Case Name: GOLDSWORTHY v. McCAUSLAND
Court: Michigan Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1990-09-24
Citations: 187 Mich. App. 253
Docket Number: Docket No. 117642
Parties: GOLDSWORTHY v McCAUSLAND
Judges: Before: Reilly, P.J., and Cynar and Wahls, JJ.
Reporter: Michigan appeals reports; cases decided in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Volume: 187
Pages: 253–255

Head Matter:
GOLDSWORTHY v McCAUSLAND
Docket No. 117642.
Submitted August 8, 1990, at Detroit.
Decided September 24, 1990;
approved for publication January 29, 1991, at 9:15 a.m.
Daniel M. Goldsworthy brought an action in the Wayne Circuit Court against Ernest and Julia McCausland, Elba, Inc., and Jabar Security and Detective Agency, Inc., seeking damages resulting from an alleged assault and battery by a security guard employed by Jabar under a contract with Elba on property owned by the McCauslands and leased to Elba. The court, Helene N. White, J., granted summary disposition in favor of the McCauslands, finding that they were not involved in any way with Elba’s business and had no duty to provide security services of their own on the leased premises. The plaintiff appealed.
The Court of Appeals held:
The McCauslands, as landlords, had no duty to provide security services of their own on the leased premises. There were no common areas over which the McCauslands had any duty to investigate possible dangerous conditions and take preventive measures. The McCauslands also had no duty to take action directly against Elba because they were not involved in Elba’s business in any way which would support a finding of agency by estoppel or apparent authority.
Affirmed.
Landlord and Tenant — Security Services — Tenants — Business Invitees.
A landlord has no duty to provide security services for leased premises for the benefit of business invitees of the tenant.
References
Am Jur 2d, Premises Liability §§ 490, 521.
See the Index to Annotations under Assault and Battery; Guards and Watchmen; Landlord and Tenant; Premises Liability.
Bergesen & Rowe (by James E. Bergesen and Theodore C. Timmis), for the plaintiff._
Chandler, Bujold & Chandler (by Frank J. Bujold), for Ernest and Julia McCausland.
Before: Reilly, P.J., and Cynar and Wahls, JJ.

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
Plaintiff appeals as of right from an order of the circuit court granting summary disposition in favor of defendants Ernest and Julia McCausland. We affirm.
In his complaint, plaintiff alleges that on or about December 6, 1987, he was assaulted and battered by a security guard employed by defendant Jabar Security and Detective Agency, Inc., on property owned by the McCauslands and leased to defendant Elba, Inc. Defendant Elba operates a business known as Harpo's Concert Theatre on the premises, and contracted with Jabar to provide outside security for its patrons. There was no contractual relationship between the McCauslands and Jabar.
Plaintiff claims that the McCauslands knew or should have known of an ongoing pattern of violence on the leased property, but negligently failed to take any action to correct the problem. However, we agree with the trial court that on the basis of Williams v Detroit, 127 Mich App 464; 339 NW2d 215 (1983), the McCauslands, as landlords, had no duty to provide security services of their own on the leased premises. There are no common areas over which the McCauslands may have had a "slight" duty to investigate possible dangerous conditions and take preventive measures. See Williams v Cunningham Drug Stores, Inc, 429 Mich 495, 502, n 17; 418 NW2d 381 (1988) (distinguishing Samson v Saginaw Professional Building, Inc, 393 Mich 393; 224 NW2d 843 [1975]).
Nor do we find under these facts that the Mc-Causlands had a duty to take action directly against defendant Elba on the basis of Clark v Texaco, Inc, 55 Mich App 100; 222 NW2d 52 (1974), cited by plaintiff. The McCauslands were not involved in any way with Elba's business; consequently there is no question of fact which would give rise to a claim of agency by estoppel or apparent authority. See Green v Shell Oil Co, 181 Mich App 439; 450 NW2d 50 (1989).
Affirmed.