Opinion ID: 1740339
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Waiver of Defenses to Liability

Text: Orkin and Maxwell (hereinafter collectively referred to as the Orkin defendants) contend that the judgment in favor of Mrs. Jeter's estate should be reversed because, they argue, the applicable statutes of limitations bar the estate's breach-of-contract and fraud claims. The Orkin defendants also contend that the trial court erred in refusing to grant their motion for a judgment as a matter of law (JML) because, they say, the estate failed to present any evidence indicating that Mrs. Jeter relied to her detriment on the fraud. Finally, Orkin contends that the estate did not have standing to pursue the breach-of-contract claim because, they say, Mrs. Jeter did not own the property at the time this action was filed. The estate counters by arguing that the Orkin defendants waived these defenses by admitting liability in their closing argument before the jury. We agree. In closing argument, the attorney for the Orkin defendants stated: You have the power today to either pronounce a verdict of atonement, which means to satisfy a wrong; or, crucifixion. I am here for atonement. They are here for crucifixion. I know my county. Y'all ain't going to return no defense verdict. This is going to be a plaintiff verdict. I'm going to tell you that right now. You are going to award a sum of money to Robert, Edward, and William. Period. I ain't going to stand up here and insult your intelligence by telling y'all, this is a defense case, and Orkin didn't do anything wrong. I'm not going to tell you. I'm not going to insult your intelligence. I'm not going to do it. But, again, I speak of atonement versus crucifixion.  Now ain't nobody all right; ain't nobody all wrong. Orkin has got some problems. Defense case has got some problems.... .... ... So, I'm not going to ask you to turn Orkin loose. I want you to return a verdict against Orkin. I agree with that. I've already said you are going to return a verdict against Orkin.... .... You are talking atonement; not crucifixion. I'm going to give you a number. I'm going to recommendIf I get shot in the back you know it came from Orkin. My back is going to be turned when I give you this number.... But, I can't stand up here and tell you that Orkin has done wrong and has not been honest and then not tell you what I think you ought to do about it. ... .... Ladies and gentlemen, today is Orkin's day of trespass. This is their day of atonement. The principal is a hundred thousand dollars. That's the amount of the termite bond they should have stood behind and didn't. This is one isolated case. If they had shown me they had done it more, then we would start multiplying each time.... I am not going to stand up here and argue the law of the statute of limitations. If you find the statute of limitations, she knew that in a certain period of time, you know, she didn't havebut y'all ain't going I'm not wasting my time. ... But something happened out there and that house was eaten up. That's the trouble. Atonement. They ain't proved two or three million. Atonement. Five hundred thousand is a just and fair verdict in this case. (Emphasis added.) The Orkin defendants, in their closing argument, expressly admitted wrongdoing to the jury and invited a verdict for the estate. Rather than argue that the statute of limitations barred recovery in the case followed by a statement to the effect, If you should not agree with me on this issue, then let me explain to you what I think a fair award of damages should be, the Orkin defendants affirmatively disavowed the statute-of-limitations defense and expressly admitted liability. This Court has found admissions of liability in closing arguments to waive subsequent arguments against liability. Associates Fin. Servs. of Alabama, Inc. v. Barbour, 592 So.2d 191, 193-94 (Ala.1991); Housing Auth. of the City of Prichard v. Malloy, 341 So.2d 708, 709 (Ala.1977). In Associates Financial Services of Alabama, as here, the defense attorney admitted during closing argument that the defendant would like to correct the situation and that the defendant was responsible for what [its employee] did [defrauding a customer]. 592 So.2d at 193. The defense attorney also admitted to the jury that the defendant was bound to pay compensatory damages if the jury awarded any. Id. In Associates Financial Services of Alabama, this Court concluded that the closing argument contained a direct admission of liability and that the trial judge had not erred in refusing to enter a directed verdict (renamed a preverdict JML, see Rule 50, Ala. R. Civ. P.). for the defendants on the issue of liability. Id. at 194. Similarly, in Housing Authority of the City of Prichard, the defendant admitted during closing argument liability for one of the plaintiff's claims. 341 So.2d at 709. The trial court thereafter directed the jury to return a verdict for the plaintiff on this claim in an amount it found to be reasonable under the evidence. Id. The defendant argued on appeal that the trial court erred in denying its motion for a directed verdict. Id. This Court stated: It would have been improper for the trial Court to grant The Housing Authority's motion for a directed verdict for the obvious reason that it would have been in diametric opposition to the Court's directed verdict for a portion of [the plaintiff's] claima claim which the Housing Authority expressly admitted. 341 So.2d at 709. Likewise, it would have been improper in this case for the trial court to grant the Orkin defendants' postjudgment motion for a JML when the Orkin defendants went far beyond mere expressions of opinion, indeed went so far as suggesting a proper amount of damages the jury should award. The Orkin defendants admitted liability with the following statements: I ain't going to stand up here and insult your intelligence by telling y'all, this is a defense case, and Orkin didn't do anything wrong.... I'm not going to ask you to turn Orkin loose. I want you to return a verdict against Orkin. I agree with that.... But, I can't stand up here and tell you that Orkin has done wrong and has not been honest and then not tell you what I think you ought to do about it.... I am not going to stand up here and argue the law of the statute of limitations.... I'm not wasting my time. Such statements abandoned the defenses the Orkin defendants now ask us to embrace in order that they might avoid liability.