WPCP QG: 4$6:%kSKàTM5LmG̲xFx"v>{䡠Zbݾ :7.!R|/^;0ٶBC?+ oz g.0|+v= YȄf1J42v0V"!vP$ob;$h~%1t'^ _IcǵB&Xa:LScعCK^3x(ǢZsr XLq7űynRe ! b-Iiѝb@0Vrٍi?_4a8QDV4eG 3b_>\%uFex9F!(ucUB.e .nxe6fbot7İ7kEUד"è72UBF %  n 04K 4 0 w@ U> A # _ Nj l mn U:  U: B D3444 0Dgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg AO 0D D/ B3<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiX3|x1<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiXXx6X@JQX@( T$  h&  ShelbyMcMURRAY DPI[ !E"#Ӏ/<( 9Z &Courier Regular XXXXXX   Ad FILED   June25,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourt  Clerk HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLU,cAZ"Arial Regular XXXXXX   Ad FILED   June24,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourt  Clerk ,cAZ"Arial Regular d%%%%'dxd(3$ !  -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd T!   ##_`   7XXdXXd7TR[A'Legal3'A' Legal3'T  /#r *<,(j 8 `@Ef  tt0"H` r#//r*<,(j 8 `@Ef  tt0"H` r/##@LLINTHECOURTOFAPPEALS@@$ `  @$ATKNOXVILLECONPACSOUTH,INC.@*@@*)  HAMBLENCOUNTY   x    `     h   )  03A019811CV00389 @   PlaintiffAppellant@*) h    @*)@*)  v.@*)  HON.JOHNK.WILSON, `  @*)  JUDGE (  @*)JAMESW.BURNETT,d/b/a@*)   BURNETTPRODUCECO.@*)     @*)  DefendantAppellee@*)  AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED p J.RANDALLSHELTONOFMORRISTOWNFORAPPELLANTC.DWAINEEVANSOFMORRISTOWNFORAPPELLEE XXXX@$OPINION !8    `     h      p   #XXX X #Goddard,P.J. % $  XXXX   ` ConPacSouth,Inc.( ConPac)appealsthedismissalofitssuitagainstJamesW.Burnettd/b/aBurnettProduceCo.( Mr.Burnett)throughsummaryjudgmentbytheHamblenCountyCircuitCourt.ConPacsoughtjudgmentagainstMr.Burnettintheamountof$31,009.44arisingfromanoverduedebtforgoodsorderedandreceived.   ` ThehistoryofthecaseathandcanbetracedbacktoanearliercaseintheHamblenCountyCircuitCourtstyledCon 6P-: PacSouth,Inc.v.BurnettProduceCo.,Inc.,No.93CV492.In @8.< thispreviouscase,ConPacfiledsuitseekingcollectionofthesamepastdueaccountsoughtinthiscase.InsteadofnamingMr. `;2@g Burnettpersonallyinthispreviouscase,ConPacsoughtjudgmentagainstBurnettProduceCompany,Incorporated.OnSeptember16,1994,theTrialCourtenteredjudgmentagainstBurnettProduceCompany,Inc.forthefullamountof$31,009.44.OnMarch28,1995,theTrialCourtenteredanagreedorderamendingtheComplainttoincludeJamesW.Burnettd/b/aBurnettProduceCompanyasanadditionaldefendantliablefortheamountpastduearisingfromthegoodsorderedandreceived.OnJuly5,1995,Mr.BurnettfiledaMotionforSummaryJudgmentallegingthatthejudgmentobtainedbyConPacagainstBurnettProduceCo.,Inc.barredtheactionagainstJamesW.Burnettd/b/aBurnettProduceCo.basedonthetheoriesofresjudicataandcollateralestoppel.TheTrialCourtgrantedthemotionforsummaryjudgmentdismissingtheactionagainstJamesW.Burnettd/b/a P BurnettProduceCo.onAugust1,1995.Noappealwastakenfrom 0 thatorder.   ` OnJuly10,1995,beforetheTrialCourtruledonMr.BurnettsMotionforSummaryJudgmentincausenumber93CV492,ConPacfiledthepresentactionagainstJamesW.Burnettd/b/a `'& BurnettProduceCo.seekingpaymentofthesameoverdueaccount. @)( OnSeptember11,1995,Mr.BurnettagainfiledaMotionforSummaryJudgmentbaseduponthegroundsofresjudicata,collateralestoppelandjudicialestoppel.ThismotionwasinitiallydeniedbytheHonorableBenK.WexleronJuly8,1996.Subsequently,thecasewasassignedtotheHonorableJohnK.Wilson,whograntedtheMotionforSummaryJudgmentanddismissedthisactiononNovember17,1998.ConPacappealsfromthejudgmentofNovember17,1998,grantingMr.BurnettsMotionforSummaryJudgment.   ` ThefollowingissueispresentedbyConPaconappeal: p:1> ЇDidthetrialjudge,theHonorableJohnK.Wilson,errinrevisitingMr.BurnettsMotionforSummaryJudgmentandgrantingit(a)whenithadearlierbeenconsideredanddeniedbythefirsttrialjudge,theHonorableBenK.Wexler,and(b)whennonewmotiontorehearhadbeenfiled,and(c)whennonewfactsorlegalissueshadcomeintobeingafteritwasdenied?   ` WefirstaddresswhetherJudgeWilsonerredinrevisitingMr.BurnettsMotionforSummaryJudgmentafterithadalreadybeendeniedbyJudgeWexler.ConPacreliesonthe lawofthecasedoctrinewhichmakesanappellatecourtsdecisionofanissueoflawbindinginlatertrialsandappealsofthesamecaseifthefactsaresubstantiallythesameasthefactsinthefirsttrialorappeal.MemphisPublgCo.v.Tennessee 30*- PetroleumUndergroundStorageTankBd.,975S.W.2d303 p5,/ (Tenn.1998).TheinitialdenialofMr.BurnettsMotionforSummaryJudgmentatnotimecamebeforeanappellatecourt; 09/3 therefore,wefindthatthe lawofthecasedoctrineisnotapplicableinthecaseathand.   ` Instead,wefindRule3(a)oftheTennesseeRulesofAppellateProcedureprevails.ThisRuleprovidesthatifmultiplepartiesorclaimsforreliefareinvolved, anyorderthatadjudicatesfewerthanalltheclaimsortherightsandliabilitiesoffewerthanallthepartiesisnotenforceableorappealableandissubjecttorevisionatanytimebeforeentryof ` afinaljudgmentadjudicatingalltheclaims,rights,and @ liabilitiesoftheparties.Tenn.R.App.P.3(a)(emphasisadded).#XHXX XH# XHXXXHWefindthatJudgeWilsonproperlyexerciseddiscretionexpressly  grantedbyRule3(a)oftheTennesseeRulesofAppellateProcedureinrevisitingMr.BurnettsMotionforSummaryJudgmentwithoutamotiontorehearandwithoutpresentationofnewfactsorlegalissuesasmandatedbythe lawofthecasedoctrine.Forthesereasons,weholdthatJudgeWilsonsreconsiderationoftheMotionforSummaryJudgmentwasproper.   ` ConPacalsocontendsthatJudgeWilsonerredingrantingMr.BurnettsMotionforSummaryJudgment.Mr.BurnettrespondsthatSummaryJudgmentwasproperlygrantedbaseduponresjudicata.   ` Thestandardsgoverninganappellatecourt'sreviewofatrialcourt'sactiononamotionforsummaryjudgmentarewellsettled.Sinceourinquiryinvolvespurelyaquestionoflaw,no  :04 presumptionofcorrectnessattachestothetrialcourt'sjudgment.Carvellv.Bottoms,900S.W.2d23,26(Tenn.1995). @  OurtaskisconfinedtoreviewingtherecordtodeterminewhethertherequirementsofRule56oftheTennesseeRulesofCivilProcedurehavebeenmet.Cowdenv.SovranBank/Cent.S.,816  S.W.2d741,744(Tenn.1991).Rule56.03oftheTennesseeRulesofCivilProcedureprovidesthatsummaryjudgmentisonlyappropriatewhere:(1)thereisnogenuineissuewithregardtothematerialfactsrelevanttotheclaimordefensecontainedinthemotion,Byrdv.Hall,847S.W.2d208,210(Tenn.1993);and @ (2)themovingpartyisentitledtoajudgmentasmatteroflawontheundisputedfacts.Andersonv.StandardRegisterCo.,857  S.W.2d555,559(Tenn.1993).Themovingpartyhastheburdenofprovingthatitsmotionsatisfiestheserequirements.Downenv. !` AllstateIns.Co.,811S.W.2d523,524(Tenn.1991). #@   #XHXX XH# XHXXXH ` Thestandardsgoverningtheassessmentofevidencein `'  thesummaryjudgmentcontextarealsowellestablished.Courtsmustviewtheevidenceinthelightmostfavorabletothenonmovingpartyandmustalsodrawallreasonableinferencesinthenonmovingparty'sfavor.Byrd,847S.W.2dat210-11.Courts .%( shouldgrantasummaryjudgmentonlywhenboththefactsandtheconclusionstobedrawnfromthefactspermitareasonablepersontoreachonlyoneconclusion.Byrd,847S.W.2dat210-11. 4 +. М#XHXX XH|$# X)XXX)̜     ` Mr.Burnettallegesthatsummaryjudgmentwasproperbaseduponthetheoryofresjudicata.Weagree.Thedoctrine  :04 ofresjudicatabarsasecondsuitbetweenthesamepartiesonthesamecauseofactionwithregardtoallissuesthatwereorcouldhavebeenlitigatedintheformersuit.Massengillv.   Scott,738S.W.2d629,631(Tenn.1987);GibsonLumberCo.v.  NeelyCobleCo.,651S.W.2d232,233-34(Tenn.Ct.App.1983).Res  judicataisbasedonthepublicpolicyfavoringfinalityinlitigationanddoesnotdependuponcorrectnessorfairness,aslongastheunderlyingjudgmentisvalid.Moultonv.FordMotor   Co.,533S.W.2d295,296(Tenn.1976). ` ̜  #X)XX X)'# X)XXX)     ` TThedefenseofresjudicatawillbeavailableifthepartyassertingthedefensecanshowthatthepriorjudgmentwasbyacourtofcompetentjurisdiction,thatthesamepartieswereinvolvedinbothsuits,thatthesamecauseofactionwasinvolvedinbothsuits,andthattheunderlyingjudgmentwasonthemerits.Leev.Hall,790S.W.2d293(Tenn.Ct.App.1990). %  ̜#X)XX X)H+#   ` Wefindthatthefactsinthiscasemeettherequirementsnecessarytoestablishthedefenseofresjudicata.OnJuly1,1995,apriorjudgmentwasenteredinfavorofMr.BurnettbytheHamblenCountyCircuitCourtdismissingtheclaimagainsthimasanindividualthroughthegrantofhisMotionforSummaryJudgment.Thesameparties,ConPacandJamesW.Burnettd/b/aBurnettProduceCo.,wereinvolvedinbothactions.Bothsuitsarosefromthesamecauseofactionandsoughtpaymentfor thesameoverduedebt.Furthermore,theTrialCourtsorder @8.2 grantingMr.BurnettsMotionforSummaryJudgmentwasajudgmentonthemerits.    ` ConPachadtheopportunitytoappealtheorderdismissingtheclaimagainstMr.Burnettinthefirstsuit,No.93CV492,butinsteadfiledsuitagainstMr.Burnettforasecondtimeseekingjudgmentarisingfromthesameclaim.ConPacsactionsdirectlycountervailthepolicybehindthedoctrineofresjudicata.IfConPacdisagreedwiththefirstdismissaloftheclaimagainstMr.Burnett,itsremedywastoappealthatjudgment.SincetherewasnogenuineissueofmaterialfactandMr.Burnettwasentitledtojudgmentasamatteroflawbaseduponresjudicata,wefindthattheTrialJudgeproperlygrantedsummaryjudgment.   ` FortheforegoingreasonsthejudgmentoftheTrialCourtisaffirmedandthecauseremandedforcollectionofcostsbelow.CostsofappealareadjudgedagainstConPacanditssurety.񛜛   `     h   _______________________________   `     h   HoustonM.Goddard,P.J.CONCUR:________________________________HerschelP.Franks,J.̜________________________________ 񀀀(NotParticipating) ! n !"񀀀" 09/3 CharlesD.Susano,Jr.,J.