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THEHONORABLEHAMILTONGAYDEN,JUDGENORMANGILLISNORMANGILLIS&ASSOCIATES71318thAvenueSouthNashville,Tennessee37203 AttorneyforPlaintiff/AppellantJAYS.BOWENTIMOTHYL.WARNOCKSARAHW.ANDERSONGREGORYS.REYNOLDSOWENRILEYWARNOCK&JACOBSON,PLC1906WestEndAvenueNashville,Tennessee37203 AttorneysforDefendant/Appellee̜@$AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED   0      8     BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGE̜CONCUR:KOCH,J.CAIN,J.̜ l(XX@tt(OPINION XXl(Ԉ :;^5;9 Ї  0 Thisappealinvolvesaninterpretationofa firstrefusalprovisioninapublishingcontract.TheCircuitCourtofDavidsonCountydismissedanactionclaimingthatthepublisherbreachedtheprovision.Weaffirm.@- I.   0   0 In1991,ThomasNelsonPublishers,Inc.agreedtopublishathreevolumebooksetentitledTheOgMandinoGiftSet.Theagreementtopublishwas |  actuallybetweenThomasNelsonandFellPublishers,Inc.,whichhadaseparatepublishingcontractwithMandino.TheagreementreferredtoFellasthe AuthorandcontainedthefollowingprovisionwithrespecttoRemaindersorOverstock:8 80 ! !  ThePublishermaydisposeofbooksorsheetswhich,initsdiscretion,itdeemstobeoverstockorremaindersinanymanneritmayseefitandwillhavenoobligationtopayroyaltiesoncopiessodisposedofatorbelowPublishersproductioncosts.Priortodisposal,AuthorshallbegrantedtherightoffirstrefusaltopurchasesuchoverstockorremainderuponthosetermsandprovisionsofferedtoPublisherbyanythirdpartywhichrightAuthorshallexerciseorwaivewithinten(10)daysreceiptofPublisherswrittennotificationoftheproposeddispositiondate,orwithintwenty(20)daysofthedateofmailingthereof,whichevershalloccurfirst.IntheeventAuthorfailstoreplytoPublishersofferwithinsuchtime,Authorsrightoffirstrefusalshallbedeemedwaived.OnalloverstockandremaindercopiesoftheWorksoldinexcessofPublisherscostofproduction,Authorshallreceivearoyaltyequaltotenpercent(10%)oftheexcessamount. 0 0    0 OnMarch6,1992,ThomasNelsonwrotetoFelladvisingFellthattheϜMandinoGiftSetwouldsoonbeoutofprint.Theletteralsocontainedthefollowingtwoparagraphs:8 80 ! !Atthepresenttimewehaveapproximately5,500copiesininventorywhichwewouldliketooffertheauthorfor$2.00persetplusthecostofshippingthebooks. 0 0  8 80 ! !Pleaseletmeknowby17April1992ifthereisanyinterestinobtaininganyoftheremaininginventory. 0 0    9B39   0 OnMarch12,1992,Mr.LessneofLifetimeBooks(thesuccessortoFell Publishers)faxedareplytotheletteroffering$1.50foralltheremainingbooks.EarlyinAprilThomasNelsoncontactedMr.Mandinoandofferedhimthebooksat$2.00perset.Heultimatelyacceptedtheoffer,andabouttwodayslaterMr.Lessnechangedhismindandtriedtoexercisehiscompanysrighttotakethebooks.Ϝ(However,theonlyevidenceofLifetimesattempttoexerciseitsrightoffirstrefusalisanAugust5,1992refaxofits$1.50offer.)WhenThomasNelsonrefusedtocomplywithMr.Lessnesrequest,thisactionfollowed.@- II.  ,P    0 LifetimeinsiststhataliteralreadingofthepublishingcontractrequiredThomasNelsontofindabuyerfirstandthentoallowLifetimetoacceptorrejectthebooksatthesameprice.SincetheletterofMarch6,1992didnotspecificallysaythatThomasNelsonhadabuyerandthatLifetimehadtendaystomatchit,Lifetimearguesthattheletterwasofnoeffectwhatever.  0 WhileweagreethattheMarch6,1992letterdidnotstrictlyfitthelanguageofthepublishingcontract,wecannotagreethatafterreceivingtheletterLifetimecouldmakeacounterofferandthenwaitforasecondchancetopurchasethebooksfor$2.00perset.TheuncontradictedproofintherecordshowsthattheMarch6letterwasThomasNelsonsgoodfaithattempttocomplywiththecontract.Ifnothingelse,theletterputLifetimeonnoticethatThomasNelsonwasgoingtosellthebooksafterthedeadlinesetoutintheletter.IfLifetimethoughtthattheycould l937 rejecttheofferandwaitforanotheropening,theyhadadutytoputThomasNelsononnoticeofthatfact.Instead,theyallowedThomasNelsontocarryouttheirannouncedplan.Wearesatisfiedthatunderthesecircumstancestheyareestoppedtorelyontheliteralwordsofthecontract.  0 Estoppelisbasedonanequitableprinciplethatprohibitsapartyfromcomplainingwhenhisownactshaveinducedanotherpartytoacttohisdetriment.Ifthepartysactionorinactioninducesanotherpartytochangehisposition fortheworse,thefirstpartycausingthechangeofpositionwilllosetherightsofpropertyorcontractthathemightotherwisehaveenjoyed.ChurchofChristv.McDonald,171  S.W.2d817(Tenn.1943).Anestoppelmayariseoutofthesilenceofoneunderadutytospeak.Luskv.ConsolidatedAluminumCorp.,655S.W.2d917,920(Tenn. | 1983).  0 AfterinducingThomasNelsonsbeliefthattheyhadnointerestinpurchasingtheremaininginventoryat$2.00pervolume,(withthecertainknowledgethatThomasNelsonintendedtosellatthatprice),LifetimecannotcomplainwhenThomasNelsonobligateditselftoanotherbuyer.  0 ThejudgmentofthecourtbelowisaffirmedandthecauseisremandedtotheCircuitCourtofDavidsonCounty.Taxthecostsonappealtotheappellant.  0      8     ____________________________  0      8     BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:_____________________________WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE_____________________________WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE  l937   wXX)V @.INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @(ATNASHVILLE X)VXwԈ  LIFETIMEBOOKS,INC.,   8   )   SuccessorinInterestto   8   )   FELLPUBLISHERS,INC., 8   )     0      8   )  AppealNo.    Plaintiff/Appellant,   8   )  01A019708CV00399     0      8   )   x    0      8   )  DavidsonCircuit h  МVS.  0      8   )  No.94C4151 X|    0      8   )   Hl    0      8   )  Affirmedand 8\ THOMASNELSONPUBLISHERS,  )  Remanded     H!  #  (L INC.,  0      8   )   <   0      8   )   ,  Defendant/Appellee. 8   )  wXX)V @uu'JUDGMENT   X)VXw  0 Thiscausecameontobeheardupontherecordonappealfromthe  . CircuitCourtofDavidsonCounty,briefsandargumentofcounsel;uponconsiderationwhereof,thisCourtisoftheopinionthatinthejudgmentofthetrialcourtthereisnoreversibleerror.  0 InaccordancewiththeopinionoftheCourtfiledherein,itis,therefore,orderedandadjudgedbythisCourtthatthejudgmentisaffirmed.ThecauseisremandedtotheCircuitCourtofDavidsonCountyfortheexecutionofthejudgmentandforthecollectionofthecostsaccruedbelow.  0 CostsofthisappealaretaxedagainstLifetimeBooks,Inc.,Principal,andNormanB.Gillis,III,Surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  0      8   ________________________________  0      8   BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGE  0      8   ________________________________  0      8   WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE  0      8   ________________________________  0      8   WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE