Debra White v. Robin Merritt, Judy Merritt, and Bill Sharp ( 1995 )

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE EASTERN SECTI ON FILED December 6, 1995 Cecil Crowson, Jr. Appellate C ourt Clerk DEBRA W TE HI ) KNOX COUNTY ) 03A01- 9505- CV- 00165 Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l a nt ) ) ) v. ) HON. W HEELER ROSENBALM, ) J UDGE ) ROBI N M ERRI TT, J UDY MERRI TT, ) a n d BI LL SHARP ) ) De f e nda nt s - Appe l l e e s ) AFFI RMED AND REMANDED DENNI S B. FRANCI S OF KNOXVI LLE FOR APPELLANT TERRY L. ADKI NS OF KNOXVI LLE FOR APPELLEE BI LL SHARP O P I N I O N Godda r d, P. J . Pur s ua nt t o Rul e 54 of t he Te nne s s e e Rul e s of Appe l l a t e Pr o c e du r e , t he Pl a i nt i f f , De br a W t e , a ppe a l s a n or de r of hi s u mma r y j udgme nt e nt e r e d i n f a vor of t he De f e nda nt , Bi l l Sha r p. M . W i t e s ought da ma ge s s he s uf f e r e d a s a r e s ul t of a dog bi t e . s h Th e s u i t wa s br ought a ga i ns t M . Sha r p, t he owne r of t he pr e mi s e s r wh e r e t he dog wa s ke pt , a nd hi s t e na nt s , Robi n M r r i t t a nd J ud y e M r r i t t , t he owne r s of t he dog. e A vol unt a r y non- s ui t wa s t a ke n a s t o M . M r r i t t a nd a de f a ul t j udgme nt wa s e nt e r e d a ga i ns t M s . r e r Mrritt. e M . Sha r p ma de a mot i on f or s umma r y j udgme nt whi c h wa s r gr a nt e d. Our r e vi e w of t he r e c or d pe r s ua de s us t hi s i s a n 1 a p p r o p r i a t e c a s e f or a f f i r ma nc e unde r Rul e 10( a ) of t hi s Cour t . The Tr i a l Cour t i s a c c or di ngl y a f f i r me d a nd t he c a us e r e ma n d e d f or c ol l e c t i on of c os t s be l ow. Cos t s of a ppe a l a r e a d j u d g e d a ga i ns t t he Pl a i nt i f f a nd he r s ur e t y. _______________________________ Hous t on M Godda r d, P. J . . CONCUR: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________________________ He r s c he l P. Fr a nks , J . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________________________ Cl i f f or d E. Sa nde r s , Sr . J . 1 Ru l e 1 0 . ( a) Af f i r ma n c e W t h o u t Op i n i o n . i Th e Co u r t , wi t h t h e c o n c u r r e n c e o f a l l j u d g e s p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n t h e c a s e , ma y a f f i r m t he ac t i on of t h e t r i a l c o u r t b y o r d e r wi t h o u t r e n d e r i n g a f o r ma l o p i n i o n wh e n a n o p i n i o n wo u l d h a v e n o p r e c e d e n t i a l v a l u e a n d o n e o r mo r e o f t h e f o l l o wi n g c i r c u ms t a n c e s e x i s t a n d a r e d i s p o s i t i v e o f t h e a p p e a l : ( 1) t h e Co u r t c o n c u r s i n t h e f a c t s a s f o u n d o r a s f ound by ne c e s s a r y i mp l i c a t i o n b y t h e t r i a l c o u r t . ( 2) t h e r e i s ma t e r i a l evi de nc e t o s uppor t t he ver di c t of t he j ur y. ( 3) no r e ve r s i bl e e r r or of l a w a ppe a r s . S u c h c a s e s ma y b e a f f i r me d a s f o l l o ws : " Af f i r me d i n a c c o r d a n c e wi t h Co u r t o f Ap p e a l s Ru l e 1 0 ( a ) . " 2 3