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(#$  0  ($$   1  ((' dxdP Pd'dxd<  9p`(&Times New Roman% Line 7 d....7Border 1dd!/C << G<  9p`(Arial J !  #d#-      ""  11   YYY FILED1XApril8,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk    !  #d#-       $       Rule10(CourtofAppeals).MemorandumOpinion.(b)TheCourt,withtheconcurrenceofalljudgesparticipatinginthecase,mayaffirm,reverseormodifytheactionsofthetrialcourtbymemorandumopinionwhenaformalopinionwouldhavenoprecedentialvalue.Whenacaseisdecidedbymemorandumopinionitshallbedesignated"MEMORANDUMOPINION,"shallnotbepublished,andshallnotbecitedorreliedonforanyreasoninasubsequentunrelatedcase.-PtPtHH(EG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! . -         \RA'\7XXdd7    ӛ @ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ WESTERNSECTIONATNASHVILLE  ______________________________________________ KERRYGARLAND,     FROMTHEMAURYCOUNTY       CIRCUITCOURT,Nos.7563,7564 PlaintiffAppellee,    THEHONORABLEWILLIAMB.       CAIN,JUDGEVs.       C.A.No.01A019710CV00570 JIMBONNER,Individuallyand  d/b/aEZAAQUAGLASSPOOLS,   AFFIRMED  DefendantAppellant.    C.TimTisherofColumbia       ForAppellees KENHOPKINSandwife,PAMHOPKINS,        WilliamC.BarnesofColumbia PlaintiffsAppellees,   ForAppellant!ٜR02/A1-j|`  0 `@RߛVs. JIMBONNER,Individuallyandd/b/aEZAAQUAGLASSPOOLS,  DefendantAppellant.    ____________________________________________________________________________7XXdXXd7@ MEMORANDUMOPINION 3   ___________________________________________________________________________ CRAWFORD,J. 7XXdXXd7 Thisisanappealoftwocasesconsolidatedfortrial.BothcasesoriginatedintheGeneralSessionsCourtofMauryCounty,Tennesseeandarestyledasfollows:   KenHopkinsandwifePamHopkins,   Plaintiffs,   vs.   JimBonner,Individuallyandd/b/a   EZAAquaglassPools,   Defendant.   ___________________________________      KerryGarland,   Plaintiff,   vs.   JimBonner,individuallyandd/b/a   EZAAquaglassPools,   Defendant.    ќ̛ ThePlaintiffshavesuedtheDefendantfordamagesarisingfromtheallegedbreachofcontractsfortheconstructionofswimmingpoolsontherespectivePlaintiffsproperty.AfterajudgmentforeachsetofPlaintiffsintheamountof$10,000.00wasenteredingeneralsessionscourt,DefendantJimBonner(Bonner)appealedforatrial denovo incircuitcourt.Thecaseswereconsolidatedfortrialinthecircuitcourt,andattheconclusionofanevidentiaryhearing,thetrialcourtenteredjudgmentforeachsetofPlaintiffsagainstBonnerintheamountof$10,000.00.Bonnerhasappealed,andthesoleissueforreviewassetoutinhisbriefis:8 8 WhetherthecourterredinoverrulingthemotiontodismissbasedonthecorporatestatusofEZAAquaglasspools,Inc. Thereisnotranscript,andthestatementoftheevidenceleavesmuchtobedesired.TherecordindicatesthattheGarlandcontractwassignedNovember25,1992,andtheHopkinscontractwassignedFebruary5,1993.Bothcontractsaresignedbythedefendant,JimBonner,as seller,withoutanyindicationthattherewasasigninginarepresentativecapacity.BonnertestifiedthathewaspresidentofanAlabamacorporationbythenameofEZAAquaglassPools,Inc.,andsubmittedcopiesofincometaxreturnsfortheyears1990through1994.HealsoprofferedabusinesslicenseandtaxreceiptfortheCityofColumbusfor1994andDecember,1993,andsalestaxcertificateofregistrationfromtheTennesseeDepartmentofRevenueeffectiveJuneof1992.HeadmitsthatEZAAquaglassPools,Inc.,wasneverregisteredandqualifiedtodobusinessintheStateofTennessee,andhistestimonywastheonlyproofthatthecorporationwasingoodstandingintheStateofAlabamaatthetimethecontractsweremade.Bonnerstatedthatthecontractsweremadewiththecorporation.PlaintiffstestifiedthattheyenteredintothecontractswithBonnerindividually,andthereisnoclearindicationthattheyweredealingwithanyentityotherthanBonner. BonnerassertsthatbyvirtueofT.C.A.4825102(f)(1995)hecannotbeheldpersonallyliable.Theprovisionrelieduponstatesthat thefailureofaforeigncorporationtoobtainacertificateofauthoritydoesnotimpairthevalidityofitscorporateactsorpreventitfromdefendinganyproceedinginthisstate. Id .WebelieveBonnersrelianceonthisstatuteismisplaced.ThesuitsinthisappealaresuitsagainstBonnerindividuallyandarenotsuitsagainstacorporation.TherealquestioninvolvedinthisappealiswhetherBonnerisliableasanindividualbaseduponthecontractsinquestion. Aspreviouslyindicated,thesignatoryclausesofbothcontractssimplydesignateBonnerasaseller.Bonnerssignatureisnotaccompaniedbyanylanguageindicatinghewasactinginarepresentativecapacityofacorporationorofanyotherentity.Whenacorporatefiduciaryssignatureisprecededbythecorporationsnameandlanguagedenotingtherepresentativecapacityofthefiduciary,onlythecorporationisbound. BillWalker&Assoc.,Inc.v.Parrish ,770S.W.2d764,770(Tenn.App.1989).Generally,ifapartyfailstodesignateinthecontractthatthepartyissigningthecontractinarepresentativecapacity,thepartyispersonallyliableforthetermsofthecontract. Seeid. ; Andersonv.Davis ,234S.W.2d368,36970(Tenn.1950); DominionBankofMiddleTenn.v.Crane ,843S.W.2d14,1819(Tenn.App.1992); NorthRiverPartners,Inc.v.Winston ,No.03A019409CV00323,1995WL59999,*56(Tenn.App.Feb.14,1995); seealso 18BAm.Jur.2dCorporations183940(1985). Inadditiontoconsideringthedocumentaryevidence,thetrialcourtheardtestimonyregardingtheidentityofthepartiestothecontract. SeeInternationalHouseofTalent,Inc.v.Alabama ,712S.W.2d78(Tenn.1986).ThePlaintiffstestifiedthattheydealtwithBonnerasanindividualwhenhesignedthecontract.Bonner,ofcourse,testifiedtothecontrary,statingthathewascontractingonbehalfofthecorporation. Whentheresolutionoftheissuesinthecasedependsuponthetruthfulnessofwitnesses,thetrialjudgewhohastheopportunitytoobservethewitnessesandtheirmanneranddemeanorwhiletestifyingisinafarbetterpositionthanthiscourttodecidethoseissues. Maysv.BrightonBank ,832S.W.2d347,35152(Tenn.App.1992).Theweight,faith,andcredittobegiventoanywitnessstestimonyliesinthefirstinstancewiththetrieroffact,andthecredibilityaccordedwillbegivengreatweightbytheappellatecourt. Whitakerv.Whitaker ,957S.W.2d834,837(Tenn.App.1997). Sincethiscasewastriedbythetrialcourtsittingwithoutajury,wereviewthecase denovo upontherecordwithapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffactbythetrialcourt.Unlesstheevidencepreponderatesagainstthefindings,wemustaffirm,absenterroroflaw.T.R.A.P.13(d).Althoughthetrialcourtmadenospecificfindingsoffact,itisimplicitfromthetrialcourtsjudgmentagainstBonnerpersonallythathefoundBonnertohavecommittedhimselfcontractuallyasanindividual. Fromourreviewoftheoralproofandthecontractualexhibitsintherecord,wedonotfindthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourtsfindingsthatBonnermadethecontractsinanindividualcapacity.Accordingly,thejudgmentsofthetrialcourtforPlaintiffs,GarlandandHopkins,areaffirmed.Thecaseisremandedtothetrialcourtforsuchfurtherproceedingsasmaybenecessary.CostsofappealareassessedagainsttheDefendant.       _________________________________       W.FRANKCRAWFORD,       PRESIDINGJUDGE,W.S. CONCUR:____________________________________ALANE.HIGHERS,JUDGE ____________________________________ DAVIDR.FARMER,JUDGE