Opinion ID: 2358919
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Summary Judgment/Denial of Jury Trial

Text: Wal-Mart contends that the trial court erred in denying its request for a jury trial on the issue of past percentage rent based upon Medco's gross receipts. The Court of Appeals held that Wal-Mart's request for a jury trial in its response to BVT's amended complaint was properly denied because BVT did not raise any new factual issues in its amended complaint. We agree. Our review of a trial court's award of summary judgment is de novo, the trial court's decision being purely a question of law. See Sullivan v. Baptist Mem'l Hosp., 995 S.W.2d 569, 571 (Tenn.1999). Rule 38.02 allows any party to demand a jury trial in any Rule 7.01 pleading [1] or by written demand filed within fifteen days of service of the final pleading raising an issue of fact. Tenn. R. Civ. P. 38.02. In interpreting Rule 38.02, the Court of Appeals has stated, It is now well settled that where the amendment creates new jury issues, a party upon timely demand therefor is entitled to a jury trial, if the amended pleading sets forth new factual issues and not merely a different legal theory. Trimble v. Sonitrol of Memphis, Inc., 723 S.W.2d 633, 640 (Tenn.Ct.App.1986) (quoting 5 Moore's Federal Practice, § 38.41, p. 38-366). Wal-Mart contends that the amended pleadings contained a new question of fact as to the parties' intended meaning of gross receipts, making summary judgment on this issue improper. We disagree. A determination of the parties' intent in a written contract is a question of law resolved by examining the four corners of the contract and the circumstances at the time of contracting. See Realty Shop, Inc. v. RR Westminster Holding, Inc., 7 S.W.3d 581, 597 (Tenn.Ct.App.1999); Gredig v. Tenn. Farmers Mut. Ins. Co., 891 S.W.2d 909, 912 (Tenn.Ct.App.1994). After the trial court determined that Medco's receipts were included in the contract's definition of gross receipts, the remaining issue was purely a mathematical determination of the amount owed. Because there were no material issues of fact, summary judgment was appropriate.