Opinion ID: 2275522
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Capital's duty under the Wilmington City and Building Codes.

Text: Capital had a duty under section 42-215 of the Wilmington City Code to maintain the exterior of the property including the fire escape in question. It is long-settled Delaware law that the violation of a statute, or regulation having the force of statute, enacted for the safety of others is negligence in law or negligence per se. [5] Section 42-215 states: Any encroachment on, over, across, in, under or upon the sidewalk of any street, highway, lane or alley of the city which shall become dangerous to ... the traveling public by reason of any cause whatsoever, shall thereby be declared a violation of this article. Any ... agent in charge of the premises to which such encroachment is attached shall be deemed guilty of maintaining a nuisance in violation of the provisions of this Article. Section 119.01 of the Wilmington Housing Code regarding building maintenance, which is applicable to the agent in charge, provides: All exterior wood and metal surfaces shall be protected by the elements and against decay by ... approved protective coatings applied in a workmanlike manner. Any evidence of decay such as cracking, scaling, peeling, or loose paint or decay of any protective coating shall be a violation of this section. The fire escape that injured Brown was an encroachment that hung over N. Market Street. The wire cable attaching the fire escape platform to the ladder rusted and broke, causing Brown's injury. We have determined that it is reasonable for the jury to conclude that Capital had agreed to assume a duty to maintain a fire escape located on the exterior of the building for the tenants' emergency use. Capital continued as Cathedral's agent to maintain the building after a written contract expired. As Cathedral's agent, Capital was responsible for keeping the building, including the fire escape, in compliance with the Wilmington City Code. Because Capital had a duty under the Wilmington Housing and City Codes to maintain the fire escape, the jury properly found that Capital's failure to maintain the fire escape constituted negligence per se.