Court Opinion

ID: 9566265
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:35:42.362523+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:34:25.822410
License: Public Domain

Carley, Chief Judge,
dissenting.
I concur in the conclusions of the majority with the exception of Division 5. Because I believe that the trial court erred in denying appellant’s motion for summary judgment as to any and all claims arising under paragraph 3.03 (a) of the purchase agreement, I must dissent to the majority’s affirmance of that part of the judgment of the trial court.
As set forth in the majority opinion, paragraph 3.03 (a) warrants that appellants have “good and valid title to the Assets, free and clear of any lien, security interest, charge, or other encumbrance except for minor imperfections or non-monetary encumbrances which are of such a nature as do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially detract from the value of the Assets for the purposes used, or interfere with the present or continued use of the Assets.” (Emphasis supplied.) This is a standard warranty of title provision that relates to the appellants’ power and authority to convey good title to the property. The claims of appellee in this case are based upon alleged unlawful disposal of hazardous waste on the properties. Even assuming the truth of all of the allegations concerning the condition of the property as a result of appellants’ actions, such condition would not constitute impairment of the title, nor would it be considered a “lien, security interest, charge, or other encumbrance” against the property.
The only New York authority relied upon by appellee or the majority is P. B. N. Assoc. v. Xerox Corp., 529 NYS2d 877 (AD 2 Dept. 1988). In its attempt to strain and stretch P. B. N. Assoc, so as to support the denial of the motion for summary judgment in this case, the majority has had to acknowledge that “there are several noticeable differences between the case at bar” and that New York decision. I submit that the majority’s discussion of these “differences” shows without dispute that P. B. N. Assoc, is distinguishable and inapposite. First and foremost, the clause applicable in the case sub judice is clearly only a warranty of title provision. To the contrary, the provision involved in P. B. N. Assoc. constituted a warranty that the aggrieving party “had committed no act which would cause the [aggrieved party] or the premises to be ‘impeached, charged, claimed against, encumbered, burdened or suffer any loss or damage.’ ” (Emphasis supplied.) P. B. N. Assoc. v. Xerox Corp., supra, 879. The applicable clause in this case does not warrant that appellants have committed “no act” which would cause appellee to “suffer any loss or *473damage.” Also, as admitted by the majority, there has been no consent order or other document which could in any way affect the title to the property involved. The majority’s affirmance of the denial of the summary judgment in view of the “future nature of many of the remedies sought by the plaintiffs” is tenuous and speculative. Quite simply, the record in this case shows without doubt that appellee cannot prove that appellants breached the warranty of title clause of the agreement between the parties. Summary judgment should have been granted as to this issue and I respectfully dissent.
Decided June 25, 1990.
Rehearing denied July 18, 1990.
Long, Aldridge & Norman, J. Allen Maines, John L. Watkins, *474for appellants.
*473I am authorized to state that Judge Beasley joins in this dissent.