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BRS - memo opinion  2 ' IB011C20IB011C2 .    dU2, 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'dxd("$    <  9p`(&Times New Roman% Line 7 d////7Border 1dd-0C << G<  9p`(Arial # !  #d#..   22   YYY FILED2XJuly16,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  <  9p`(???  !#d#..   $    .X       _PursuanttoTenn.R.App.P.2,wesuspendtheapplicationofTenn.R.App.P.2426and29.WealsofindoralargumenttobeunnecessarypursuanttoTenn.R.App.P.35(c).4  !#d#..   $    .X       _Tenn.Ct.App.P.10(b)provides:8 8  TheCourt,withtheconcurrenceofalljudgesparticipatinginthecase,mayaffirm,reverseormodifytheactionsofthetrialcourtbymemorandumopinionwhenaformalopinionwouldhavenoprecedentialvalue.Whenacaseisdecidedbymemorandumopinion,itshallbedesignated MEMORANDUMOPINION,shallnotbepublished,andshallnotbecitedorreliedonforanyreasoninasubsequentunrelatedcase.4  !#d#..   $    .X       __BRS_ԀConstructionhasfiledasupplementalapplicationforanextraordinaryappealrequestingthatthiscourtreversethetrialcourtsdecisiontostaythearbitration.Wedeclinetoaddressthisissuebecausenoorderhasyetbeenentered.Onceentered,theorderresolvingthemotiontostayarbitrationmaybeappealableasofrightpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.295319(Supp.1996)andTenn.R.App.P.3(a).4 { !#d#..   $    .X       _Tenn.CodeAnn.295319permitsanappealasofrightfromanorderdenyinganapplicationtocompelarbitrationoranordergrantinganapplicationtostayarbitration.Anordercompellingarbitrationisnotappealableasofright,Petersv.CommonwealthAssociates,App.No.03A019508CV00295,1996WL93768,at*2(Tenn.Ct.App.March5,1996)(NoTenn.R.App.P.11applicationfiled);AndersonCountyv.ArchitecturalTechniquesCorp.,App.No.03A019205CH00184,1993WL5921,at*1(Tenn.Ct.App.January14,1993)(NoTenn.R.App.P.11applicationfiled),butmaybereviewedpursuanttoTenn.R.App.P.9or10.PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'hStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   h HD: Geneva  h HD: Geneva -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . ..     _       \RA'\  \RA'\7Ldd7    ћ 0 @ . INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ MIDDLESECTIONATNASHVILLE̜R130A1-j|g`  `@Rߛ. ` XXSOUTHEASTDRILLING&  )BLASTINGSERVICES,INC., )      ) Plaintiff/Appellee,  )      )VS.      ) RutherfordChancery      ) No.97CV60_BRS_ԀCONSTRUCTIONCOMPANY, )      ) AppealNo. Defendant/Appellant  ) 01A019706CH00272      )and      )      )STONESRIVERPLACE_LTD_., )EDBOYDEXCAVATING,INC., )      ) Defendants/Appellees.  ).@ APPEALFROMTHECHANCERYCOURT@ FORRUTHERFORDCOUNTY.@ .ATMURFREESBORO,TENNESSEE.@ .THEHONORABLEDONR.ASH,CHANCELLOR.̜ForSoutheastDrilling&Blasting  ForStonesRiverPlace,LtdandServices,Inc.:     BRSConstruction:̜FrankGrace,Jr.     WilliamW.GibsonDanaC._McLendon_,III    JamesC.Bradshaw,III_Waller_Ԁ_Lansden_Ԁ_Dortch_Ԁ&Davis  WyattTarrant&CombsNashville,Tennessee    Nashville,Tennessee       CharlesM.Levy       CoralGables,Florida       ForEdBoydExcavating,Inc.:       Wm.KennerlyBurger       Murfreesboro,Tennessee       JackE.Seaman       Nashville,Tennessee .@ VACATEDANDREMANDED .       WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE.@ MEMORANDUMOPINION . Thisextraordinaryappealinvolvesadisputeoverwhetherdiscoveryshouldbestayedpendingresolutionofamotiontocompelarbitration.Sincetheapplicationandanswersfullysetforththepartiespositionsandthematerialfacts,wedispensewithfurtherbriefingandoralargumentandproceedtothemeritsoftheappealinordertosavethepartiesadditionaltimeandexpense. 5   Wefindthatthisisapropercaseforanextraordinaryappealbecausethetrialcourtshouldresolvethemotiontocompelarbitrationpriortoallowinganyproceedingsrelatedtothemerits.Therefore,inaccordancewithTenn.Ct.App.R.10(b),. 6   wevacatetheorderdirectingthatdepositionsbeheldwithinthirtydaysandreservingjudgmentonthemotiontocompelarbitrationforfortyfivedaysandremandthecasetothetrialcourtforfurtherproceedingsinaccordancewiththisopinion.   I.    StonesRiverPlace,Ltd.hired_BRS_ԀConstructionCompanyasthegeneralcontractorfortheconstructionofamultiunitresidentialdevelopmentonlandownedbyStonesRiverPlace._BRS_ԀConstructionenteredintothreecontractswithEdBoydExcavating,Inc.forsitework,paving,andutilities.Eachofthesecontractsprovidedthat [_a]ny_ԀcontroversyorclaimbetweentheContractorandtheSubcontractorarisingoutoforrelatedtothisSubcontractorthebreachthereof,shallbesettledbyarbitration...EdBoydExcavatingsubsequentlyenteredintoasubcontractwithSoutheastDrillingandBlastingServices,Inc.toperformaportionofitssubcontract. OnAugust23,1996,SoutheastDrillingservedanoticeofnonpaymenton_BRS_ԀConstructionandStonesRiverPlaceincompliancewiththe_materialman_slienlawsand,onOctober18,1996,SoutheastDrillingfiledliensontheproperty.OnJanuary16,1997,SoutheastDrillingfiledsuittoenforceitsliensintheChanceryCourtforRutherfordCounty.EdBoydExcavatingfiledacrossclaimagainst_BRS_ԀConstructionandStonesRiverPlacealleging,amongotherclaims,breachofcontract. OnMay16,1997,EdBoydExcavatingfiledamotiontocompeltheappearanceofthetwoprincipalsof_BRS_ԀConstruction,Bill_Starnes_ԀandBobR._Starnes_,fordepositions.OnMay23,1997,_BRS_ԀConstructionmovedtocompelarbitrationpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.295302,303(Supp.1996).OnJune16,1997,thetrialcourtreservedjudgmentonthemotiontocompelarbitrationforfortyfivedaysbutdirectedthatBobR._Starnes_,Sr.,BobR._Starnes_,Jr.andBill_Starnes_Ԁbemadeavailablefordepositionswithinthirtydays.OnJune27,1997,EdBoydExcavatingmovedtostaythependingarbitrationwhich_BRS_ԀConstructionhadpreviouslyfiledwiththeAmericanArbitrationAssociation.Thetrialcourtannouncedfromthebenchitsdecisiontostaythearbitrationproceedingsbutnoorderreflectingthatrulinghasyetbeenentered._ 7   _Ԁ OnJune24,1997,_BRS_ԀConstructionfiledthisapplicationforanextraordinaryappeal,assertingthatthetrialcourterredincompellingdiscoverywhileitsmotiontocompelarbitrationwaspending._BRS_Constructionsubsequentlyfiledamotionforastaypendingappeal.OnJune26,1997,thiscourtorderedthepartiestofileananswertotheapplicationwithintendays.SoutheastDrillinghasrespondedthatthetrialcourtshouldhavestayedtheproceedingsuntiladecisionisreachedonthemotiontocompelarbitration.EdBoydExcavatinghasrespondedinoppositiontotheapplicationandcontendsthatdiscoveryisnecessaryinordertodeterminewhetherthemotiontocompelarbitrationshouldbegranted.   II.    Arbitratingdisputesisfavoredbythestate,federal,andcommonlaw._Dewitt_Ԁv.AlHaddad,App.No.89394II,1990WL50727,at*7(Tenn.Ct.App.April25,1990)(NoTenn.R.App.P.11applicationfiled).ByenactingtheUniformArbitrationAct,theGeneralAssemblyhasembracedalegislativepolicyfavoringenforcementofagreementstoarbitrate._Buraczynski_Ԁv._Eyring_,919S.W.2d314,317(Tenn.1996). Tenn.CodeAnn.295303enablescourtstomakesummarydeterminationsconcerningwhetherapartyisentitledtoarbitration.Samsonv._Hartsville_ԀHospital,App.No.01A019609CH00430,1997WL107167,at*2(Tenn.Ct.App.March12,1997)(NoTenn.R.App.P.11applicationfiled).Tenn.CodeAnn.295303(a)providesthat,whenonepartyshowstheexistenceofanarbitrationagreementandtheotherpartydeniestheexistenceofanagreement, thecourtshallproceedsummarilytothedeterminationoftheissuesoraised...Tenn.CodeAnn.295303(b)alsoprovidesthat,whenapartyhasmovedtostayanarbitrationproceedingandadisputeexistswithregardtothearbitrationagreement,theissue shallbeforthwithandsummarilytried.Tenn.CodeAnn.295303(d)furtherprovidesthat: Anyactionorproceedinginvolvinganissuesubjecttoarbitrationshallbestayedifanorderforarbitrationoranapplicationthereforhasbeenmadeunderthissection... Theseprovisionsevidenceaclearstatutoryintentthatcourtsdeterminewhetherapartyisentitledtoarbitrationpriortoconductinganyproceedingsrelatedtothemerits.Thus,thenormalcourseofproceedingsisfirsttoresolvetheissueofwhetherthepartiesshouldberequiredtoarbitrate.Allotherproceedingsonthemerits,includingdiscovery,shouldbestayedpendingthisdetermination. Likeanyothercontractright,therighttoarbitrationcanbewaived.TheanswerofEdBoydExcavatingindicatesthattherecordcurrentlybeforethetrialcourtdoesnotcontainsufficientfactstodeterminewhetherawaiverhasoccurred.Thus,somediscoverymaybenecessarytoenablethetrialcourttodeterminewhetherthemotiontocompelarbitrationshouldbegranted.Suchdiscoveryshouldbelimitedtomattersrelevanttothemotiontocompelarbitrationandanydisputesconcerningwhetherparticulardiscoveryisrelatedtothisissueshallberesolvedbythetrialcourt.   III.    Forthereasonsstatedherein,wevacatethetrialcourtsJune16,1997orderandremandthecasewithdirectionstoenteranorderstayingallproceedingsonthemeritspendingaresolutionofthemotiontocompelarbitration.Theordermayprovidefordiscoveryonlywithregardtotheissueofwhetherthearbitrationclauseshouldbeenforced.Oncethetrialcourthasruledonthemotiontocompelarbitration,thepartiesmayappealpursuanttoTenn.R.App.P.3(a)andTenn.CodeAnn.295319or,ifnecessary,Tenn.R.App.P.9or10. 8   ׀WealsotaxthecostsofthisappealtoEdBoydExcavating,Inc.forwhichexecution,ifnecessary,mayissue.       ____________________________       WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGECONCUR:________________________________HENRYF.TODD,P.J.,M.S.________________________________BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGE