WPC wձ?^ :(qOuI̹ t[;Sθv^՝bd{ ,H 6 fψ7^3lx@sU֜0zOXe0B5rL0}ZЯR*nkJR T9Q6IÖT.*+&2We2%G-(vOF}GmVLyBbo[hHl:1*b#\ % ^ # 0/ UN w 4 z  i x mz UN   k 1 0DN;= 1EE 0c 1u1 72b 0 B 0 D3 D- 0K AS7 0P 0D A8HP LaserJet 4050 Series PCL 6,,,,0`z,s (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular9,:i+00 C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#$  0   (5hCEKQW]cioAutoList11.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.(;3$2#  0  .3  0  3#37=CIQYag1.a.i.(1)(a)(i)1)a)i)- -(|G2W$ !.8_dXXd8         0  XiX d(|3$ !.8_dXXd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3$ !.8_dXXd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8_dd8     __8iXXdd8@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @$ATNASHVILLE  @!May9,2002Session $ XiX_ #_XXi#  BAMBIKENNEDY,d/b/aKENNEDYMARKETINGSERVICESv.TITAN " SPECIALIZEDSERVICES,INC.XiX_   6 @  DirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtforRutherfordCounty  6 @ No.45124Hon.RobertE._Corlew_,Chancellor  " @*AV) ` dE<` A߈   @D D No.M200102696_COA_ԄR3CVFiledJune5,_2002_Ԁ   AV) ` dE<h` A i   OnappealfromSessionsCourt,theChancellorallowedasetoffontheindebtedness.Plaintiff P appeals,contendingdefendantfilednopleadingwhichwouldentitlehimtoasetoff.Weaffirm. < #_XXi\#XiX_  Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtAffirmed.  d HerschelPickensFranks#_Xi#XiX._,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichBenH._Cantrell_,#_Xi#XiX._J., <  XiXXXiand#XiXX Xi##_XXik#XiX_WalterC.Kurtz,Sp.J.,#_XXi#XiX_joined.#_XXiu#XiX_ ( G.KlinePreston,IV.,Nashville,Tennessee,forAppellant.  BradHornsby,Murfreesboro,Tennessee,forAppellee.  @66' OPINION #_XXi#XiX_Ԉ 8!   XiXXXi   ` PlaintifffiledtheactioninSessionsCourt,seekingunpaidfeesformarketing #L# services.TheSessionsCourtenteredJudgmentfortheplaintiffonJuly3,2001,forfeesowedin $8 $ theamountof$3817.68.OnJuly6,2001,defendantappealedthecasetoCircuitCourt. %$!% Ѐ   ` TherecordindicatesthattheCircuitCourtheardthematter,butthereisnotranscript '"' orstatementoftheevidenceintherecord.Theonlyinformationastowhatoccurredduringthe (#( hearingisaletterfromtheChancellortotheattorneysdatedSeptember11,2001,andtheExhibits )$) intherecord.TheletterstatesthattheCourthadpreviouslydeterminedthatplaintiffproved p*%* damages,exceptforsomeminorchargesregarding translationoflistbooktodiscandanescrow \+&+ account.Theletterthenstates: H,',  4-(- _0  0` (#(#TheissuethenfurtherarisesastowhethertheCourtshouldconsiderinthiscause  defensesthattheDefendantwasinfactrequiredtomakepaymenttothirdpartiesfor  advertisingserviceswhichhedidnotauthorizeanddidnotauthorizethePlaintiffto  authorize.TheevidenceisundisputedthattheDefendantinitiallyhiredthePlaintiff t toworkasamarketingagent.Theevidencefurtherisundisputedthataportionof ` theworkconductedbythePlaintiffsonbehalfoftheDefendantwasthepreparation L  ofadvertisementsandplacingofthoseadvertisementsintwopublicationsknownas 8   PowerQuality,and ElectricalContracting&EngineeringNews.Theevidence $ t isundisputedthattheDefendantauthorizedtwoPowerQualityadvertisements  ` althoughthePlaintiffauthorizedfoursuchadvertisements.Similarly,theproofis  L  undisputedthatthePlaintiffscontractedforpublicationofanadditional  8  advertisementinElectricalContracting&EngineeringNews.Theevidenceshows $  thatthepaymentoftheamountsinvolvedintheseadvertisementsexceedstheamount   forwhichtheplaintiffhassued. ` (#` (# 0  0` (#(#AtissuebeforeusisthequestionwhetherinanappealfromGeneralSessionsCourt   theCircuitCourtcanconsidertheamountsassertedasasetoffwithoutthefilingof p aspecificcountercomplaint.ItappearsthattheCourtshouldconsiderthoseother \ issuestotheextentthattheyareraisedasasetoff.Itisthereforethedutyofthe H Courttodismisstheaction.4` (#` (# 0  0` (#(#TheCircuitCourtthenenteredanOrderofDismissal,andthisAppealensued. \` (#` (#    ` Asnoted,notranscriptorstatementoftheevidencewasfiled,anddefendantfileda 4 MotiontoDismissonthegroundstherewasnotranscriptofevidencepresentedinthisCourt.By   OrderofthisCourtitwasruledthatappellantwasprecludedfromchallenginganyoftheCircuit   Courtsfindingsoffact,butappellantcouldchallengetheCourtslegalconclusions,andthusthe  motiontodismisswasdenied.     ` AppellantarguesthatitwasimproperfortheCircuitCourttoallowdefendantto l presentevidenceregardingmoneyithadpaidforadvertisingwhichplaintiffauthorizedwithout X  defendantsconsent,andforallowingthesesumstobesetoffagainstplaintiffsprovendamages. D! SinceallofthefactsasfoundbytheChancellorareconclusivelypresumedtobecorrect,theonly 0"  issuebeforethisCourtiswhetherthedefendantwasrequiredtofileawrittenpleadingseekingto #l! setofftheamountsasfoundbytheTrialJudge. $X"    ` InVinsonv.Mills,530S.W.2d761(Tenn.1975),theSupremeCourtwasfacedwith %0!$ theissueofwhetherthepartieshadtofilewrittenpleadingsinacaseappealedfromtheSessions &"% CourttoCircuitCourt.Itheldthatpartiesarenotrequiredtorepleadtheiractions,reissueprocess '#& ortakeanyotherretrospectivestep.Id.TheCourtrecognizedthatpleadingsinGeneralSessions (#' courtsareoral,andthatthepracticepriortotheenactmentoftheRuleswastoalloworalpleadings )$( inCircuitCourtuponappealfromGeneralSessions.TheCourtconcludedthattheenactmentofthe |*%) Ruleshadnotchangedthispleadingpractice,andtheRulesonlyappliedtotheextentthattheTrial h+&* Courtdirectedthemtobeappliedinagivencase.Id.       ` ThisrationalehasbeenfollowedbythisCourtincasesdealingwithGeneralSessions  appeals,andwehavealloweddefendantscounterclaimstobeassertedwherenowrittenpleadings t werefiled.SeeHendersonvilleWreckerServicev.Grubbs,1986WL13503(Tenn.Ct.App.Dec. ` 3,1986);Edlundv.DodgeCountry,Inc.,1987WL17872(Tenn.Ct.App.Oct.5,1987).Wehave L  recognizedandfollowedthedirectionofTenn.CodeAnn.1615729whendealingwithappeals 8  fromGeneralSessionsCourts: $ t 8   `     0  0` (#(# Nocivilcase,originatinginageneralsessionscourtandcarriedtoahigher  L  court,shallbedismissedbysuchcourtforanyinformalitywhatever,butshallbe  8  triedonitsmerits;andthecourtshallallowallamendmentsintheformofaction, $  thepartiesthereto,orthestatementofthecauseofaction,necessarytoreachthe   merits,uponsuchtermsasmaybedeemedjustandproper.Thetrialshallbede   novo,includingdamages. ` (#` (#      ` Accord:Warev.MeharryMedicalCollege,898S.W.2d181(Tenn.1995). p    ` Basedupontheforegoingauthority,weconcludetheCircuitCourtactedproperlyin H allowingcreditforsumspaidbydefendantinordertoprovide completeresolutionofalltheclaims 4 betweentheparties.Ware,p.184.TheTrialCourtdidnotrequirethepartiestohavewritten  p pleadings,andstatedthatitwouldconsiderthisissueasjustificationfornonpayment.Thisisin  \ accordwiththeforegoingauthorities,andweaffirmtheJudgmentoftheTrialCourt. H    ` AppelleeasksthatthisappealbedeclaredfrivolouspursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.   27-1-122.      ` Wecannotsaythisappealwassoobviouslydevoidofmeritorlackinginjusticiable  issuesthatitwouldwarrantsanctions.Accordingly,theappelleesrequestforattorneysfeesis  denied. l    ` TheJudgment#XiXX Xi ##_XXi #XiX_ԀoftheTrialCourtisaffirmedandthecauseremanded,withthecost D! oftheappealassessedtoappellant,BambiKennedy. 0"     `     h     _________________________ &"%    `     h     HerschelPickensFranks,J. '#&