WPCD  # VUNa % 0(w@4 1 1m@ 0d   U: BS  0J 0T 0^; 0h 0r 0|s 0 0u 1uU,z 0d B U,'U>SU* D3B)DC 0@Z AMfv~Pv 0 00 0 0Z 0 0 0 AO 0D D/ B' HP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPT0 (9 Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($ ggӀz!x3|x tuvwxyz#,37=CIQYag1.a.i.(1)(a)(i)1)a)(<1$26.  0  3  0  `"Arial RegularC:\WPWIN60\TEMPLATE\STANDARD.WPT2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)<  9p`(ModernP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X d<  9p`(Monaco<  9p`(&Times New Roman<  9p`(Arial%%%%'dxd% Line 7 d++++7Border 1dd("$    -,C << G !(  ))   YYY FILED)X September13,1996CecilCrowson,Jr.)AppellateCourtClerk  \\RA'\PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA Op Monaco  BA Op Monaco (gfi$0  2(6.  0  .  0  3  0` (#(#(b$0  0` (#(#2A   .3  0 ` (#` (#(xr$0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#2A(  0  )3  0 (# (#(U$0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#0 (# (#2A(  a  )3  0h(#(#(@$0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#0 (# (#0h(#(#2A(   )3  0h(#h(#(t$0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#0 (# (#0h(#(#0h(#h(#2A  0  )3  0(#(#($0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#0 (# (#0h(#(#0h(#h(#0(#(#2A  a  )3  0p(#(#-C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . &''Xd&#''Xd#(  \RA'\  )\RA'\7 ] XXdd7ћ@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ WESTERNSECTIONATJACKSONTHERRELLPRESSGROVEand  )UNITEDINSURANCESERVICE,INC., )      )      )  Plaintiff/Appellee,  )ShelbyChanceryNo.1042313R.D.      )VS.      )AppealNo.02A019507CH00154̜L./,;+'h|% `  `Lߛ      )FRANKBURNSand   )ELIZABETHBURNS,   )      )  Defendants/Appellants. ) @ APPEALFROMTHECHANCERYCOURTOFSHELBYCOUNTY@ ATMEMPHIS,TENNESSEE@ THEHONORABLED.J.ALISSANDRATOS,CHANCELLOR̛̜ STEPHENR.LEFFLER Memphis,TennesseeAttorneyforAppellants LEWISK.GARRISON Memphis,TennesseeAttorneyforAppellee̛̜ AFFIRMED̛̜          ALANE.HIGHERS,J.CONCUR:W.FRANKCRAWFORD,P.J.,W.S.HOLLYKIRBYLILLARD,J.̜  Plaintiffbroughtthisactiontoenforceasettlementagreementresolvingasuitfor07 ] XXd XXd7interferencewiththepeacefulenjoymentofplaintiffsbusinesspremises.Thetrialcourtheldthatthereexistedanenforceablesettlementagreement,andenteredjudgmentinfavorofplaintiff.Defendantsargueonappealthattheagreementwasunenforceablebecausetheirattorneylackedauthorizationtoofferthesubjectsettlementamount.Wefinddefendantscontentiontobewithoutmerit;therefore,weaffirmthetrialcourtsjudgment.  In1987,TherrellPressgrovefiledsuitagainstFrankBurns,allegingthatMr.BurnsunlawfullyenteredontoPressgrovesbusinesspremisesandimproperlytookpossessionthereof.In1991,PressgrovefiledamotiontoamendthecomplaintinordertoaddMr.Burnswife,ElizabethBurns,asadefendant.Atahearingonthematter,PressgrovescounselannouncedinopencourtthatheintendedtoenteravoluntarynonsuitastoMrs.Burns. LewisGarrison,attorney,representedPressgrove,whileLarryDiamond,attorney,representedMr.andMrs.Burns.OnSeptember15,1993,sevendayspriortothedatesetfortrial,Mr.andMrs.BurnswenttoMr.Diamondsofficetodiscusssettlementofthependinglawsuit.Diamondexplainedtheeventsthattranspiredinhisofficethatdayasfollows:̜8 8 Mr.andMrs.Burnscamein.Wesatintheconferenceroom...andwediscussedthesettlement.Heofferedfivethousanddollars.HegotuptogotothebathroomandMrs.BurnssaidIwillthrowinanotherthreethousand,andthereasonforthatwasthefactthatthepropertyhadbeeninthenameofMr.BurnsandMrs.Burns,andMr.GarrisonhadfiledsuitorattemptedtofilesuitagainstMrs.Burns,andhadthreatenedtoproceedwiththatafterthistrialwasover.̜  Mrs.BurnsspecificallyaskedDiamondnottotellMr.Burnsabouttheadditional$3,000.00offer.Thesameday,September15th,DiamondcalledGarrison,Pressgrovesattorney,toconveyanoffertosettlefor$8,000.00.OnSeptember21,ϜGarrisoncalledDiamondandtoldhimthatPressgrovehadacceptedthe$8,000.00offer.WhenDiamondinformedMr.Burnsthatthe$8,000.00offerhadbeenaccepted,ϜBurnsemphaticallystatedthathewouldnotsettlefor$8,000.00. Plaintifffiledthissuitseekingtoenforcethesettlementagreement.ThetrialcourtfoundthattheBurnsofferwasacceptedbeforeitwasrevoked,andthatϜDiamondwasauthorizedbytheBurnstoofferatotalof$8,000.00insettlement.ThecourtfurtherimposedRule11sanctionsagainsttheBurns,andallowedplaintifftorecoverhisattorneysfeesandcostsfromtheBurns. Onappeal,theBurnsarguethatthetrialcourterredinconcludingthatthepartiesenteredintoanenforceablecontracttosettletheunderlyinglitigation.AccordingtoMr.Burns,onlyhehadtheauthoritytodeterminetheamountforwhichhewouldsettlethesuit.Mr.Burnsassertsthatneitherhisattorneynorhiswifepossessedtheauthoritytobindhimtoanamounttowhichhehadnotagreed.Mr.BurnscontendsthatMrs.Burnswasnotapartytotheactionatthetimeofsettlementnegotiationsandthus,hadnolegalstandingtoofferasettlementonherownbehalf.Conversely,PressgroveassertsthatMrs.Burnswasapartyatthetimeofsettlementnegotiations. WeareunabletofindanyevidenceintherecordindicatingthatMrs.Burnswasnotapartyatthetimethatthesettlementofferwasmade.DiamondtestifiedthatϜBurns𛀜attorneyannouncedinopencourtthatheplannedavoluntarynonsuitastoMrs.Burns.However,PressgrovestatedthatanonsuitwasnevertakenastoMrs.Burns,andthatsheiscurrentlyapartytotheoriginalsuit.BecausebothpartieshaveconcededthatMrs.Burnswasapartytotheunderlyingsuit,andbecausethereisnothingintherecordtoshowanonsuithadbeentaken,itispresumedthatsheisapartydefendanttotheunderlyinglitigationandthatsheoccupiedsuchstatusatthetimethatthesettlementofferwasmade. Thelawfavorsthecompromiseofdisputes.EmmcoIns.Co.v.BeaconMut.IndemnityCo.,322S.W.2d226,230(Tenn.1959).Whereaclientgivesexpressauthoritytoanattorneytocompromiseasuit,theattorneysagreementtosettlewithinthosetermswillbindtheclient.Hartv.FirstNatlBank,690S.W.2d536(Tenn.App.1985).Itisaxiomaticthatapartydefendanthasthepowerandauthoritytoeffectanofferofcompromiseinexchangeforhisorherreleasefromsuit.  Inthepresentcase,Mrs.BurnswasapartytotheactionandwasrepresentedbyMr.Diamond.Consequently,Mrs.Burnshadtheindependentauthoritytomakeabindingsettlementofferfor$3,000.00.Concomitantly,Mr.Burnsofferof$5,000.00isbindingandenforceable.Mr.DiamondtestifiedthatheplannedtodrawupseparatereleasesforMr.andMrs.Burns,whichwefindtobeprocedurallyappropriate. Accordingly,weholdthattheevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthetrialcourtsconclusionthatthesettlementagreementisvalidandenforceable.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsonappealareadjudgedagainstdefendants,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.        򀀀        HIGHERS,J.CONCUR:򀀀CRAWFORD,P.J.,W.S.򀀀LILLARD,J.