Title: StoneMor Alabama, LLC and StoneMor Alabama Supply Subsidiary, Inc. v. Michelle Summers
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 1080443
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: October 16, 2009

REL: 10/16/2009 
Notice: 
T h i s 
o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e 
p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of Decisions, 
Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 
((334) 229¬
0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any 
t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may 
be 
made b e f o r e 
t h e o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2009-2010 
1080443 
StoneMor Alabama, LLC, 
and StoneMor Alabama Supply 
S u b s i d i a r y , Inc. 
v. 
M i c h e l l e Summers 
Appeal from R u s s e l l C i r c u i t 
Court 
(CV-08-90009) 
STUART, J u s t i c e . 
M i c h e l l e Summers s u e d S t o n e M o r A l a b a m a , L L C , 
a n d S t o n e M o r 
A l a b a m a 
S u p p l y 
S u b s i d i a r y , 
I n c . ( h e r e i n a f t e r 
r e f e r r e d t o 
c o l l e c t i v e l y as 
" S t o n e M o r " ) , a f f i l i a t e d c o m p a n i e s t h a t 
j o i n t l y 
1080443 
own and o p e r a t e L a k e v i e w Memory G a r d e n s , a c e m e t e r y i n P h e n i x 
C i t y , 
a l l e g i n g c o n v e r s i o n , n e g l i g e n c e , and t h e t o r t o f o u t r a g e 
a f t e r S t o n e M o r r e m o v e d a s t o n e m e m o r i a l b e n c h Summers h a d h a d 
i n s t a l l e d 
on t h e g r a v e o f h e r d e c e a s e d h u s b a n d . 
S t o n e M o r 
t h e r e a f t e r moved t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t t o c o m p e l Summers t o p u r s u e 
h e r c l a i m s i n a r b i t r a t i o n p u r s u a n t t o an a r b i t r a t i o n c l a u s e i n 
a 
b u r i a l 
c o n t r a c t she h a d e n t e r e d 
i n t o 
w i t h S t o n e M o r . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
d e n i e d 
t h a t m o t i o n , and S t o n e M o r 
a p p e a l s . 
We 
r e v e r s e and remand. 
I . 
On J u l y 20, 2007, one d a y a f t e r h e r h u s b a n d J e r r y d i e d i n 
an a u t o m o b i l e 
a c c i d e n t , Summers e n t e r e d 
i n t o a c o n t r a c t w i t h 
S t o n e M o r p u r s u a n t 
t o w h i c h she p u r c h a s e d two b u r i a l 
p l o t s a t 
L a k e v i e w Memory G a r d e n s , a l o n g w i t h p e r p e t u a l c a r e f o r t h o s e 
p l o t s 
and 
f u n e r a l 
s e r v i c e s f o r J e r r y , 
f o r $ 3 , 4 9 0 . 
T h a t 
c o n t r a c t c o n t a i n e d t h e f o l l o w i n g 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
c l a u s e : 
" A r b i t r a t i o n : 
I f 
t h e r e 
i s 
any 
d i s p u t e , 
c o n c e r n i n g 
t h i s 
a g r e e m e n t 
o r any 
o t h e r 
m a t t e r s 
r e l a t i n g t o g o o d s o r s e r v i c e s p u r c h a s e d f r o m 
s e l l e r , 
p u r c h a s e r 
o r s e l l e r may 
e l e c t 
t o h a v e t h e d i s p u t e 
r e s o l v e d b y a r b i t r a t i o n 
a c c o r d i n g t o t h e r u l e s o f 
t h e A m e r i c a n A r b i t r a t i o n A s s o c i a t i o n ('AAA') t h e n i n 
e f f e c t , 
u n l e s s 
o t h e r w i s e 
r e s t r i c t e d 
b y l a w . 
I f 
p u r c h a s e r 
w i s h e s t o o b t a i n a c o p y o f t h e s e 
r u l e s , 
p u r c h a s e r 
may c o n t a c t t h e AAA a t 1 - 8 0 0 - 7 7 8 - 7 8 7 9 o r 
www.adr.org. 
I f a r b i t r a t i o n 
i s c h o s e n , 
n e i t h e r 
2 
1080443 
p u r c h a s e r n o r s e l l e r 
w i l l h a v e t h e r i g h t t o 
l i t i g a t e  
t h e c l a i m ( s ) i n c o u r t o r have a t r i a l b e f o r e a j u d g e  
o r 
j u r y . 
The 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
w i l l 
be 
c o n d u c t e d 
on 
an 
 
i n d i v i d u a l 
b a s i s , 
and 
n o t 
as 
p a r t o f 
a common 
o r  
c l a s s a c t i o n . 
I f t h e a p p o i n t e d a r b i t r a t o r o r p a n e l  
o f 
a r b i t r a t o r s 
s h o u l d 
a w a r d 
any 
damages, 
t h o s e 
 
damages w i l l be l i m i t e d t o a c t u a l and d i r e c t damages  
o n l y and 
w i l l 
n o t 
i n c l u d e c o n s e q u e n t i a l , p u n i t i v e ,  
e x e m p l a r y , 
o r t r e b l e damages. 
" P u r c h a s e r a n d / o r 
s e l l e r may h i r e l e g a l c o u n s e l , 
b u t 
l e g a l 
c o u n s e l i s n o t 
r e q u i r e d . 
P u r c h a s e r 
and 
s e l l e r must e a c h p a y t h e f e e s and c o s t s o f t h e i r 
own 
c o u n s e l , e x c e p t as o t h e r w i s e a w a r d e d by 
a r b i t r a t o r . 
A l l 
e x p e n s e s 
o f 
t h e 
a r b i t r a t i o n , 
i n c l u d i n g 
t h e 
a r b i t r a t o r ' s 
f e e s , 
w i l l 
be 
s h a r e d 
e q u a l l y 
by 
p u r c h a s e r and 
s e l l e r , e x c e p t as o t h e r w i s e a w a r d e d by 
t h e 
a r b i t r a t o r . 
"Any 
a w a r d 
o r d e r e d by 
t h e 
a r b i t r a t o r 
w i l l 
be 
f i n a l , 
b i n d i n g , 
n o n a p p e a l a b l e 
and j u d g e m e n t may 
be 
e n t e r e d 
on 
i t i n 
any 
c o u r t 
h a v i n g 
j u r i s d i c t i o n . 
T h i s 
a g r e e m e n t 
i s 
made 
i n 
c o n n e c t i o n 
w i t h 
a 
t r a n s a c t i o n 
i n 
i n t e r s t a t e 
commerce, 
and 
t h e 
p r o v i s i o n s 
o f 
t h i s 
s e c t i o n 
a r e 
made 
u n d e r 
t h e 
F e d e r a l 
A r b i t r a t i o n 
A c t , 
9 U.S.C. §§ 
1-16. 
The 
a r b i t r a t o r 
w i l l h a v e no power t o v a r y o r m o d i f y 
any 
p r o v i s i o n s o f t h i s 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
a g r e e m e n t . " 
( E m p h a s i s 
i n 
o r i g i n a l . ) 
A t 
t h e 
t i m e 
Summers 
p u r c h a s e d 
t h e 
p l o t s 
a t 
L a k e v i e w 
Memory G a r d e n s , 
she d e c l i n e d t o p u r c h a s e f r o m S t o n e M o r a s t o n e 
m a r k e r o r s t o n e m e m o r i a l b e n c h f o r h e r h u s b a n d ' s g r a v e 
s i t e ; 
i n s t e a d , Summers p u r c h a s e d 
t h o s e 
i t e m s 
f r o m 
a 
t h i r d 
p a r t y . 
Summers a l l e g e s t h a t t h a t 
t h i r d p a r t y t h e n p a i d S t o n e M o r t h e 
a p p r o p r i a t e 
f e e s and had 
t h o s e i t e m s 
i n s t a l l e d 
on t h e 
g r a v e 
3 
1080443 
s i t e 
on h e r b e h a l f . 
S h o r t l y 
a f t e r 
t h e 
i n s t a l l a t i o n 
o f t h e 
b e n c h and t h e m a r k e r , and w i t h o u t 
g i v i n g 
n o t i c e t o Summers, 
S t o n e M o r a p p a r e n t l y r e m o v e d t h e s t o n e m e m o r i a l b e n c h f r o m t h e 
g r a v e 
s i t e . 
On 
J u l y 
29, 2008, Summers s u e d S t o n e M o r , 
a l l e g i n g 
t h a t 
S t o n e M o r h a d c o n v e r t e d t h e s t o n e m e m o r i a l b e n c h , t h a t S t o n e M o r 
was 
n e g l i g e n t i n r e m o v i n g t h e s t o n e m e m o r i a l b e n c h , and 
t h a t 
S t o n e M o r ' s c o n d u c t i n t h i s c a s e was o u t r a g e o u s and h a d c a u s e d 
h e r 
s e v e r e e m o t i o n a l d i s t r e s s . 
On A u g u s t 28, 2008, 
S t o n e M o r 
moved 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
t o c o m p e l 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
i n t h e 
c a s e , 
s u b m i t t i n g e v i d e n c e t h a t t h e c o n t r a c t Summers h a d e n t e r e d 
i n t o 
w i t h 
S t o n e M o r 
c o n t a i n e d an 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
c l a u s e 
and 
t h a t 
t h e 
t r a n s a c t i o n b e t w e e n t h e p a r t i e s 
a f f e c t e d i n t e r s t a t e 
commerce. 
On 
November 
25, 
2008, 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
d e n i e d 
S t o n e M o r ' s 
m o t i o n . 
S t o n e M o r t h e n f i l e d 
t h i s 
a p p e a l . 
I I . 
Our 
s t a n d a r d o f r e v i e w o f a r u l i n g d e n y i n g a m o t i o n t o 
c o m p e l a r b i t r a t i o n i s w e l l 
s e t t l e d : 
" ' T h i s C o u r t r e v i e w s de novo t h e d e n i a l 
o f a 
m o t i o n t o c o m p e l 
a r b i t r a t i o n . 
P a r k w a y Dodge, I n c .  
v. Y a r b r o u g h , 779 So. 2d 1205 
( A l a . 
2 0 0 0 ) . 
A m o t i o n 
t o c o m p e l 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
i s a n a l o g o u s t o a m o t i o n f o r 
a summary j u d g m e n t . 
T r a n S o u t h F i n . C o r p . v. 
B e l l , 
739 
So. 
2d 
1110, 
1114 
( A l a . 1 
9 9 9 ) . 
The 
p a r t y 
4 
1080443 
s e e k i n g 
t o 
c o m p e l 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
has 
t h e 
b u r d e n 
o f 
p r o v i n g 
t h e 
e x i s t e n c e 
o f 
a 
c o n t r a c t 
c a l l i n g 
f o r 
a r b i t r a t i o n and p r o v i n g t h a t t h e c o n t r a c t 
e v i d e n c e s 
a 
t r a n s a c t i o n a f f e c t i n g 
i n t e r s t a t e 
commerce. 
I d . 
" [ A ] f t e r 
a m o t i o n 
t o 
c o m p e l 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
has 
b e e n 
made and 
s u p p o r t e d , 
t h e b u r d e n i s on t h e non-movant 
t o 
p r e s e n t 
e v i d e n c e 
t h a t 
t h e 
s u p p o s e d 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
a g r e e m e n t 
i s 
n o t 
v a l i d 
o r 
does 
n o t 
a p p l y 
t o 
t h e 
d i s p u t e i n q u e s t i o n . " 
J i m B u r k e A u t o m o t i v e , I n c . 
v.  
B e a v e r s , 
674 
So. 
2d 
1260, 
1265 
n. 
1 
( A l a . 
1995) 
( o p i n i o n on a p p l i c a t i o n f o r r e h e a r i n g ) . ' " 
E l i z a b e t h Homes, L.L.C. v. 
G a n t t , 
882 
So. 
2d 
313, 
315 
( A l a . 
2003) 
( q u o t i n g F l e e t w o o d E n t e r s . , 
I n c . v. B r u n o , 
784 
So. 
2d 
277, 
280 
( A l a . 
2 0 0 0 ) ) . 
I I I . 
I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h i t s A u g u s t 28, 2008, m o t i o n t o c o m p e l 
a r b i t r a t i o n , S t o n e M o r s u b m i t t e d 
t o t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t a c o p y 
o f 
t h e 
c o n t r a c t 
s i g n e d 
by 
Summers 
c o n t a i n i n g 
an 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
c l a u s e , q u o t e d s u p r a , 
as w e l l as e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t i n g t h a t 
t h e 
t r a n s a c t i o n 
t h a t 
was 
t h e 
s u b j e c t 
o f 
t h e 
c o n t r a c t 
a f f e c t e d 
i n t e r s t a t e commerce i n a t l e a s t t h e f o l l o w i n g two w a y s : (1) a 
p o r t i o n o f t h e money Summers p a i d S t o n e M o r was 
d e s i g n a t e d 
f o r 
p e r p e t u a l c a r e o f t h e two c e m e t e r y p l o t s she p u r c h a s e d and 
had 
b e e n p l a c e d i n a t r u s t f u n d managed by a company i n T e n n e s s e e , 
and 
(2) 
t h e 
c e m e t e r y g r o u n d s a r e 
m a i n t a i n e d 
u s i n g 
e q u i p m e n t 
m a n u f a c t u r e d and p u r c h a s e d o u t s i d e A l a b a m a . 
T h i s e v i d e n c e 
o f 
5 
1080443 
t h e 
e x i s t e n c e 
o f "a c o n t r a c t 
c a l l i n g 
f o r a r b i t r a t i o n 
and 
[ p r o o f ] t h a t t h e c o n t r a c t 
e v i d e n c e s a t r a n s a c t i o n a f f e c t i n g 
i n t e r s t a t e commerce" t h e r e f o r e 
s h i f t e d t h e b u r d e n t o Summers 
t o 
p r e s e n t 
some 
e v i d e n c e 
i n d i c a t i n g t h a t 
t h e 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
c l a u s e i s n o t v a l i d o r t h a t i t 
does n o t a p p l y t o t h e d i s p u t e 
i n 
q u e s t i o n . 
E l i z a b e t h Homes, 882 So. 2d a t 315. On 
a p p e a l , 
Summers 
d o e s n o t d i s p u t e 
t h e v a l i d i t y 
o f t h e 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
c l a u s e ; r a t h e r , she a r g u e s t h a t h e r d i s p u t e 
w i t h S t o n e M o r i s 
o u t s i d e t h e s c o p e o f t h a t c l a u s e .
1 
We 
d i s a g r e e . 
The 
c r u x 
o f 
t h i s 
d i s p u t e 
i s w h e t h e r 
S t o n e M o r 
was 
a u t h o r i z e d 
t o remove t h e s t o n e 
m e m o r i a l b e n c h Summers h a d 
i n s t a l l e d 
on h e r d e c e a s e d 
h u s b a n d ' s 
g r a v e 
s i t e . 
Summers 
1Summers 
a l s o a r g u e s 
t h a t we 
s h o u l d 
d i s m i s s 
S t o n e M o r ' s 
a p p e a l 
f o r p r o c e d u r a l 
r e a s o n s ; 
f i r s t , 
b e c a u s e , 
she 
s a y s , 
S t o n e M o r f a i l e d t o s p e c i f i c a l l y r e s e r v e t h e r i g h t t o a p p e a l i n 
i t s a n s w e r , a n d , s e c o n d , b e c a u s e t h i s a p p e a l i s 
moot b e c a u s e , 
she 
c l a i m s , she w i l l be e n t i t l e d t o a d e f a u l t j u d g m e n t when 
t h i s c a s e i s r e m a n d e d t o t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t . 
Summers c i t e s no 
a u t h o r i t y i n s u p p o r t o f t h e s e a r g u m e n t s , h o w e v e r , and what 
a u t h o r i t y e x i s t s a p p e a r s t o r e f u t e them. 
R u l e 4 ( d ) , A l a . 
R. 
App. 
P., 
e x p l i c i t l y 
r e c o g n i z e s 
t h a t " [ a ] n 
o r d e r 
g r a n t i n g o r 
d e n y i n g a m o t i o n t o c o m p e l 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
i s a p p e a l a b l e 
as a 
m a t t e r o f r i g h t , " a n d , s h o u l d S t o n e M o r ' s a p p e a l be s u c c e s s f u l , 
on remand t h e t r i a l c o u r t ' s d u t y w i l l be l i m i t e d t o c o m p e l l i n g 
a r b i t r a t i o n , n o t c o n s i d e r i n g a m o t i o n f o r 
a d e f a u l t j u d g m e n t . 
See Ex p a r t e Queen, 959 So. 2d 620, 621 ( A l a . 2006) 
( s t a t i n g 
t h a t , 
a f t e r a c a s e i s remanded, t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t may e n t e r no 
j u d g m e n t 
o t h e r 
t h a n t h e j u d g m e n t 
d i r e c t e d b y t h e 
r e v i e w i n g 
c o u r t ) . 
6 
1080443 
m a i n t a i n s 
t h a t 
t h e s t o n e 
m e m o r i a l 
b e n c h was 
i n s t a l l e d i n 
c o m p l i a n c e 
w i t h 
S t o n e M o r ' s 
r u l e s a n d r e g u l a t i o n s and 
t h a t , 
a c c o r d i n g l y , 
S t o n e M o r was n o t a u t h o r i z e d t o remove i t , w h i l e 
S t o n e M o r a r g u e s t h a t i t p r o p e r l y r e m o v e d t h e b e n c h b e c a u s e , 
i t 
s a y s , 
Summers b r e a c h e d 
t h e i r 
c o n t r a c t 
b y h a v i n g t h e s t o n e 
m e m o r i a l b e n c h i n s t a l l e d i n a manner t h a t 
v i o l a t e d t h e r u l e s 
and 
r e g u l a t i o n s o f t h e c e m e t e r y , w h i c h , S t o n e M o r s a y s , 
were 
i n c o r p o r a t e d 
i n t o 
t h a t 
c o n t r a c t b y 
r e f e r e n c e . 
The 
a r b i t r a t i o n 
c l a u s e 
i n t h e c o n t r a c t 
b e t w e e n Summers 
and 
S t o n e M o r 
s t a t e s 
t h a t 
i t a p p l i e s 
t o 
"any 
d i s p u t e [ ] 
c o n c e r n i n g 
t h i s 
a g r e e m e n t o r any o t h e r 
m a t t e r s 
r e l a t i n g t o 
goods 
o r 
s e r v i c e s 
p u r c h a s e d 
f r o m 
s e l l e r 
I n 
S e r r a 
C h e v r o l e t , 
I n c . 
v . Hock, 891 So. 2d 844, 847 ( A l a . 2 0 0 4 ) , we 
n o t e d 
t h a t 
" [ t ] h i s 
C o u r t h a s r e p e a t e d l y 
s t a t e d 
' " t h a t t h e 
w o r d s 
' r e l a t i n g t o ' i n t h e a r b i t r a t i o n 
c o n t e x t 
a r e g i v e n a 
b r o a d c o n s t r u c t i o n . " ' " 
( Q u o t i n g AmSouth Bank v. Dees, 847 So. 
2d 923, 932 ( A l a . 2 0 0 2 ) , q u o t i n g i n t u r n K a r l S t o r z E n d o s c o p y - 
A m e r i c a , I n c . 
v . I n t e g r a t e d Med. S y s . , I n c . , 
808 So. 2d 999, 
1013 
( A l a . 2001) ( e m p h a s i s o m i t t e d ) . ) 
Among t h e g o o d s a n d 
s e r v i c e s p u r c h a s e d by Summers f r o m S t o n e M o r was p e r p e t u a l 
c a r e 
7 
1080443 
o f t h e two b u r i a l 
p l o t s she p u r c h a s e d . 
S t o n e M o r h a s a r g u e d 
t h a t 
t h e s t o n e 
m e m o r i a l 
b e n c h 
i n q u e s t i o n 
was 
i n s t a l l e d 
i m p r o p e r l y , 
w i t h o u t t h e r e q u i r e d p e r m i s s i o n 
and f e e s , and on 
t h e 
p r o p e r t y 
o f o t h e r s ; 
a c c o r d i n g l y , 
S t o n e M o r 
a r g u e s , t h e 
b e n c h 
was 
r e m o v e d 
p u r s u a n t 
t o i t s r u l e s 
and 
r e g u l a t i o n s 
r e g a r d i n g 
t h e c a r e 
and m a i n t e n a n c e 
o f t h e c e m e t e r y . 
We 
c o n c l u d e , 
t h e r e f o r e , t h a t t h e d i s p u t e r e g a r d i n g t h e r e m o v a l o f 
t h e 
s t o n e m e m o r i a l b e n c h r e l a t e s t o goods and s e r v i c e s 
t h a t 
were t h e s u b j e c t o f t h e c o n t r a c t b e t w e e n Summers and S t o n e M o r 
and 
t h a t 
t h a t 
d i s p u t e 
a c c o r d i n g l y 
f a l l s 
s q u a r e l y 
w i t h i n t h e 
s c o p e o f t h e a r b i t r a t i o n 
c l a u s e 
c o n t a i n e d i n t h a t 
c o n t r a c t . 
I V . 
S t o n e M o r 
s u b m i t t e d 
e v i d e n c e t o t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t 
s h o w i n g 
t h a t Summers h a d s i g n e d a c o n t r a c t c o n t a i n i n g l a n g u a g e s t a t i n g 
t h a t " [ i ] f 
t h e r e i s 
any d i s p u t e , c o n c e r n i n g 
t h i s a g r e e m e n t o r 
any o t h e r m a t t e r s r e l a t i n g t o goods o r s e r v i c e s p u r c h a s e d f r o m 
s e l l e r , 
p u r c h a s e r o r s e l l e r may 
e l e c t t o h a v e t h e 
d i s p u t e 
r e s o l v e d by a r b i t r a t i o n , " as w e l l as e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t i n g t h a t 
t h e 
t r a n s a c t i o n b e t w e e n them 
a f f e c t e d 
i n t e r s t a t e commerce. 
Summers f a i l e d t o r e f u t e t h a t s h o w i n g w i t h e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t i n g 
t h a t t h e a r b i t r a t i o n 
c l a u s e i n t h e c o n t r a c t was 
i n v a l i d o r 
8 
1080443 
t h a t 
i t d i d 
n o t 
a p p l y 
t o 
t h e 
d i s p u t e 
t h a t 
d i d 
i n 
f a c t 
s u b s e q u e n t l y 
a r i s e . 
A c c o r d i n g l y , 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
e r r e d 
by 
d e n y i n g 
S t o n e M o r ' s 
m o t i o n 
t o 
c o m p e l 
a r b i t r a t i o n , 
and 
i t s 
November 
25, 
2008, 
o r d e r 
i s h e r e b y 
r e v e r s e d 
and 
t h e 
c a u s e 
remanded f o r f u r t h e r p r o c e e d i n g s 
c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h i s o p i n i o n . 
REVERSED AND 
REMANDED. 
Cobb, C . J . , 
and L y o n s , B o l i n , 
and M u r d o c k , J J . , c o n c u r . 
9