Opinion ID: 1694824
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Claims Against Alabama Power

Text: The following facts are undisputed: Alabama Power did not construct, inspect, or make repairs to the McGinnis home; Alabama Power had no duty to construct, inspect, or make repairs to the McGinnis home; Alabama Power was never made aware of any electrical problems in the McGinnis home; and Alabama Power's only action regarding the home was to connect electrical power to it in 1991. In Chambers v. Buettner, 295 Ala. 8, 11, 321 So.2d 650, 652 (1975), this Court stated: The duty of a supplier of electricity to premises wholly owned and controlled by the recipient of service is well settled. A supplier who merely furnishes electricity is not responsible for defects in the system to which electricity is supplied. It is under no duty to inspect the system to which electricity is supplied. The duty of the supplier ends when the connection is properly made, when the supplier has no control over the premises, and the supplier is without actual knowledge of any defective or dangerous condition. Thus, we see no basis for liability on the part of Alabama Power for negligent or wanton construction, inspection, or repair. The McGinnises also claim Alabama Power should be held liable for the fire and death because, they say, Alabama Power violated a Shelby County building ordinance [2] when it connected electric-utility service to the McGinnis house in 1991; at that time a final inspection of the electrical system had not been conducted by the Shelby County building inspectors. [3] The McGinnises say that this action on the part of Alabama Power constituted negligence. Houses built in the Harpersville city limits are not subject to the Shelby County building ordinance. Alabama Power argues that it was unaware that the McGinnis house was subject to the ordinance. Alabama Power maintains that it relies upon its customers to tell it where their residences are located and that all information provided to Alabama Power concerning this residence stated that it was in Harpersville. Cornelius McGinnis filed an affidavit stating that this house was located outside the Harpersville city limits, but the affidavit does not state that the McGinnises made Alabama Power aware of this fact. Alabama Power also argues that the McGinnises failed to produce substantial evidence indicating that Alabama Power's act of connecting electrical power to the McGinnis home in 1991 was a proximate cause of the fire and the resulting death of their daughter in 1996. Evidence supporting nothing more than speculation, conjecture, or a guess does not rise to the level of substantial evidence. Brushwitz v. Ezell, 757 So.2d 423, 432 (Ala.2000). Alabama Power points out that the McGinnises are supporting their claim by applying an inference upon an inference(1) that defectively or improperly installed wiring caused the fire, (2) that this defective condition was discoverable, (3) that the discoverable defect would, in fact, have been discovered by the Shelby County building inspectors, [4] and (4) that the Shelby County building inspectors would have required that the defect be corrected before they approved the home for electrical service. We agree that the McGinnises failed to produce substantial evidence indicating that Alabama Power's act of connecting power to the McGinnis home in 1991 was a proximate cause of the fire and resulting death of their daughter in 1996. Brushwitz, 757 So.2d at 432. The trial court correctly entered the summary judgment in favor of Alabama Power. That summary judgment is affirmed.