Opinion ID: 1702344
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Claims Against Cook's

Text: The issue in the Dickinsons' action against Cook's is whether, viewing the record in a light most favorable to the Dickinsons, we would conclude that the trial court properly entered a summary judgment in favor of Cook's as to all of the Dickinsons' claims. We hold that the summary judgment for Cook's was proper. The Dickinsons' first claim against Cook's alleges breach of contract. Specifically, the Dickinsons claim that Cook's breached its contract with them by failing to pretreat their home in 1993, failing to properly inspect their home during its annual inspections, failing to apply proper treatment pursuant to the contract between the Dickinsons and Cook's (the termite contract), failing to inform them of termite activity, and failing to repair termite damage to their house. The Dickinsons have conceded that their claim against Cook's for breach of the 1993 pretreatment contract is barred by the statute of limitations. The trial court entered a summary judgment as to all of the Dickinsons' claims against Cook's because it held that the statutory limitations period had run as to each claim. While we affirm the trial court's summary judgment, we do so on different grounds; therefore, it is not necessary to address the statute-of-limitations issue. This Court can affirm a trial court's judgment for any reason, even one not considered by the trial court. Laidlaw Transit, Inc. v. Alabama Educ. Ass'n, 769 So.2d 872, 873 (Ala.2000). The damage the Dickinsons allege in their complaint they suffered as a result of the actions of Cook's is limited to termite damage in the area in the rear of their house where the rotten belowground wooden wall was located. It is undisputed that the termite contract did not require Cook's to inspect or treat certain areas of the Dickinsons' house, including areas where: a. Wood members of the building are in direct contact with the ground. b. Wood material in the building is below outside finished ground level. c. A moisture problem exists which permits termites to survive without returning to the ground. When interpreting a contract, this Court will reconcile and enforce all of its terms and will not ignore or disregard any term so long as doing so is not patently unreasonable. Yu v. Stephens, 591 So.2d 858 (Ala.1991). The evidence presented in this action established that at least two of the above exclusions to the termite contract were applicable to the area where the termite damage was allegedly discovered. Specifically, that area was an area where the wood was in direct contact with the ground and was below the outside finished ground level. Because the damage the Dickinsons sustained clearly fell within at least two of the exclusions listed in the termite contract, Cook's had no duty to inspect or treat the area or to repair the termite damage, and its failure to do so was not a breach of contract. Therefore, summary judgment was proper as to the Dickinsons' claim that Cook's breached the termite contract. The Dickinsons also argue that Cook's breached their contract by failing to notify the Dickinsons that it had discovered termites on the premises. There is no evidence to support this allegation. It is undisputed that neither Cook's nor anyone else discovered termites until the house was partially demolished in 2000, at which point Cook's promptly notified the Dickinsons of the termite infestation. Therefore, summary judgment was proper as to the Dickinsons' claim of breach of contract based on Cook's alleged failure to notify them of the termite infestation at their house. The trial court also properly entered a summary judgment as to the Dickinsons' fraud claim against Cook's. There can be no fraud without a breach of a legal duty owed by the defendant to the plaintiff. George v. Federal Land Bank of Jackson, 501 So.2d 432, 435 (Ala.1986). As noted earlier, the termite damage to the Dickinsons' house was in areas that Cook's clearly had no duty to inspect, treat, or repair under the termite contract. Therefore, the Dickinsons' fraud claim against Cook's is without merit and a summary judgment as to that claim was proper. Finally, the Dickinsons allege that Cook's was negligent in inspecting their property and in failing to inform them of termite damage, and that Cook's was negligent per se for failing to follow Ala.Code 1975, § 2-28-9. The trial court properly entered a summary judgment for Cook's as to these negligence claims. `The existence of a duty to the plaintiff is fundamental to a negligence claim.' Patrick v. Union State Bank, 681 So.2d 1364, 1367 (Ala.1996) (quoting Graveman v. Wind Drift Owners' Ass'n, Inc., 607 So.2d 199, 203 (Ala.1992)). As stated earlier, Cook's had no duty under the termite contract to inspect, treat, or repair the areas where the termite damage was discovered. Therefore, the trial court properly entered a summary judgment for Cook's as to the Dickinsons' negligence claims. The Dickinsons' claim that Cook's was negligent per se for violating Ala.Code 1975, § 2-28-9 is also without merit. To establish negligence per se, a plaintiff must prove: (1) that the statute the defendant is charged with violating was enacted to protect a class of persons to which the plaintiff belonged; (2) that the plaintiff's injury was the kind of injury contemplated by the statute; (3) that the defendant violated the statute; and (4) that the defendant's violation of the statute proximately caused the plaintiff's injury. Elder v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., 479 So.2d 1243, 1248 (Ala.1985). Alabama Code 1975, § 2-28-9, requires persons engaged in termite eradication and control to make annual reports to the owner of the building where the termite-control work is being performed indicating whether there has been an infestation of termites. [3] The Dickinsons' own testimony made clear that Cook's sent the Dickinsons reports of the annual inspections it performed on the Dickinsons' house. Therefore, the trial court's summary judgment for Cook's on the Dickinsons' claim of negligence per se was proper.