ÿWPCÞ L# 8UNC %‘ 0c—U<úw@64vŠ 0§™@ 0JH 0T’ 0^æ 0hD 0r¬ 0| 0†š 0 1u° 0d% 0@‰ D3É U>ü 0D: B)~ DC§ AMê U*7 ca AQÄÆ 0DÛ 0D D/c B’Á¯v~pvÓî BÁ˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLHÎ(ÈhH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(;cW$¡¡Ò°ÒÒ„°ÒÔ€XaBXXXÔ-šBu Z‹$Arrus BT Roman ŒEŽPDD‘’P“Ó€Ÿ Œƒ*#3|x (W(3Ñ$¤¤Ý ƒcW!ÝÒ°ÒÒ„°ÒÔ€X„HXXXÔÝ  Ýà ` àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  ÒKKKK'ÿÿdxd< Œ 9p`(&Times New Roman(#Ã$òòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó% Line 7 d$$$$7Border 1dd* %Cþÿ << Gÿÿ< Œ 9p`(Arial YÝ ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€"ÔÒ  ÒÒ „ ÒÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÝ ƒ+"ÝÝ  ÝÔ€'ÔÔ€'ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€'XÔÌÌò òSeptemberÏ24,Ï1997ÌÌCecilÏCrowson,ÏJr.ÌÔ€'ôÔAppellateÏCourtÏClerkó ó*+ ,-Cþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3¯$¢¢Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó..'÷ÿ dxdüÿP Pd ·Ý ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€"ÔÒ  ÒÒ „ ÒÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÝ ƒ $Ýà àòòÚ  ÚÚ  ÚóóÝ  ÝRule€10€(Court€of€Appeals).€€òòMemorandum€Opinionóó.€„„€(b)€The€Court,Ïwith€the€concurrence€of€all€judges€participating€in€the€case,€may€affirm,€reverseÏor€modify€the€actions€of€the€trial€court€by€memorandum€opinion€when€a€formalÏopinion€would€have€no€precedential€value.€€When€a€case€is€decided€byÏmemorandum€opinion€it€shall€be€designated€"MEMORANDUM€OPINION,"Ïshall€not€be€published,€and€shall€not€be€cited€or€relied€on€for€any€reason€in€aÏsubsequent€unrelated€case.€Ô€"ÔÌPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'hStyl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  h HD: Geneva ÒÒ  h HD: Geneva Ò dÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€"ÔÒ  ÒÒ „ ÒÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ7€”XXdðdÈ7ÑÑ  ÑÓ  Ó›Þ ÞÌà@ àIN€THE€COURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àWESTERN€SECTION€AT€JACKSONÌà àà à€€€€______________________________________________ÌÌò òPOPULAR€HOMES,€INC.,€à àà àà àó óFROM€THE€SHELBY€COUNTY€ò òÌCANADA€TRACE,€INC.,à àà àà àó óCIRCUIT€COURT,€No.€37903ò òÌTOM€LONG€&€KATHY€LONG,à àà àó óTHE€HONORABLE€DððARMYÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àBAILEY,€JUDGEÌà àAppellants,Ìœ›à àà àà àà àà àà àà àC.A.€No.€02A01„9702„CV„00044ÌVs.à àà àà àà àà àà àà àò òòòAFFIRMED€œIN€PART€AND›Ïœà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àREMANDED›ÌœÙ€*ÙóóßR€&(%A1-j|LÙ` à. `€€@ÿRßCLAYBORN›€BALL€TEMPLE€A.M.Eà àà àó óT.€James€Watson€of€BartlettÌò òCHURCH,€and€REVEREND€E.à àà àó óFor€AppellantsÌò òALBERT€BROWN,€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àó óCharles€Waldman€of€MemphisÌà àAppellees.à àà àà àà àà àFor€AppelleesÌ____________________________________________________________________________ÌÑ7€”XXdðXXdð7ÑÑ  ÑÌà@ àMEMORANDUM€OPINION× ƒ/ ××  ×Ì___________________________________________________________________________ÌÌò òòòCRAWFORD,€J.ó óóóÌÌÑ7€”XXdðXXdð7ÑÓÓà àPlaintiffsðð€complaint€against€defendants,€Clayborn€Ball€Temple€AMEÏChurch€and€Reverend€E.€Albert€Brown,€Jr.,€is€titled€ð ðComplaint€for€Breach€ofÍContract€for€Sale€of€Real€and€Personal€Property.ðð€€The€complaint€alleges€thatÏdefendant€Brown€acting€as€the€agent€and€with€authority€from€defendant€churchÏentered€into€a€contract€with€plaintiff€providing€for€conveyance€of€real€propertyÏand€certain€personal€property€to€the€church.€€Prior€to€the€consummation€of€theÏtransaction,€Reverend€Brown,€for€the€church,€assumed€the€duties€of€managingÏthe€property€and€collecting€rent,€but€failed€to€abide€by€the€contract€and€pay€theÏmortgage€indebtedness€and€taxes€due€on€the€properties.€€The€contract€wasÏbreached€by€default€in€the€payment€of€the€mortgage€obligations€and€taxes€andÏfurther€that€payment€was€not€made€for€the€property€as€required€by€theÏcontract.€€The€complaint€avers€that€as€a€result€of€the€defendantsðð€actions,€theÏproperty€was€foreclosed,€and€plaintiffs€were€liable€for€deficiencies€and€otherÏexpenses€that€should€have€been€paid€by€defendants.Ìà àDefendant€churchððs€answer€denied€the€material€allegations€of€theÏcomplaint€and€further€denied€that€defendant€Brown€was€acting€as€its€agent€andÏservant€and€avers€that€the€church€had€no€involvement€in€the€transaction€withÏthe€plaintiffs.€€Defendant€Brownððs€answer€denied€the€material€allegations€of€theÏcomplaint€and€joined€issue€thereon€and€Brown€also€filed€a€counter„claim€allegingÏthat€he€sustained€damages€because€plaintiffs€breached€the€contract.€€On€MayÍ13,€1996,€at€the€conclusion€of€a€rather€lengthy€nonjury€trial,€the€trial€courtÏstated€his€findings€from€the€bench€that€defendant€Brown€did€not€have€actual€orÏapparent€authority€to€act€for€the€church€and€that€the€church€was€not€a€party€toÏthe€contract€with€plaintiff.€€The€trial€court€also€announced€from€the€bench:€ð ðIÏwill€award€compensatory€damages€of€$175,000.00€against€Reverend€Brown€andÏpunitive€damages€in€the€amount€of€$25,000.00,€costs€against€Reverend€Brown.ððÌà àOn€September€19,€1996,€the€Court€entered€judgment€which€states€asÏfollows:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 à€€€THIS€CAUSE€came€on€to€be€heard€on€May€6,€7,€8,Ï9,€13,€and€June€5€and€28,€1996,€before€the€HonorableÏDððARMY€BAILEY,€Judge€of€Division€VIII€of€theÏCircuit€Court€of€Tennessee€for€the€Thirtieth€JudicialÏDistrict€at€Memphis,€Shelby€County,€upon€theÏPlaintiffsðð€original€Complaint€filed€herein,€theÏDefendantsðð€respective€Answers€filed€in€responseÏthereto,€the€Defendant€E.€ALBERT€BROWN€JR.ððsÏCounter„Complaint€filed€in€the€cause€and€theÏPlaintiffsðð€Answer€filed€in€response€thereto,€theÏtestimony€of€the€several€witnesses,€the€many€exhibits,Ïstatements€of€counsel,€and€from€the€entire€recordÏestablished€in€this€cause,€from€all€of€which€it€appearsÏto€the€Court€as€follows:ÌÌà8 àà8 à€€€€€€IT€AFFIRMATIVELY€APPEARING€that€theÏPlaintiffsðð€cause€against€the€Defendant€CLAYBORNÏBALL€TEMPLE€AME€CHURCH€is€not€well€taken€andÏthat€a€judgment€in€favor€of€the€Defendant€should€beÏentered€as€to€this€named€Defendant;€andÌÌà8 àà8 à€€€€€€€€€IT€FURTHER€APPEARING€that€the€DefendantÏE.€ALBERT€BROWN€JR.€is€guilty€of€acts€of€willful€andÏintentional€fraud€and€deceit€against€the€Plaintiffs€andÏthat€a€judgment€in€the€amount€of€fifty€thousand€andÏno/100€($50,000.00)€compensatory€damages€should€beÏentered€against€this€Defendant€and€in€favor€of€theÏPlaintiffs;€andÌÌà8 àà8 à€€€€€€€IT€FURTHER€APPEARING€that€judgment€inÏfavor€of€Plaintiffs/Counter„Defendants€should€beÏentered€as€to€this€named€Defendantððs€Counter„Complaint€filed€herein.ÌÌà8 àà8 à€€€€€IT€IS,€THEREFORE,€ORDERED,€ADJUDGEDÏAND€DECREED:ÌÌà8 àà8 à1.€€That€judgment€in€favor€of€the€DefendantÏCLAYBORN€BALL€TEMPLE€AME€CHURCH€be,€andÏit€hereby€is€granted€in€this€cause.ÌÌà8 àà8 à2.€€That€judgment€in€the€amount€of€fifty€thousand€andÏno/100€($50,000.00)€dollars€be,€and€it€hereby€is,Ïgranted€in€favor€of€the€Plaintiffs€and€against€theÏdefendant€E.€ALBERT€BROWN€JR.€as€compensatoryÏdamages€for€the€acts€of€willful€and€intentional€fraudÏand€deceit€perpetrated€against€the€Plaintiffs€by€thisÏDefendant.ÌÌà8 àà8 à3.€€That€judgment€in€favor€of€the€Plaintiffs/Counter„Defendants€be,€and€it€hereby€is,€granted€in€this€causeÏas€to€the€Counter„Complaint€filed€herein€by€theÏDefendant€E.€ALBERT€BROWN,€JR.ÌÌà8 àà8 à4.€€That€the€costs€of€this€cause€be,€and€hereby€are,Ïassessed€against€Defendant€E.€ALBERT€BROWN€JR.,Ífor€all€of€which€let€execution€issue.ÌÌÓÓà àPlaintiffs€have€appealed€and€present€two€issues€for€review€which€we€haveÏrephrased€as€follows:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 à1.€€Whether€the€evidence€preponderates€against€theÏtrial€courtððs€findings€that€there€was€no€actual€orÏapparent€authority€for€defendant€Brown€to€act€for€theÏchurch€and€therefore€finding€that€the€church€was€notÏa€party€to€the€contract€with€plaintiffs.ÌÌà8 àà8 à2.€€Whether€the€trial€court€erred€in€consideringÏcomparative€fault€on€the€part€of€plaintiffs€when€theÏdefendant€Brown€was€found€guilty€of€willful€andÏintentional€fraud€and€deceit.ÌÌÓÓà àSince€this€case€was€tried€by€the€court€sitting€without€a€jury,€we€reviewÏthe€case€de€novo€upon€the€record€with€a€presumption€of€correctness€of€theÏfindings€of€fact€by€the€trial€court.€€Unless€the€evidence€preponderates€againstÏthe€findings,€we€must€affirm€absent€error€of€law.€€T.R.A.P.€13(d).Ìà àAs€to€the€first€issue,€from€our€review€of€the€record,€we€find€that€theÏevidence€does€not€preponderate€against€the€finding€of€the€trial€court€thatÏBrown€had€no€actual€or€apparent€authority€to€act€for€the€church€and€that€theÏchurch€was€not€a€party€to€the€contract€with€the€plaintiffs.Ìà àAs€to€the€second€issue€presented€for€review,€plaintiffs€allege€in€their€briefÏthat€the€trial€court€applied€the€principles€of€comparative€negligence€in€itsÍultimate€entry€of€the€judgment€of€$50,000.00€instead€of€$175,000.00,€which€theÏcourt€stated€from€the€bench€would€be€awarded.€€We€find€nothing€in€the€recordÏthat€substantiates€this€assertion.€€However,€our€review€of€the€record€indicatesÏthat€the€damages€in€the€amount€of€$50,000.00€œare€›€lower€than€the€range€ofÏdamages€established€by€the€proof.€€Defendant€Brown€did€not€file€a€brief€in€thisÏcourt€and€therefore€does€not€respond€to€plaintiffððs€assertions€nor€does€the€bankÏmake€any€response€to€that€issue.€Ìà àThe€record€does€reflect€that€the€trial€court€indicated€in€his€statementsÏfrom€the€bench€that€comparative€fault€might€be€involved,€but€that€this€theoryÏhad€not€been€asserted€by€the€parties.€€The€trial€court€did€call€for€memorandaÏfrom€the€parties€and€subsequently€entered€a€final€judgment.€€As€we€noted,€theÏdamages€awarded€did€not€appear€to€be€within€the€range€of€the€proof€offeredÏconcerning€the€damages,€and€the€case€should€be€remanded€for€theÏreconsideration€of€the€damages€by€the€trial€court.Ìà àSince€the€trial€court€has€specifically€found€that€defendant€Brown€wasÏguilty€of€intentional€fraud€and€deceit,€we€do€not€believe€that€the€plaintiffððsÏnegligence€should€affect€the€award€of€damages.€€In€ò òòòIsaacs€v.€Bokoró óóó,€566€S.W.2dÏ532€(Tenn.€1978),€our€Supreme€Court€said:€ð ðIn€actions€for€actual€fraud€andÍdeceit,€contributory€fault€of€the€victim€generally€is€not€considered€a€defense.ðð€Ïò òòòId.ó óóó€at€540€(citations€omitted).€€Ìà àIn€ò òòòBevins€v.€Livesayó óóó,€221€S.W.2d€106€(Tenn.€App.€1949),€this€CourtÏstated:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 à€€€The€perpetrator€of€a€fraud€should€not€be€relieved€onÏthe€ground€that€his€victim€was€negligent€in€believingÏthe€misrepresentation€and€should€have€made€anÏinvestigation€of€his€own.ÌÌà8 àà8 à€€€ð ðIt€has€been€frequently€declared€that€as€between€theÏoriginal€parties,€one€who€has€intentionally€deceivedÏthe€other€party€to€his€prejudice€is€not€to€be€heard€toÏsay,€in€defense€of€the€charge€of€fraud,€that€theÏinnocent€party€ought€not€to€have€trusted€him€or€wasÏœguilty›€of€negligence€in€so€doing.ðð€€23€Am.Jur.€948.ÌÌò òòòBevinsó óóó,€32€Tenn.€App.€1,€8,€221€S.W.2d€at€109.ÌÌÓÓà àPlaintiffs€also€assert€that€the€trial€judge€erroneously€failed€to€awardÏpunitive€damages€after€announcing€from€the€bench€that€he€would€do€so.€€AnÏaward€of€punitive€damages€lies€within€the€discretion€of€the€trier€of€fact.€€ò òòòB.F.ÏMyers€&€Son€of€Goodlettsville,€Inc.€v.€Evansó óóó,€612€S.W.2d€912€(Tenn.€App.Ï1980).€€We€find€no€abuse€of€discretion€in€this€regard€by€the€trial€court.Ìà àThe€judgment€of€the€trial€court€in€favor€of€defendant€Clayborn€BallÏTemple€AME€Church€is€affirmed,€and€the€judgment€as€to€liability€againstÍdefendant€Brown€is€affirmed.€€The€case€is€remanded€to€the€trial€court€forÏfurther€consideration€of€the€damage€award€against€defendant€Brown€consistentÏwith€this€Opinion.€€Costs€of€the€appeal€are€assessed€against€the€appellee,€E.ÏAlbert€Brown,€Jr.ÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà àà à_________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àò òW.€FRANK€CRAWFORD,€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPRESIDING€JUDGE,€W.S.ó óÌÌò òCONCUR:ÌÌ____________________________________ÌALAN€E.€HIGHERS,€JUDGEó óÌÌ____________________________________Ìò òDAVID€R.€FARMER,€JUDGEó ó