Opinion ID: 2637606
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: evidence supporting the existence of an employer-employee relationship

Text: ¶ 7 Petitioner testified that he had known Macsuga for ten years and had lived in his house for three years. Moreno testified that in exchange for living in the house he worked on cars owned by Macsuga. These cars were used for taxis and Moreno testified that he and Macsuga kept the cars in working order and that he helped prepare the cars for inspection. Moreno's alleged duties included: performing brake jobs; changing water pumps; changing spark plugs; changing tires; transmission repairs; drive shaft work; and some body work. He testified that when a car came in broken down, he would try to fix it. He used Macsuga's tools to do this work. Moreno also testified that he was not able to do air conditioning work or carburetor work, and that such work was performed by Macsuga. Moreno testified that his job also included cleaning the garage. ¶ 8 Moreno also testified that he did take other jobs occasionally. These jobs included lawn mowing and roofing work. Moreno was free to come and go at his leisure and did not punch a time clock, did not wear a uniform, did not have an employee manual, received no wages, and filed no income tax returns. He had no set working hours, and sometimes would just hang around the shop with the guys, watching television and drinking beer. Moreno never received a W-2 or 1099 form from Macsuga. ¶ 9 Moreno testified that on December 20, 1994, he and his roommate, Gary Taylor, a man with a similar arrangement with Macsuga, were in the process of disposing of tires from the Macsuga's property. The City of Tulsa requested that the tires be removed. Moreno testified that at the time of his injury he was removing a tire from a rim. This tire and rim did not fit on the tire machine, so he was attempting to remove it by hand. In attempting to remove the tire, the tire tool slipped and hit Moreno injuring his left eye. Later that night, Gary Taylor took Moreno to the emergency room where Moreno testified that he was in such pain that he did not remember anyone asking him any questions. He further testified that he was immediately escorted to an examination room when he reached the hospital. His eye was ultimately removed and Moreno now wears a glass eye. ¶ 10 Macsuga testified that prior to allowing Moreno to live in his house, Moreno told him had been living with some men involved in narcotics and he wanted to get out of that situation. Macsuga testified that he allowed Moreno to move into the house rent free and expected him to do no labor. He testified that there was no employment contract between them and that to his knowledge, Moreno never worked on any of his cars. He just allowed Moreno to live in the house rent free and even occasionally gave Moreno a few dollars. Macsuga also testified that Moreno mowed the lawn and did yard work around the house. Macsuga testified that he never filed a W-2 or 1099 for Moreno. ¶ 11 Macsuga testified that he also allowed Gary Taylor to live in the house. He said he let him live there for nothing, but let him run his upholstery business out of the shop. He testified that in return for allowing Gary to run his business out of his shop, Gary would do upholstery work on his cabs free of charge. Macsuga stated that living in the house was not part of the deal, he just let Gary live there for free, not expecting anything in exchange. ¶ 12 Macsuga testified that Moreno told him of his injury the day it occurred, but that Moreno gave conflicting stories about how his eye was injured. He testified that Moreno told him that some guy beat him up in a bar fight and then he told him that he had injured his eye working on Gary's tire. Macsuga testified that Moreno told him it was Gary's tire and wheel that Gary had discarded and that Moreno was trying to salvage the wheel. Macsuga testified that the wheel was not his. ¶ 13 Moreno testified that he never worked on Gary's car and that Gary did all such work himself. He further testified that the  tire was one of many around the shop and that he had no idea whose tire it was. He doubted if it was Gary's as Gary had previously sold his car. Moreno also testified that he never told Macsuga that he hurt his eye in a bar fight.