Opinion ID: 450621
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Goodyear's Liability for Damage to the Building.

Text: 20 Because we hold that Goodyear was justified in terminating the lease, it is not liable for any damage to the building that occurred after September 30, 1980--the date of Goodyear's vacation of the premises and termination of the leased premises. We turn now to the question of liability for the damage that occurred before Goodyear terminated the lease--specifically, damages caused by the leaking roof and damages resulting from other causes, such as Goodyear's use, and the vandalism and neglect that occurred before the lease was terminated. The district court held that Goodyear was responsible for all damages occurring before Goodyear terminated the lease holding that the roof leak was caused by Goodyear's failure to clean the downspouts properly. Under the terms of the lease, Western Assets promised to keep the exterior of the premises, including the foundations and roof, in good condition and repair.... Goodyear promised to not commit any undue waste on the premises ... [and] at the termination of the lease, [to] surrender the premises to Western Assets in as substantially as good condition of repair as when received.... The word repair in a covenant to repair has been defined as restoration after decay, waste, injury or partial destruction.... Kaufman v. Shoe Corp. of America, 24 Ill.App.2d 431, 164 N.E.2d 617 (1960). [W]aste consists of the mere neglect or omission to do what will prevent injury, as to suffer a house to go to decay for want of repairs. Consolidated Coal Co. v. Savitz, 57 Ill.App. 659 (1894). At trial, the contractor who inspected and fixed the roof, Mr. Aiello, testified that the building had a bowl roof with parapet walls and was equipped with gutters, a drain, and downspouts that ran through the walls of the building. Aiello testified that he inspected the roof in either late 1979 or early 1980 at the request of the rental agent and found that leaves and wood debris had accumulated around the downspouts and prevented water from draining through them. Aiello explained that when water builds up on this type of roof, it seeps under the flashings. When the water freezes and thaws during the wintertime, the cycles of freezing and thawing buckle the flashings creating leaks. 21 The lease provided that Goodyear would not commit undue waste. Under Illinois law, waste means the failure to do what will prevent injury. Consolidated Coal Co., 57 Ill.App. at 659. The failure to clean debris from the roof and gutters caused the damage to the roof and the consequent water damage to the building because the debris clogged the drains and prevented the water from properly draining from the roof through the gutter and downspout system. We hold that under Illinois law Goodyear committed waste when it failed to clean the roof of debris and to keep the gutters and downspouts clean and clear so that water could properly drain. We further hold that its failure to clear the downspouts was the source of injury to the premises because the clogged downspouts caused the flashings to buckle and the roof to leak. Accordingly, we affirm the district court's decision to hold Goodyear liable for the damage to the roof and the consequent water damage to the interior of the building. 22 We turn now to the final issue--whether the premises were additionally damaged by other causes such as Goodyear's use and occupancy of the warehouse or by vandalism and neglect before Goodyear terminated its lease. At trial, Lt. Lewis testified that he inspected the premises on June 5, 1980 in the company of George McCormick, the Goodyear real estate representative. The Village sent the rental agent an inspection report listing 35 code violations including exposed electrical wiring; damaged walls, ceiling and floor tiles; broken and boarded up windows; a damaged truck door and stairway; and the failure to install a sprinkler system. At trial, McCormick agreed that the inspection report describe[d] the condition of the property on June 5, 1980. The rental agent forwarded the inspection report to Mr. Aiello who inspected the warehouse less than a month later. Aiello testified, the building was in pretty bad shape inside. It had been vandalized. When asked about the exposed electrical wire, Aiello stated that it looked as if machinery had been pulled away or disconnected and the wiring left hanging and exposed. 2 Finally, Aiello testified that he did not repair the building in 1980 but did extensive work on the building in 1981 after Goodyear vacated the premises. During the defendant's case, Mr. Joe Kubik, a Goodyear employee, testified that when Goodyear vacated the premises in September of 1980, the building was in as good a condition as it was when Goodyear moved in. However, on cross-examination, Kubik stated that he failed to notice or observe exposed electrical wiring, damage to the overhead door, or broken windows. The district court found that [t]he building ... was otherwise unattended and unoccupied, and during the winter, spring and summer of 1980, suffered damages as a result of vandalism and neglect ... [and was also] damaged by Goodyear's use and occupation of the premises. 23 Our inquiry into whether the district court's finding that the building had suffered damage in addition to the water damage consists of two parts. First, whether the building was damaged before Goodyear terminated its lease. Secondly, whether the damage was caused by sources other than the leaking roof. Initially we turn to the two inspection reports filed by Lt. Lewis. After deleting items on the reports that cannot be characterized as damages, such as improper fuses, and items which reflect ordinary wear and tear, such as masonry work, we note that the inspection report submitted by Lt. Lewis after the June 5, 1980 inspection includes several items that may be described as damage to the building, such as broken windows, doors, floor tiles and ceiling tiles. 3 These items did not appear in Lt. Lewis' February 14, 1977 inspection report issued when Goodyear initially occupied the warehouse. McCormick, the Goodyear real estate representative, confirmed that the inspection report accurately described the premises as of June 5, 1980. Aiello, who produced estimates submitted by subcontractors that bid on the repair work, testified that the building had been vandalized and was in pretty bad shape. To contradict this proof that the building had been damaged during Goodyear's occupancy, the defendant produced the testimony of Joe Kubick, a Goodyear employee, who said that when Goodyear vacated the building at the end of September of 1980, the building was in as good a condition as when Goodyear moved in. Furthermore, the defendant impeached Aiello with a former statement made during a pretrial deposition in which Aiello said, from the best I can remember, from the best I can understand your question, ... I am pretty sure at that time [summer of 1980] the only damage in the building was from the water and not from vandalism. After comparing the code violations listed by the fire inspector, a disinterested witness, in his February 14, 1977 report and the code violations listed in his June 5, 1980 report, we discovered that items that can be characterized as damages appeared on the June 5, 1980 report but did not appear on the February 14, 1977 report, thus leading to the conclusion that the building was damaged sometime between February 14, 1977 and June 5, 1980. We concur with the district court's finding that the building was damaged before Goodyear terminated its lease and turn now to the separate issue of whether the damage was caused by the leaking roof or by other causes. 24 Aiello testified that he inspected the premises when he repaired the roof and noted that the floor tiles, ceiling, walls, insulation, and boiler room ceiling were damaged by water leaking through the roof. After deleting the water damage and the code violations that cannot be characterized as damage to the building, such as improper fuses and masonry work, the only items left on the June 5, 1980 inspection report are broken windows, exposed electrical wiring, and a damaged overhead door. Aiello testified that the overhead door required new channels and new tracks as a result of being broken into. Aiello affirmed at trial that the exposed electrical wiring looked as if machinery had been pulled away or disconnected and the wiring left hanging and exposed. The defendant failed to present testimony to contradict Aiello's opinion that the wiring had been exposed because machinery had been pulled away or disconnected or that the overhead door had been damaged by persons breaking into the building. We conclude that the broken windows and door and the exposed wiring were not caused by the leaking roof but could have been caused by neglect on the part of Goodyear or by vandalism. Because the warehouse was damaged by vandalism or neglect during Goodyear's occupancy of the building, we concur with the district court's judgment that Goodyear is responsible for these damages. 25 The district court's judgment that Goodyear wrongfully terminated its lease and that Goodyear was responsible for damages to the building that occurred after October 1, 1980 is REVERSED. The decision of the district court that Goodyear is responsible for damage to the building occurring before October 1, 1980 is AFFIRMED. This case is REMANDED to the district court for a determination of the amount of damage done to the building before October 1, 1980. The cost of this action shall be borne by the plaintiff.