Opinion ID: 1262875
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Tort Duties

Text: A tort requires the wrongful invasion of an interest protected by the law... . Just's v. Arrington Construction Co., Inc., 99 Idaho 462, 468, 583 P.2d 997, 1003 (1978). The elements of common law negligence have been summarized as (1) a duty, recognized by law, requiring a defendant to conform to a certain standard of conduct; (2) a breach of that duty; (3) a causal connection between the defendant's conduct and the resulting injuries; and (4) actual loss or damage. Alegria v. Payonk, 101 Idaho 617, 619 P.2d 135 (1980). The law recognizes that owner/landlords owe duties to their tenants and their tenants' employees to exercise reasonable care (1) in light of all the circumstances, Stephens v. Stearns, 106 Idaho 249, 258, 678 P.2d 41, 50 (1984), (2) for protection [from a dangerous condition] even though the dangerous condition is known and obvious to the employee, Keller v. Holiday Inns, Inc., 107 Idaho 593, 595, 691 P.2d 1208, 1210 (1984), and (3) to provide safe conditions for employment upon the premises. Marcher v. Butler, 113 Idaho 867, 871, 749 P.2d 486, 490 (1988). These duties of the owner/landlord are based on the landlord/tenant relationship with the tenant and the tenant's employees. Because an owner/landlord exercises control of his building, he also bears responsibility for foreseeable injuries to the tenants and their employees resulting from his failure to exercise reasonable care. Id. However, Security Investments and Security Police were not the owner/landlord, nor did they have any recognized legal relationship with the tenants of the owner/landlord or the tenants' employees such as plaintiff Sharp. They do not become the owner/landlord merely by contracting to perform services, even security services, for the landlord. While their contracts may have imposed some contractual duties upon them, there can be no recovery in tort by Sharp from Security Investments or Security Police because they owed no duty to Sharp. Strangely, the majority opinion does not make a tort analysis with regard to Security Investments and Security Police. The majority opinion does not point out any duty owed by Security Investments or Security Police to Sharp the breach of which could result in a negligence claim by Sharp against them. The Court's opinion merely states that, If Security Police was negligent for not checking the door through which the rapist may have gained entry, Security Police itself is susceptible to liability, which in turn may be imputed to Security Investments and to Moore. An agent is liable for its own negligence. Ante at 303, 796 P.2d at 512. However, the Court does not go on and determine whether or not Security Police breached any duty to Sharp, which could be the basis for its negligence. Rather, the Court concludes that, Thus the negligence, if any, of the sub-agent, Security Police, renders it potentially liable to Sharp, and its liability may be imputed to the agent, Security Investments, and to the principal, Moore. Ante at 303, 796 P.2d at 512 (emphasis added). All the Court has said is that if there was any negligence on the part of Security Police, it could be imputed to Security Investments and Moore. The Court may be correct in concluding that if there was negligence on the part of Security Police it would be imputed to Security Investments and to Moore. That would depend on whether Security Police was an agent rather than an independent contractor. However, the Court has not made any analysis establishing that there was a triable issue of fact concerning whether Security Police had breached a duty toward Sharp which could result in a claim of negligence by Sharp against Security Police. The Court has merely said that if there was any negligence on the part of Security Police it would be imputed to the others. The Court has not demonstrated how this record establishes any negligence on the part of either Security Investments or Security Police, i.e., breach of a duty owed by either to Sharp. To the contrary, the record demonstrates that no such tort duty was owed, and accordingly the summary judgment granted in favor of those two defendants should be affirmed.