Opinion ID: 770420
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The cross-appeal--statute of limitations

Text: 52 Finally, the county defendants argue that Mary Nave's claims are barred by the statute of limitations. In Tennessee, the statute of limitations for actions pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 is one year. See, e.g., Jackson v. United States, 24 F. Supp. 2d 823, 829 (W.D. Tenn. 1998). Under Tennessee law, the limitations period begins to run when the plaintiff knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care and diligence should know, that an injury has been sustained. Wyatt v. A-Best, Co., 910 S.W.2d 851, 854 (Tenn. 1995). Tennessee law also recognizes the doctrine of equitable estoppel. See Sparks v. Metropolitan Gov't of Nashville & Davidson County, 771 S.W.2d 430, 433 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1989). Under that doctrine, a defendant may be equitably barred from relying on the statute of limitations defense if the defendant has caused the plaintiff to reasonably believe that the defendant is going to pay a claim or otherwise satisfy the [plaintiff's] claims, and in reliance the plaintiff fails to file his complaint within the limitations period. Id. at 433. 53 On August 4, 1995, counsel for Carter County informed Kathy Montgomery that not only was Carter County going to correct the problem administratively, but that it had already done so by removing Queen Nave Road from the list of county roads. By letter dated October 16, 1995, counsel for Carter County advised the postmaster that Carter County had changed its position and was now of the opinion that the Naves' driveway was a county road after all. The letter contains a notation that a copy was being sent to Kathy Montgomery. There is, however, no evidence of record regarding when (or even whether) this copy was received. The complaint in this case was filed on October 16, 1996, which is exactly one year from the date of the letter by Carter County's counsel to the postmaster. 54 In its briefs, the county defendants fail to discuss the doctrine of equitable estoppel or the relevance, if any, of Carter County's assurances to Kathy Montgomery in 1995 that the county road list had been administratively corrected. In the absence of any such argument, we agree with the district court that the extent to which the county defendants may rely on the statute of limitations defense cannot conclusively be determined from the record in its present state. The county defendants are therefore not entitled to summary judgment on the basis of the statute of limitations.