Opinion ID: 2281968
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: fraud and negligent misrepresentation claims

Text: In their second point relied on, Uhlmann and TEAM argue that summary judgment for Vermeer on the fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation claims was improper because (a) Uhlmann was harmed directly by Vermeer's misrepresentations to him individually, (b) TEAM was assigned any misrepresentation claims belonging to the original purchaser, and (c) material facts exist showing that Uhlmann and TEAM can establish each element of their fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation claims. Those claims are based on two representations allegedly made by Vermeer to Crush and Uhlmann. As stated in the plaintiffs' petition, the first representation occurred when Vermeerprior to Crush's purchase of the T1055 and in order to induce the purchaseallegedly told Crush and Uhlmann that the T1055 would perform terrain leveling and surface mining. The second representation occurred when Vermeer, after the purchase, allegedly told Crush and Uhlmann that the machine could be repaired or fixed so that it could perform terrain leveling as represented prior to sale and as represented in the advertising. Because the two representations giving rise to both the fraud and the negligent misrepresentation claims are separate and distinct, each representation will be discussed in turn.
The elements of fraudulent misrepresentation are: (1) a representation; (2) its falsity; (3) its materiality; (4) the speaker's knowledge of its falsity or ignorance of its truth; (5) the speaker's intent that it should be acted on by the person in the manner reasonably contemplated; (6) the hearer's ignorance of the falsity of the representation; (7) the hearer's reliance on the representation being true; (8) the hearer's right to rely thereon; and (9) the hearer's consequent and proximately caused injury. Larabee, 271 S.W.3d at 546. A plaintiff's failure to establish any one of the essential elements of fraud is fatal to recovery. Verni v. Cleveland Chiropractic College, 212 S.W.3d 150, 154 (Mo. banc 2007). Because the reliance element is dispositive for the first representation and the falsity element is dispositive for the second representation, only those elements will be discussed.