In Re: Adoption of Brian Dustin Copeland & Savannah Copeland Marie Graham & John Graham vs. Timothy Copeland & William L. Jenkins vs. Rule Construction, Inc.

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j IN T H E C O U R T O F A P P E A L S A T K N O X V IL L E FILED March 30, 2000 Cecil Crowson, Jr. Appellate Court Clerk W IL L IA M L . J E N K IN S ) ) ) ) v. ) ) R U L E C O N S T R U C T IO N , IN C O R P O R A T E D) ) D e fe n da n t-A p p e lle e ) KN OX C OU NTY E 1 9 9 9 -0 1 4 8 4 -C O A - R 3 - C V P la in tif f- A p p e lla n t H O N . S H A R O N BE L L, CHANCELLOR A F F IR M E D A N D R E M A N D E D L IN D A J . HA M IL T O N M O W L E S a n d R . L O Y W A L D R O P , J R ., O F K N O X V IL L E F O R APPELLANT M O N TY L . W A L T O N O F K N O X V IL L E F O R A P P E L L E E O P IN IO N G o d d a rd , P . J . T h is is a s u it b y P la in tiff W illia m L . J e n kin s s e e kin g da m a g e s a g a in s t D e f e n d a n t R u l e C o n s t ru c t io n , In c o rp o ra t e d , a s a re s u lt o f R u le C o n s t ru c t io n b u ild in g a h o u s e f o r M r . J e n k in s . T h e c o m p l a in t ra i s e s t h re e t h e o rie s - -b re a c h o f c o n tra c t , n e g lig e n c e , a n d m i s re p r e s e n t a t io n . R u le C o n s t ru c t io n f ile d a n a n s w e r a n d c o u n t e rc la i m s e e k in g $ 5 0 0 0 it c la i m s w a s s t ill o w e d in c o n n e c t io n w it h it s f e e f o r b u ild in g t h e re s id e n c e . T h e C h a n c e llo r f o u n d in f a v o r o f R u le C o n s t ru c t io n a s t o a ll t h e o rie s a n d a s t o a ll c la i m s o f M r. J e n k in s , e x c e p t o n e f o r $ 9 4 9 3 , c o n c e d e d b y R u le C o n s t ru c t io n t o b e o w e d . F ro m t h a t a m o u n t s h e d e d u c t e d th e s u m o f th e $ 5 0 0 0 s h e f o u n d w a s s t ill o w in g R u le C o n s t ru c t io n u n d e r t h e c o n tra c t a n d re n d e re d j u dg m e n t a g a i n s t R u le C o n s t ru c t io n in t h e a m o u n t o f $ 4 49 3 . M r . J e n k in s a c c e p t e d m a n y o f th e a d v e rs e ru lin g s b y t h e T r ia l C o u r t, b u t d o e s ra i s e t h re e is s u e s o n a p p e a l: 1. W h e t h e r t h e T ria l C o u r t s r u lin g t h a t th e P la i n tif f A p p e l la n t w a s n o t e n title d to re c ov e r o n h is e x ce s s b a s e m e n t c os t c la im is in c o n s i s t e n t w it h a n d u n s u p p o r te d b y t h e c le a r e v id e n c e o f b re a c h o f c o nt ra c t a n d m i s re p r e s e n t a t io n o n t he p a rt o f D e f e n d a n t A p p e l le e , m a n d a t in g , t h e re f o re , a re v e r s a l b y t h is H o n o ra b l e C o u rt . 2. W h e t h e r t h e T ria l C o u r t s r u lin g t h a t th e P la i n tif f A p p e l la n t w a s n o t e n t it le d t o re c o v e r o n h is s la b c o s t c la i m is a g a in s t t he p re p on de ra n ce o f th e e v id e nc e e s ta b lis h in g D e fe n da n t s n e g lig e n t w o r km a n s h i p a n d t h e re m e d i a l n a t u re o f t he c o n c re t e s la b i n s ta l le d in P la i n tif f s b a s e m e n t . 3. W h e t h e r t h e T ria l C o u r t e r re d i n ru lin g t h a t th e P la i n tif f A p p e l la n t w a s r e q u ire d t o p a y t h e D e f e n d a n t A p p e l le e s r e m a i n in g f e e c o n s id e r in g t h e e v id e n c e o f th e c o s t o v e rru n s a n d t h e re m e d i a l re p a ir e x p e n s e s n e c e s s i ta t e d b y t h e D e f e n d a n t A p p e l le e s n e g lig e n t a n d in a d e q u a t e w o r km a n s h i p. T h e C h a n c e llo r e n t e re d a d e t a ile d a n d c o m p re h e n s i v e m e m o ra n d u m o p in io n w i th w h i c h w e c o n c u r a n d a d o p t a s t h e o p i n io n o f th is C o u rt . S e e A p p e n d i x . B e fo re c on clu din g , w e w o uld po in t o ut th a t n otw ith s ta n din g th e fa c t M r. J e n k in s k n e w a b a s e m e n t w o u ld b e c o n s t ru c t e d ra t h e r th a n a c ra w l s p a c e a n d t h e f a c t t h a t th e h o u s e w o u ld e x c e e d t h e $ 4 2 5 ,0 0 0 o rig i n a lly e s t im a t e d , M r. J e n k in s p a id H a ro ld B orin g , R u le C o ns tru ctio n s s u pe rin te n de n t o n th e jo b, b on us e s to ta lin g be tw e e n $ 4 0 0 0 a n d $ 5 0 0 0 . T h e f irs t b o n u s w a s g iv e n in t h e s u m m e r o f 1 9 9 6 a n d t h e s e c o n d in D e c e m b e r o f t h e s a m e y e a r. T h e la s t p a y m e n t w a s l o n g a f t e r t h e b a s e m e n t h a d b e e n d u g a n d t h e e x p e n d i tu re s h a d f a r e x c e e d e d $ 4 2 5 , 0 0 0 . F o r t h e f ore g o in g r e a s o n s t h e ju d g m e n t o f t h e C h a n c e llo r is a f firm e d a n d t h e c a u s e re m a n d e d f o r c o lle c t io n o f th e j u dg m e n t a n d c o s t s b e lo w . C o s t s o f a p p e a l a re a d ju dg e d a g a in s t M r. J e n kin s a nd his s u re ty . 2 ___________________________ H o u s t o n M . G o d d a rd , P . J . CONC UR: ______________________________ H e rs c he l P . F ra n ks , J . ______________________________ D . M ic ha e l S w in e y , J . 3

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