Case Name: WOODS v. ALKEN AUTO SALES LTD; TATUM v. ALKEN AUTO SALES LTD
Court: Michigan Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1994-11-22
Citations: 207 Mich. App. 597
Docket Number: Docket Nos. 148979, 162884
Parties: WOODS v ALKEN AUTO SALES LTD TATUM v ALKEN AUTO SALES LTD
Judges: Before: Fitzgerald, P.J., and Michael J. Kelly and E. R. Post, JJ.
Reporter: Michigan appeals reports; cases decided in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Volume: 207
Pages: 597–598

Head Matter:
WOODS v ALKEN AUTO SALES LTD TATUM v ALKEN AUTO SALES LTD
Docket Nos. 148979, 162884.
Submitted November 1, 1994, at Detroit.
Decided November 22, 1994, at 9:00 a.m.
Willie E. Woods and Jean Tatum brought separate actions in the Oakland Circuit Court against Alken Auto Sales Ltd., Donald J. Card, and others for damages for injuries sustained by the plaintiffs when an automobile driven by Card struck an automobile driven by Woods and in which Tatum was a passenger. The automobile Card was driving at the time of the accident had been purchased by him from Alken. The plaintiffs asserted that Alken should be liable on the theory of negligent entrustment, because Card had no valid driver’s license at the time of the sale. The court, Robert C. Anderson, J., granted summary disposition for Alken in each action. Each plaintiff appealed, and the appeals were consolidated.
The Court of Appeals held:
Because Alken did not retain title to the automobile and had no expectation of regaining possession of the automobile, the trial court properly refused to extend liability under the doctrine of negligent entrustment.
Affirmed.
Alspector, Sosin, Mittenthal & Barson, P.C. (by Stuart E. Schafer and Gabriel B. Locher), for the plaintiffs.
Law Offices of Terry L. Cramer & Associates (by Patricia S. Johnson), for Alken Auto Sales Ltd.
Before: Fitzgerald, P.J., and Michael J. Kelly and E. R. Post, JJ.
Circuit judge, sitting on the Court of Appeals by assignment.

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
Plaintiffs, Willie Woods and Jean Tatum, filed separate appeals as of right from the trial court's orders that granted summary disposition for defendant Aiken Auto Sales Ltd., and dismissed plaintiffs' personal injury lawsuits that arose from an automobile accident. MCR 2.116(C) (8) and (10). We affirm.
Defendant Aiken sold a car to defendant Donald J. Card, who had no valid Michigan driver's license. About two weeks later, a truck owned by defendant Pepsi-Cola Metro Bottling Co. and driven by defendant Rubin Posada made a wide right-hand turn ahead of defendant Card, who lost control of the car and swerved into oncoming traffic. He struck an automobile driven by Woods, severely injuring both Woods and his passenger, Tatum. Plaintiffs sued separately and settled their claims against their respective defendants, except defendants Card and Aiken. Woods took a default against Card, and Tatum never served Card.
The trial court did not err in dismissing the case and in refusing to extend the doctrine of negligent entrustment under the facts of this case. Aiken did not retain title and had no expectation of regaining possession of the car involved in the accident. See Perin v Peuler (On Rehearing), 373 Mich 531, 537-538; 130 NW2d 4 (1964); Haring v Myrick, 368 Mich 420, 423, 424, n 2; 118 NW2d 260 (1962); Tanis v Eding, 265 Mich 94, 95-97; 251 NW 367 (1933). For that reason, the trial court properly refused to extend liability under the doctrine of negligent entrustment. Barksdale v Nat'l Bank of Detroit, 186 Mich App 286, 291; 463 NW2d 258 (1990).
Affirmed.