Court Opinion

ID: 9598846
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:12:30.954994+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:26:27.977067
License: Public Domain

Justice Meyer
dissenting.
I dissent from the majority’s opinion determining that there is no statute of repose for fraudulent or willful or wanton negligence *449claims brought against manufacturers of products who also deliver the product to a plaintiff. I believe that N.C.G.S. § 1-50(6) governs such claims as brought by the plaintiff here. N.C.G.S. § 1-50(6) was specifically enacted to deal with claims against manufacturers. See Bernick v. Jurdan, 306 N.C. 435, 446-47, 293 S.E.2d 405, 412-13 (1982). The statute states:
No action for the recovery of damages for personal injury, death or damage to property based upon or arising out of any alleged defect or any failure in relation to a product shall be brought more than six years after the date of initial purchase for use or consumption.
N.C.G.S. § 1-50(6) (1983).
Since 1979, Chapter 99B and N.C.G.S. § 1-50(6) have applied to manufacturers of products. Tetterton v. Long Manufacturing Co., 314 N.C. 44, 50, 332 S.E.2d 67, 71 (1985). The action at issue here involves damages caused by a product manufactured by defendant. I believe that N.C.G.S. § 1-50(6) is a specific statute that addresses the claim at issue and as such should control questions regarding the statute of repose for such claims.
The majority concludes that N.C.G.S. § 1-50(5) applies because defendant here, in addition to being the manufacturer, allegedly delivered the defective goods to the plaintiff, thus becoming a materialman and subject to N.C.G.S. § 1-50(5) under the language of N.C.G.S. § l-50(5)(a)(9), which states that actions may be taken “against any person furnishing materials.” N.C.G.S. § l-50(5)(a)(9) (1983). I believe that there is no reason to distinguish between a manufacturer of defective goods who does not deliver the defective goods and a manufacturer of defective goods who does deliver the defective goods. The evidence here is that the alleged willful or wanton negligence of the manufacturer occurred when the product was manufactured. There is absolutely no evidence that defendant’s transportation and delivery of the defective product materials to the work site was in any way fraudulent or willfully or wantonly negligent. As I see no reason to distinguish between two manufacturers (one who only manufactured and one who manufactured and delivered), both of whose negligence occurred only in the manufacture of the goods, I believe that the correct statute to apply in determining the statute of repose is the statute that more specifically addresses this particular situation, N.C.G.S. § 1-50(6).
*450Where one of two statutes might apply to the same situation, the statute which deals more directly and specifically with the situation controls over the statute of more general applicability. “When two statutes apparently overlap, it is well established that the statute special and particular shall control over the statute general in nature, even if the general statute is more recent, unless it clearly appears that the legislature intended the general statute to control.” Seders v. Powell, 298 N.C. 453, 459, 259 S.E.2d 544, 549 (1979).
Trustees of Rowan Tech. v. Hammond Assoc., 313 N.C. 230, 238, 328 S.E.2d 274, 279 (1985) (citations omitted).
Assuming arguendo, however, that N.C.G.S. § 1-50(6) is inapplicable, I believe that claims of willful or wanton negligence or fraud in all events are barred by the ten-year statute of repose in N.C.G.S. § 1-52(16). Although N.C.G.S. § l-50(5)(g) provides that “[t]he limitation prescribed by this subdivision shall apply to the exclusion of . . . G.S. 1-52(16)” (emphasis added), I conclude that there is no specific limitation prescribed by N.C.G.S. § 1-50(5) with regard to claims of fraud or willful or wanton negligence. See Forsyth Memorial Hospital v. Armstrong World Industries, 107 N.C. App. 110, 113, 418 S.E.2d 529, 531 (1992) (limitations as set forth in N.C.G.S. § 1-50(5) do not apply to allegations of willful or wanton negligence). N.C.G.S. § l-50(5)(e) specifically states that the six-year limitation prescribed by this subdivision “shall not be asserted as a defense by any person who shall have been guilty of fraud, or willful or wanton negligence in furnishing materials.” As N.C.G.S’. § 1-50(5) does not provide a limitation for claims of fraud or willful or wanton negligence, I would find that these claims are not otherwise provided for by statute and therefore are governed by N.C.G.S. § 1-52(16), which provides that
[u]nless otherwise provided by statute, for personal injury or physical damage to claimant’s property, the cause of action . . . shall not accrue until bodily harm to the claimant or physical damage to his property becomes apparent or ought reasonably to have become apparent to the claimant, whichever event first occurs. Provided that no cause of action shall accrue more than 10 years from the last act or omission of the defendant giving rise to the cause of action.
*451N.C.G.S. § 1-52(16) (1983). The claims now before the Court were brought more than ten years after the last act of defendant and thus are barred by the statute of repose.
The majority’s opinion will indefinitely extend liability for manufacturers who deliver their own goods. “Such a result would certainly defeat the intent of the legislature to limit the manufacturer’s liability at some definite point in time.” Tetterton, 314 N.C. at 56, 332 S.E.2d at 74. I simply cannot believe that the legislature intended that there be no statute of repose whatsoever for such claims as are now before the Court.
I would affirm the Court of Appeals, finding that the plaintiff’s claim was barred either by N.C.G.S. § 1-50(6), the six-year statute of repose, or in all events by N.C.G.S. § 1-52(16), the ten-year statute of repose.