WPC 4Vj 0(yw@ 0J 0T3 0^ 0h 0rM 0| 0; 0 1uQ U, 0d UBV % U, U6 B) B) DCF AM U* -- D3.a 0@v~v 0le 0D AOd 0D* D/n BUv 3|x($ DDDDDDDEӀ2 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<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiX<  9p`(Monaco<  9p`(Courier New% Line 7 d d####7Border 1dd-%C << G<  9p`(Arial # !  #d#"  ''   YYY FILED'X March25,1996CecilCrowson,Jr.'AppellateCourtClerk  !#d#"  g$       "GibsonsSuitsinChancery,4thEd.49,p.66.$$$$'dxd  !#d#"  g$          "Collectingagenciesareengagedinthebusinessofcollecting,adjusting,andremittingtheproceedsofclaimsforwardedtothembycreditors.TennesseeCreditClearCompanyv.Lindsey,162Tenn.149(1931).  !#d#"  g$          "Thecontractdoesnotprovideforattorneysfeesandthecontractwhichisapparentlyoneofadhesion,istobestrictlyconstruedagainstplaintiff.SeeWrightv.Commonwealth,351Mass.666,223N.E.2666.("$    PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA: T Monaco  BA: T Monaco ((3$ !      0  (#$  0  -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . &!!Xd&#!!Xd#"        \RA'\7XXdd7L&(%;+'h|`  `Lߛ@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ EASTERNSECTION SAFETYOPTICALDIVISION  )C/ANO.03A019509CH00331OFMIDSOUTHOPTICAL  )LABORATORIES,INC.,   )McMINNCHANCERY      ) PlaintiffAppellant, )HON.EARLH.HENLEY,      )CHANCELLORv.      )      )NATIONALRAILROADPASSENGER )CORP.,     )AFFIRMED      )AND DefendantAppellee.  )REMANDEDFRANKP.PINCHAK,WITT,GAITHER&WHITAKER,P.C.,Chattanooga,forPlaintiffAppellant.̜HARRYR.CASH,GRANT,KONVALINKA&HARRISON,P.C.,Chattanooga,forDefendantAppellee.  ̜@ OPINION Ӝ        Franks.J.̜  Inthisactionindebt,theTrialJudgeenteredjudgmentagainstdefendantfor$5,368.57,butrefusedtoawardplaintiffattorneysfees,interestandcosts,andplaintiffhasappealed.  Plaintiffbroughtthisactionseeking$31,528.21,togetherwithcosts,attorneysfeesandprejudgmentinterest.Areferencewasmadetothemaster,whodeterminedthatdefendantowedtheamountenteredinthejudgment,andincludedinthemastersreportwasthefollowingfindings:0 0 Recordsofpaymentsoranyotherdocumentationhavenotbeenforthcomingfromthedefendant,NationalRailroadPassengerCorporationafterrepeatedrequests....RecordshavebeenprovidedbytheplaintiffbutonlydatingbacktoDecember,1990.Thebalancebroughtforwardasofthatdatewas$40,855.23.Theirrecordsreflectedpaymentsreceivedbychecknumbersanddates,butdidnotindicatewhichinvoicenumberswereincludedinthesepayments.Copiesofinvoiceswerefurnishedwithpurchaseordersattachedtomost.Acomputerprintoutwasfiled,showingadebitwhensafetyglasseswerefurnished,andacreditwhenthepaymentwasmade.Thebalanceshownisnotarunningbalance,andIcannotdeterminethetotalamountoutstandingonanygivendate....Ϝcheckerrorentriesandcreditentriescouldnotbeverified.  NeitherpartyexceptedtothemastersreportwhichwasconfirmedbytheTrialJudge.Theplaintifffiledamotionforinterest,costsandattorneysfees.Inoverrulingthemotion,theTrialCourtsaid:0 0 TheCourtrefusestoallowattorneysfeesineitherdirection.Therecordfrombothsideswasverypoor,andeachweremakingdemandsupontheotherthatwerenotjustifiedinthefinalaccounting.  Whileprejudgmentinterestisallowableasanelementofdamages,itisallowableasamatterofdiscretionbytheTrialJudge,inaccordancewiththeprinciplesofequity.Schoenv.J.C.Bradford&Co.,667S.W.2d97(Tenn.App.1984).InthisactiontheCourtexperiencedconsiderabledifficultyinarrivingattheamountofthejudgment,dueinparttoplaintiffsaccountingproceduresandbillingpractices.TheChancellorproperlyexercisedhisdiscretionindenyingprejudgmentinterest.AsProfessorGibsonobserved:0 0 Goodconsciencerequiresapartytodonoactthatwillmisleadanothertohisdetriment,eventhoughtheothermayhavedonehimwrong.Hence,ithasbeensaidthat nothingcancallacourtofchanceryintoactivitybutconscience,goodfaithandreasonablediligence . )     Appendedtoplaintiffsofferwhichwasacceptedbydefendant,wasapagesettingforth policies .The policies Ϝincludethefollowing:0 0 Anyaccountthatisreferredtoanoutside,independentcollectionagencyisautomaticallydeletedfromouraccountlist.Allfees,charges,and/orcommissionsassociatedwithsuchcollectioncostswillbeaddedtotheaccountsoutstandingbalance,assuchcollectioncostsarenottheresponsibilityofSafetyOptical,butwillbebornebytheaccount.Assumingwithoutdecidingthattheforegoingwasapartofthecontractbetweentheparties,plaintiffsactionsinthiscasewouldnottriggerthisprovision. +   ׀Nocollectionagencywasemployedtocollectthedebt,andnoevidencewasofferedthatanyclaimed costs werereasonableandnecessary.  Plaintiffpresentsnobasisforthecourtstoawardattorneysfees.Intheabsenceofastatutoryprovisionoracontractualagreement,attorneysfeesarenotawardedtotheprevailingparty.Goingsv.AetnaCasualty&SuretyCo.,491S.W.2d847(Tenn.App.1972). ,   כ  Finally,itisarguedthattheTrialCourtwasinerrorinnotaffordinganevidentiaryhearingonplaintiffsmotionforfeesandcosts.ThepartieshadanopportunitytopresentanyevidencetheythoughtwasrelevantbeforetheϜmaster.TheTrialCourtsoverrulingthemotionwasbaseduponthefindingsofthemaster.WefindnoreversibleerrorintheTrialCourtsjudgmentandaffirmatappellantscost.̜      ________________________      HerschelP.Franks,J.CONCUR:̜___________________________HoustonM.Goddard,P.J.̜___________________________CharlesD.Susano,Jr.,J.̜