s e q. De f e nda nt t he n f i l e d a s e c ond mot i on
3

t o di s mi s s ba s e d upon t hos e gr ounds . Af t e r a he a r i ng on t he

mot i on, t he t r i a l c our t i s s ue d a me mor a ndum opi ni on gr a nt i ng t he

de f e nda nt ' s mot i on.

The pl a i ntif f a nd de f e nda nt s t a t e t he i s s ue f or our

c ons i de r a t i on vi r t ua l l y t he s a me . We s umma r i ze t he i s s ue as

f ollows : Whe 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 mot i on t o

di s mi ss.

De s pite bot h pa r t i e s l a be l i ng t he i s s ue a s a mot i on t o

di s mi s s , it a ppe a r s tha t thi s ma tte r wa s di s pos e d of by the tr i a l

c our t a s a mot i on f or s umma r y j udgme nt . A t r i a l c our t c a n c onve r t

a Rul e 12. 02( 6) mot i on t o di s mi s s i nt o a Rul e 56 mot i on f or s umma r y

j udgme nt by c ons i de r i ng ma t e r i a l out s i de of t he pl e a di ngs . Kni e r i m

v. Leat he r wood, 542 S. W. 2d 806, 808 ( Te nn. 1976) . Bot h pa r t i e s

s t a t e tha t the tr i a l c our t di d c ons i de r ma t e r i a l out s i de of the

pl e a di ngs , t he r e f or e , we mus t c ons i de r t he mot i on a s a mot i on f or

s umma r y j udgme nt .

The 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 of a tr i a l

c our t ' s a c t i on on a mot i on f or s umma r y j udgme nt a r e we l l - s e t t l e d.

Si nc 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 umpt 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 udgme nt , a nd our t a s k

i s c onf i ne d t o re vi e wi ng t he r e c or d t o de t e r mi ne whe t he r t he

r e qui r e me nt s of T. R. C. P. 56 ha ve be e n me t . Cowde n v. Sovr a n
4

Ba nk/ Ce nt r a l Sout h, 816 S. W. 2d 741, 744 ( Te nn. 1991) . T. R. C. P.

56. 03 pr ovi de s t ha t s umma r y j udgme nt i s onl y a ppr opr i a t e whe r e

t he r e i s no ge nui ne i s s ue wi t h r e ga r d t o t he ma t e r i a l f a c t s

r e l e va nt to the cl a i m or de f e ns e c ont a i ne d i n t he mot i on a nd t he

movi ng pa r t y is e ntitle d to judgme nt a s a ma tte r of la w on the

undi s put e d f act s . Byr d v. Ha l l , 847 S. W. 2d 208, 210 ( Te nn. 1993) ;

Ande r s on v. St a nda r d Re gi s t e r Co. , 857 S. W. 2d 555, 559 ( Te nn.

1993) . The movi ng pa r t y ha s t he bur de n of pr ovi ng t ha t i t s mot i on

s a tis f i e s t he s e r e qui r e me nt s . Downe n v. Al l s t a t e I ns . Co., 811

S. W. 2d 523, 524 ( Te nn. 1991) . The s t a nda r ds gove r ni ng t he

a sse ssme nt of e vi de nc e i n t he s umma r y j udgme nt c ont e xt a r e a l s o

we ll e s t a blis he d. Cour t s mus t vi e w the e vi de nc e in the light mos t

f a vor a bl e t o t he nonmovi ng pa r t y a nd mus t a l s o dr a w a l l r e a s ona bl e

i nf e r e nces i n t he nonmovi ng pa r t y' s f a vor . Byr d v. Ha l l , 847 S. W. 2d

a t 210- 11. Cour t s s houl d gr a nt a s umma r y j udgme nt onl y whe 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 wn f r om t he f a c t s pe r mi t a

r eas ona bl e pe r s on t o r e a c h onl y one c onc l us i on. Ca r ve l l v. Bottoms ,

900 S. W. 2d 23 ( Te nn. 1995) .

The City' s ma i n de f e ns e to thi s a c tion wa s tha t the pl a i ntif f

f a ile d t o a va i l hi ms e l f of t he e xc l us i ve r e me dy a nd wi t hi n t he

s t a t ut e of li mi t a t i on c ont a i ne d in T. C. A. § 13- 21- 101 e t s e q. The

Cha ncel l or , i n he r me mor a ndum opi ni on f r om t he be nc h, s umma r i zed

t ha t r e me dy a s f ol l ows : " Re 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 ut e t ha t t he exc l us i ve r e me dy at l eas t i n r e ga r d t o t he r eal
2

T. C. A. § 13- 21- 105 r equi r e s t hat t he muni 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

and canno t be ascer t a i ned by t he pu b l i c off i cer i n t he exe r c i se of r eason abl e di l i gence.

5

pr ope r t y is to f ile f or the inj unc tive r e lie f withi n 60 da ys a f t e r

s e r vi c e a nd pos t i ng of t he or de r . " She f ur t he r s t a t e d tha t the

City ha d ma 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 d s uc h not i ces .

2

 We be l i e ve t ha t unde r t he s umma r y

j udgme nt s t a nda r d, t hi s wa s e r r or .

Pl a i ntif f a l l e ge d i n hi s c ompl a i nt a nd s t a t e d i n a f f i da vi t s

s uppor t i ng hi s br i e f i n oppos i t i on t o t he s e c ond mot i on t o di s mi 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 ng t he s e c ond mot i on t o

di s mi ss, t he c our t wa s t o c ons t r ue t ha t e vi de nc e i n a light mos t

f a vor a bl e to the pl a i ntif f . We be lie ve tha t the e vi de nc e s ubmitte d

by t he pl a i nt i f f di d cr eat e a ge nui ne i s s ue of ma t e r i a l f act as t o

whe 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 umma r y j udgme nt . We ma ke no de t e r mi na t i on, howe ve r , a s t o t he

me r its of pl a i nt i f f ' s c l a i m tha t he di d not r e c e i ve not i c e , but

me 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 umma r y j udgme nt

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

a ma t t e r of l a w.

For t he r eas ons s e t f or t h above , we vacat e t he t r i a l cour t ' s

j udgme nt gr a nt i ng s umma r y j udgme nt , a nd r e ma nd t he c a s e t o t he
6

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 wi t h t hi s opi ni on.

Cos t s of a ppe a l a r e a dj udge d t o t he a ppe l l e e .

______________________________

 Don T. Mc Mur r a y, J .

CONCUR:

___________________________________

Hous t on M. Godda r d, Pr e s i di ng J udge

___________________________________

Cha r l e s D. Sus a no, J r . , J udge
I N THE COURT OF APPEALS

HARRY GRAY SMI TH, ) KNOX CHANCERY

 ) C. A. NO. 03A01- 9609- CH- 00287

 )

 Pl a i ntif f - Appe lla nt )

 )

 )

 )

 )

 )

vs . ) HON. SHARON BELL

 ) CHANCELLOR

 )

 )

 )

 )

 )

CI TY OF KNOXVI LLE, CODE ) REVERSED, J UDGMENT VACATED a nd

ENFORCEMENT, ) REMANDED

 )

 De f e nda nt - Appe l l ee )

ORDER

Thi s appeal came on t o be he a r d upon t he r e c or d f r om t he

Cha ncer y Cour t of Knox Count y, br i e f s a nd a r gume nt of c ouns e l .

Upon c ons i de r a t i on t he r e of , t hi s Cour t i s of t he opi ni on t ha t t he r e

wa s r e ve r s i bl e er r or i n t he 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 udgme nt gr a nt i ng s umma r y

j udgme nt , a nd r e ma 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 wi t h t hi s opi ni on. Cos 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 CURI AM