WPCJ2 GU$B %4: 0t 0\ 0\! 0} 0r 0| D+ 4 0 0= 0 AQQ 0 0DX# n 0 rU:,w@f4n D3 B 0J 0T_L 0^ 0he 0r 0|? 0 0I 1u 0dNU *B)DC AKHs#BB'u(v~*vw,\  `*Times New RomanTT'  The Plaintiffs appeal the trial courts final judgment which up (Authorized User(0Authorized User .   h:Default ParaDefault Paragraph FontXXXW\  `*Times New RomanTTW        W\  `*Times New RomanTTW<5T.footerfooter   !        >4X` hp x (#>P8page numberpage numberXXXW\  `*Times New RomanTTW        W\  `*Times New RomanTTWV!:footnote texfootnote text          `:footnote reffootnote referenceXXXW\  `*Times New RomanTTW        W\  `*Times New RomanTTW(e2 $ !%%%   'dxd Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5(e2 $ !%%%   ($    (e2 $ !%%%      C<< c(f(3\$ !%%%       0  (#$  0  HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLl3|xr&\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP%2A`ArialTTomanTTXXX2PQXP(J$~4~4~4  +K AZ"Arial Regular _&a& b&Dc&Ud&e&gf&g&h&Ӏr&_#V\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP%2A`ArialTTomanTTXXX2PQXP$$$$'dxd d2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  C:\OFFICE\WPWIN\TEMPLATE\STANDARD.WPT2, 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  &',-./12 ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d<<<<7Border 1dd =C << G !   ;;   YYY FILED;XDecember12,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk    !#d#        ;TheMaynordsalsosuedtheNorrisesforAmyswrongfuldeathinasubsequentvehicleaccidentwhichoccurredinSeptember1994.ThetrialcourtgrantedtheNorrisesmotionfordirectedverdictastotheMaynordsclaimsarisingfromtheSeptember1994accident.  !#d#        ;Aspertinent,rule50.02providesthat:8 8  Wheneveramotionforadirectedverdictmadeatthecloseofalltheevidenceisdeniedorforanyreasonisnotgranted,thecourtisdeemedtohavesubmittedtheactiontothejurysubjecttoalaterdeterminationofthelegalquestionsraisedbythemotion.Withinthirty(30)daysaftertheentryofjudgmentapartywhohasmovedforadirectedverdictmaymovetohavetheverdictandanyjudgmententeredthereonsetasideandtohavejudgmententeredinaccordancewiththepartysmotionforadirectedverdict;orifaverdictwasnotreturned,suchparty,withinthirty(30)daysafterthejuryhasbeendischarged,maymoveforajudgmentinaccordance&  withsuchpartysmotionforadirectedverdict....T.R.C.P.50.02.'    !#d#        ;Aspertinent,rule41.01providesthat:8 8  SubjecttotheprovisionsofRule23.05orRule66oranystatute,andexceptwhenamotionforsummaryjudgmentmadebyanadversepartyispending,theplaintiffshallhavetherighttotakeavoluntarynonsuittodismissanactionwithoutprejudicebyfilingawrittennoticeofdismissalatanytimebeforethetrialofacauseandservingacopyofthenoticeuponallparties,...;orbyanoralnoticeofdismissalmadeinopencourtduringthetrialofacause;orinjurytrialsatanytimebeforethejuryretirestoconsideritsverdictandpriortotheruling&  ofthecourtsustainingamotionforadirectedverdict....T.R.C.P.41.01(1).'   8 !#d#        ;Thisrulealsoappliestomotionsfiledpursuanttorules52.02,54.04(2),59.02,and59.04.SeeT.R.A.P.4(b). k !#d#        ;ButseeParkerv.VanderbiltUniv.,767S.W.2d412,422n.3(Tenn.App.1988)(whereinthecourt,withoutmentioningEvansv.Perkey,construedRicketstomeanthat [i]tisthedateofthefilingofthewrittennoticeofvoluntarydismissal,nottheentryoftheconfirmatoryorder,thattriggersthecommencementofthetimewithinwhicha[rule]59motionornoticeofappealmustbefiled).PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! .       ` X\RA'\;;X7%dXXd7ћ @ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ WESTERNSECTIONATNASHVILLE ٜR>?=A1-j|m`  `@RߛRONALDLEWISMAYNORDand )BRENDAGAILMAYNORD,  )INDIVIDUALLY,ASNEXTOFKIN )OFAMYMAYNORD,DECEASED, )ANDINTHEIRREPRESENTATIVE )CAPACITYASCOADMINISTRATORS)OFTHEESTATEOFAMYMAYNORD,)      )  Plaintiffs/Appellees, )OvertonCircuitNo.3038      )VS.      )AppealNo.01A019704CV00179      )LARRYNORRISandJOYCEANN )NORRIS,JOINTLYAND   )INDIVIDUALLY,andd/b/aLARRYS )FULLSERVICE,    )      )  Defendants/Appellants. ) @ APPEALFROMTHECIRCUITCOURTOFOVERTONCOUNTY@ ATLIVINGSTON,TENNESSEE@ THEHONORABLEJOHNMADDUX,JUDGE JONE.JONES LAWOFFICEOFJONE.JONES Cookeville,TennesseeAttorneyforAppellants ONNIEL.WINEBARGER Byrdstown,TennesseeAttorneyforAppellees JOHNHUBERTLITTLE Livingston,TennesseeAttorneyforAppellees DISMISSEDANDREMANDED          ALANE.HIGHERS,J.CONCUR:DAVIDR.FARMER,J.HEWITTP.TOMLIN,Sr.J.  7kXXdd7 DefendantsLarryNorrisandJoyceAnnNorrisappealfromthenoticeofvoluntarydismissalfiledbyPlaintiffs/AppelleesRonaldLewisMaynordandBrendaGailMaynord.WedismissthisappealbasedontheNorrisesconcessionthatnofinaljudgmenthasyetbeenenteredbythetrialcourtfromwhichtheNorrisescanappeal. TheMaynords,individuallyandascoadministratorsoftheestateoftheirdaughter,AmyMaynord,filedthisactionagainsttheNorrisesseekingdamagesforinjuriesreceivedbyAmyinanApril1994vehicleaccident.TheMaynordstheoryofliabilitywasthattheNorrises,doingbusinessasLarrysFullService,soldbeertoAmy,whowasundertheageoftwentyone(21)years,andthatsuchsaleproximatelycausedAmysinjuries.SeeT.C.A.575301,5710102(1989&Supp.1991). Attrial,theNorrisestimelymovedforadirectedverdictontheissueoftheirliabilityforAmysinjuriesintheApril1994accident,whichmotionwasdeniedbythetrialcourt. @   כSeeT.R.C.P.50.01.Atthetrialsconclusion,thejuryannouncedthatitwasunabletoreachaverdict.Consequently,thetrialcourtdeclaredamistrialanddischargedthejury.Afterthetrialcourtentereditsjudgmentreflectingtheserulings,theNorrisesfiledamotionforjudgmentinaccordancewiththeirpreviousmotionforadirectedverdictaspermittedbyrule50.02oftheTennesseeRulesofCivilProcedure.SeeT.R.C.P.50.02. A   ׀ BeforethetrialcourtenteredanorderrulingontheNorrisesposttrialmotion,theMaynordsfiledanoticeofvoluntarydismissalpursuanttorule41.01.SeeT.R.C.P.41.01. B   ׀TheNorrisesthenfilednoticeofthisappeal,whichpurportedtoappeal fromtheentryofavoluntarydismissalenteredbytheCircuitCourtforOvertonCounty,...afteramistrialwasdeclared,butpriortoanyrulingbytheTrialCourtrelativetoposttrialmotions.Thenoticeofvoluntarydismissalwasnotsignedbythetrialcourt. Attheoralargumentheldinthismatter,theNorrisesproperlyconcededthattheirappealisprematurebecausethetrialcourthasnotyetruledontheirposttrialmotion.Whenapartytimelyfilesaposttrialmotionpursuanttorule50.02,thetimefortakinganappealdoesnotbegintorununtilthetrialcourtentersanordergrantingordenyingsuchmotion.Evansv.Wilson,776S.W.2d939,94142(Tenn.1989);T.R.A.P.4(b). C   ׀InasmuchasthetrialcourthasnotruledontheNorrisesposttrialmotionforadirectedverdict,theNorrisespresentlycannotpursuethisappeal. Whileconcedingthattheirappealispremature,theNorrisesexplainedthat,asaprecautionarymeasure,theyfiledtheirnoticeofappealwithinthirtydaysoftheMaynordsnoticeofvoluntarydismissalinlightofthesupremecourtsdecisioninRicketsv.Sexton,533S.W.2d293(Tenn.1976).There,thesupremecourtstatedthat:8 8  [Rule41.01]specifiesthataplaintiff shallhavetherighttotakeavoluntarynonsuitortodismissanactionwithoutprejudicebyfilingawrittennoticeofdismissalatanytimebeforethetrialofacause.Thisportionof[rule41.01]isnotdependentuponthedeterminationofthetrialjudge.Thelawyerfortheplaintiffisthesolejudgeofthematterandthetrialjudgehasnocontroloverit.Itisnotnecessarythat[thetrialjudge]approvetheactionofplaintiffscounselbysigninganyorder;normay[thetrialjudge]nullifytherulesbyanorder disallowingthenonsuit.Allthatisrequiredtodismisspriortothetrial,intheabsenceoftheexistenceofanyoftheexceptions[specifiedinrule&  41.01],isthefilingofawrittennoticeofdismissal.Ricketsv.Sexton,533S.W.2dat294.'   Wedonotconstruetheforegoinglanguagetomeanthatanoticeofvoluntarydismissalfiledbyaplaintiffconstitutesafinal,appealableorder.AtrialcourtspeaksonlythroughitswrittenorderswhichhavebeenproperlyenteredinaccordancewiththeTennesseeRulesofCivilProcedure.Laddexrel.Laddv.HondaMotorCo.,939S.W.2d83,104(Tenn.App.1996);Evansv.Perkey,647S.W.2d636,641(Tenn.App.1982);T.R.C.P.58.Rule3oftheTennesseeRulesofAppellateProcedurepermitsappealsasofrightincivilactionsonlyfromfinaljudgmentswhichhavebeenenteredbythetrialcourt.SeeT.R.A.P.3(a).Here,thenoticeofvoluntarydismissalwasfiledbytheMaynords,butthenoticeneitherwassignedbythetrialcourtnorpurportedtobeanorderofthetrialcourtdismissingtheaction.Cf.Ricketsv.Sexton,533S.W.2dat294(whereinplaintiffsfiledpleadingcaptioned motionforvoluntarydismissalwhichwasactuallyinformofordertenderedfortrialcourtssignature). Moreover,inconstruingtheRicketsdecision,thiscourtpreviouslyhasheldthat,althoughaplaintiffhasarighttotakeavoluntarynonsuitortodismissanactionwithoutprejudicebyfilingawrittennoticeofdismissal,suchnoticedoesnotconstituteanorderorjudgmentwhichfinallyadjudicatesthecase.Evansv.Perkey,647S.W.2d636(Tenn.App.1982).InEvansv.Perkey,thiscourtexplained:8 8 WeconstruetheRicketscourttobesayingthattheplaintiffinthatcasehaddoneallthatwasrequiredtobedonewhenhegavewrittennoticeofhisintentiontotakeanonsuit.Itwasnotnecessaryforthe[trial]courttograntpermissionorenteranorderpermittingittobedone.However,wedonotfindthe[supreme]courttobesayingthatajudgmentordecreeneednotbeentered[bythetrialcourt]forfinaladjudicationofa&  case.Evansv.Perkey,647S.W.2dat641;accordLillardv.Pinckley,No.'  01A019506CV00268,1995WL656886,at*3n.5(Tenn.App.Nov.9,1995)(citingEvansv.Perkeyforthepropositionthat thesavingsstatutebeginstorunfromthedateoftheentryoftheorderdismissingthesuitwithoutprejudice,notfromthedateofthefilingofthenoticeofvoluntarydismissal);Wynnev.Bikas,1993WL127050,at*2(Tenn.App.Apr.23,1993)(citingEvansv.Perkeyforthepropositionthat adismissalpursuanttovoluntarynonsuitsiseffectiveonthedateofentryoftheorderofdismissalandnotfromthedateoffilingthenoticeofnonsuit). D    TheNorrisesappealisherebydismissedwithoutprejudice,andthiscauseisremandedtothetrialcourtforfurtherproceedings.CostsofthisappealaretaxedtotheNorrises,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.         򀀀         HIGHERS,J.CONCUR:򀀀FARMER,J.򀀀TOMLIN,Sr.J.