Court Opinion

ID: 9938121
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-09 19:02:35.308501+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:36:43.384465
License: Public Domain

I concur. I write specially to address Cobb's claims against Union Camp on the theory of respondeat superior. Cobb claims that Union Camp, as the principal, is liable for the torts of Evergreen as the agent. The torts are frauds that Cobb alleges Evergreen committed against him. Specifically, Cobb claims that Evergreen misrepresented to him that it would employ him for at least four years, that it would provide him at least 30,000 tons of Union Camp "fee wood" and an equal amount of high quality "outside wood" annually, and that it would not allow Union Camp to interfere with Evergreen's employment of Cobb. Union Camp could be vicariously liable for these alleged frauds by Evergreen only if Union Camp either controlled Evergreen in its contractual negotiations with Cobb or if Union Camp reserved the right to control these contractual negotiations, for such control or reserved right of control is an essential element of any agency relationship, with Union Camp as the principal and Evergreen as the agent, for the contractual negotiations between Evergreen and Cobb.
The record does not contain substantial evidence that Union Camp controlled Evergreen in its contractual negotiations with Cobb or that Union reserved the right to exercise such control. While the record does contain substantial evidence that Union Camp controlled Evergreen in the way Evergreen cut, cleaned, and loaded trees and left the land, this control would support an agency relationship only for the function of cutting, cleaning, and loading trees and leaving the land. The previous contractual negotiations between Evergreen and Cobb were outside the lineand scope of any agency status in Evergreen for cutting, cleaning, and loading trees and restoring the land.
Had Evergreen negligently broken Cobb's foot by backing a log truck over it in the course of cutting, cleaning, or loading some trees, the agency supported by the record before us would, in turn, support vicarious liability in Union Camp as the principal of Evergreen. The record before us, however, does not support vicarious liability in Union Camp for the torts of Evergreen in negotiating its contract with Cobb.