WPC. # VU:a % 0(b w@4 ) L8  0J 0T 0^* 0h 0r 0|b 0 0d 1u 0di U* B) DC  AMc Bv~vC D3 0@I AO 0D D/ BHP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPT0nLL,rAZ"Arial RegularX($- - >D?@DABDCDDEFӀPD x 3|xPC:\OFFICE\WPWIN\TEMPLATE\STANDARD.WPT2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d!!!!7Border 1dd-"C << G !  #d#       YYY FILED XJune18,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk   dPtPtHH(FG(HH(d'hStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   h HD: Geneva  h HD: Geneva %%%%'dxd("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! .    ݛ        \RA'\\RA'\7XXdd7    ќ THOMASW.HUNTER,   )      ) Plaintiff/Appellant,   )      ) AppealNo.      ) 01A019701CV00024VS.      )      ) SumnerCircuit̜R#$"A1-j|<`  `@Rߛ      ) No.14826CJAMESR.ANDERSON,   )      ) Defendant/Appellee.  )@ COURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ MIDDLESECTIONATNASHVILLEAPPEALEDFROMTHECIRCUITCOURTOFSUMNERCOUNTYATGALLATIN,TENNESSEETHEHONORABLETHOMASGOODALL,JUDGEWILLIAMC.BARNES,JR.1314PublicSquarePostOfficeBox552Columbia,Tennessee38402 AttorneyforPlaintiff/AppellantC.L.ROGERSROGERS&MOORE119CourtSquareGallatin,Tennessee37066 AttorneyforDefendant/Appellee@ REVERSEDANDREMANDED       BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:TODD,P.J.,M.S.KOCH,J.  @  OPINION  X  Thetrialcourtgrantedthedefendantasummaryjudgmentonthebasisofaccordandsatisfaction.Onappeal,theplaintiffclaimedthattherehadbeennoaccordandsatisfactionbecausehedidnotagreetofinalizethesettlementhisattorneyworkedoutforhim.Wereversethetrialcourt,becausethereappeartobequestionsofmaterialfactastowhethertheattorneyhadtheauthoritytosettleonbehalfofhisclient,andifhedidnot,astowhethertheplaintiffhimselfacceptedthesettlementbeforechanginghismind.@ I.   ThomasW.HunterwasinjuredwhenhiscarwasstruckfrombehindbyacardrivenbyJamesR.Anderson.Mr.AndersonsinsurancecompanypaidMr.Huntersmedicalbillsandinitiatednegotiationstosettletheclaim.Mr.Huntersattorneyagreedtoa$2,500settlementonbehalfofhisclient,andtheinsurancecompanyexecutedacheckforthatamount.ThecheckandreleaseformwerepresentedtoMr.Hunter,butherefusedtosigntherelease,andhesubsequentlyfiledsuitagainstMr.Anderson.  Thedefendantanswered,claimingthattheplaintiffhadacceptedthesettlementoffer,thuscreatinganenforceablecontractdespitehissubsequentrefusaltoputhissignatureontheagreement.ThedefendantthenfiledaMotionforSummaryJudgment,askingthecourttodismisstheplaintiffsactiononthebasisoftheaffirmativedefenseofaccordandsatisfaction,orinthealternativetocompeltheplaintifftoreturnthemoney.Nosupportingaffidavitwasattachedtothemotion.  TheplaintiffsattorneyfiledaresponsetothemotiononMarch13,1996,towhichheattachedhisownaffidavit,whichreadsasfollows:     0   @  AFFIDAVIT 󀀀 AfterbeingdulyswornWilliamC.Barnes,Jr.disposes(sic)andstatesasfollows: 1. IamalicensedattorneyintheStateofTennessee. 2. Iamrepresentingtheplaintiffintheabovereference(sic)matter. 3. SettlementnegotiationswerecarriedonbetweenmyselfandtheDefendants. 4. TheDefendantspaidsevenhundredandtwentysixdollarsandtencents($726.10)towardsthemedicals(sic)priortoanynegotiations. 5. TheDefendantsforwardedanofferoftwothousandfivehundreddollars($2,500)insettlementofclaim.Saidofferwasrejectedandfundswerereturned. Furtheraffiantsaithnot.         Afterahearing,thetrialcourtgrantedthedefendantsmotion,holdingthathe isentitledtoajudgmentofdismissalasamatteroflawbaseduponaccordandsatisfactionorcontractofsettlement.Notranscriptwasmadeofthehearing,buttherecordincludesaStatementoftheEvidence,whichwasauthenticatedbythejudge.Itreadsinitsentirety: 0   0   @  STATEMENTOFEVIDENCE  PursuanttoT.R.A.P.24(d),thefollowingStatementoftheEvidenceisherebysubmittedbyAppellee: 1. AtthehearingonMarch22,1996forSummaryJudgment,CounselforPlaintifforallystatedtotheCourtthatPlaintiffhadacceptedthesettlementagreementbutthenrefusedtoendorsethecheckandreleasewhenpresented,statinghehadchangedhismind. 2. ThesettlementmonieshadnotbeenreturnedtotheDefendantasofMarch22,1996. TheforegoingiscertifiedasanaccurateaccountoftheproceedingsbeforethetrialcourtonMarch22,1996,inadditiontotherecord.       @ II.   Apartymovingforsummaryjudgmentcarriestheburdenofprovingthatnogenuineissueofmaterialfactexists.Inrulingonthemotion,thetrialcourtmustviewtheevidenceinthelightmostfavorabletotheopponentofthemotion,andmustdenythemotionif,whenviewedinthatlight,therecordrevealsanygenuineissueofmaterialfact.Taylorv.NashvilleBannerPublishingCo.,573S.W.2d476(Tenn.App.1978).Nopresumptionofcorrectnessattachesonappealtoatrialcourtsactioningrantingsummaryjudgment,becauseitinvolvesonlyquestionsoflaw.Gonzalesv.AlmanConstuctionCo.,857S.W.2d42(Tenn.App.1993);Robertsv.Roberts,845S.W.2d225(Tenn.App.1992).  Inthepresentcase,themovingpartyfailedtosubmitanyaffidavitstoindicatethatMr.Barneswasauthorizedtoacceptanofferonbehalfofhisclient.TheaffidavitofMr.Barnesimpliesthathisagencyextendedonlytocommunicatingtheoffertohisclient,nottosettlingonhisbehalf.ThisappearstoraiseanissueoffactthatwouldbematerialunlessitcouldbeconclusivelyshownthatMr.Hunterhimselfacceptedthedefendantsoffer.  TheStatementoftheEvidenceindicatesthatMr.Barnesadmittedthathisclientacceptedtheofferwhenitwasfirstpresentedtohim,butwenotethatMr.Barnesdidnotsignthestatement.Hispurportedadmissionalsoraisesthequestionastowhomanacceptancemustbecommunicatedinordertobindtheofferee.TheeditorsofAm.Jur.2dstatethat [m]utualassentwhichisessentialtotheformationofabindingcontractmustbemanifestedbyonepartytotheother.17AAm.Jur.2dContracts28(1991).  Therealsoappearstobeapossibledisputeastowhethertheplaintiffhadreturnedthecheckthatwasgiventohim.Mr.Barnessaffidavitstatesthat thefundswerereturned,whiletheStatementoftheEvidencereportedthat thesettlementmoneyshadnotbeenreturnedtotheDefendantasofMarch22,1996.ThereisnoindicationintheStatementoftheEvidenceastowhatevidencethecourtreliedupontoreachthatconclusion.  Itispossiblethatthedefendantcouldhaveproventhathewasentitledtoasummaryjudgmentifthefactshadbeenmorefullypresentedatthisearlystageoftheproceedings.Butweareunabletoaffirmthetrialcourtwheresomanydispositivequestionsappeartobeeitherdisputedorunaddressed.@ III.   WebelievethatthedefendantfailedtocarrytheburdenthatwasrequiredinorderforhimtoprevailonhisMotionforSummaryJudgment.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisreversed.RemandthiscausetotheCircuitCourtofSumnerCountyforfurtherproceedingsconsistentwiththisopinion.Taxthecostsonappealtotheappellee.      _____________________________      BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:_______________________________HENRYF.TODD,PRESIDINGJUDGEMIDDLESECTION_______________________________WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE X    @