WPC 4Vj 0(yw@ 0J 0T3 0^ 0h 0rM 0| 0; 0 1uQ 0d UB* %l U6r U> B) DC AMR U*  Bfv~fv D3 0@ AO*y 0D? D/ Bڃ"3|x($ EDӀ2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 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<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiX<  9p`(Courier New<  9p`(&Times New Roman% Line 7 d 7Border 1dd-!C << G<  9p`(Arial  !  #d#  ##   YYY FILED#X December9,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.#AppellateCourtClerk  d \\RA'\PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva %%%%'dxd("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! .         7ZAXXdd7ԛ\RA'\ќ ̀@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEEٜR"$!A1-j|}`  `@Rߛ@ EASTERNSECTION ̜C.SAMROBERTS,   )C/ANO.03A019706CH00199      ) PlaintiffAppellee,   )UNIONCHANCERY      )v.      )HON.BILLYJOEWHITE      )CHANCELLORJAMESE.HOUSTON,   )      )REVERSEDAND DefendantAppellant.  )DISMISSEDMARYE.LOWEandHENRYT.OGLE,Knoxville,forPlaintiffAppellee.JOHNP.VALLIANT,JR.,Knoxville,forDefendantAppellant.@ OPINION         Franks,J.  Plaintiffbroughtthisactionagainstdefendantandhiswife,Diane,allegingthatdefendant enteredintoagreementwithplaintiffforplaintifftogradeandexcavate...inordertomakesaidlandusable.Plaintifffurtheraverredthatheexpendedover$29,000.00forheavyequipmentandoperatorsonexcavation,and purchasedandinstalledpipingatthecostof$3,604.00,foratotaldueintheϜamountof$33,530.09".  Defendantdeniedinhisanswerthathehadcontractedwithplaintiffforanyworkonhisproperty.  Therecordshowsthatdefendantswife,Diane,wasthedaughterofplaintiffandthisactionwasbroughtafterdefendantandDianehadseparated.IndefendantandDianesdivorceaction,defendantwasawardedthepropertyinquestion,andplaintiff,beforetrial,nonsuitedDianeasapartydefendant.  Attrial,plaintifftestifiedthathehadanagreementwithdefendantontheproperty tofillitinandinwhichwewoulddothegradingworkforthemtocoverit.Hetestifiedthattheagreementwasmadebetweenhimanddefendantatdefendantshouse,andthatdefendantswifewaspresentwhentheagreementwasmade.Hefurthertestifiedwhenhewasdoingworkonthepropertythedefendantobservedtheworkanddidnotmakeanycomplaintsaboutthework.Hewasthenasked:0 0 Q.0 Allright,nowhowmuchmoneydidyouspend.Diditaccumulateinchargesthetimeyouwereworkingonthisjob?0 0 A.0 Itwasover$30,000.00.  Thedefendantflatlydeniedthatheandplaintiffeverenteredintoanyagreementregardingpayingfortheworkdonebyplaintiff.Defendanttestifiedthatwhenheandhiswifeboughtthepropertyitwashisunderstandingthat Samimprovedtoworkforaday.AndthatiswhatIwasthinkingitwas.Heneverdidsayhewasgoingtochargeusanythinganditwasonlyafterthedivorcewasfiledthatplaintiffclaimedmoneywasowed.Hewasalsoaskedthequestion:0 0 Q.0 AreyouawareofanyagreementorthesubstanceofanyagreementbetweenMr.Robertsandhisdaughter,Diane?0 0 A.0 HewasgoingtoimprovethatpropertyforDiane.HewasdoingworkforDianeonourproperty.ThatisallIknowwhenItalkedtohim.Attheconclusionofthetrial,theTrialCourtruledthatdefendanthadagreedwithplaintifffortheplaintiff todothiswork.TheCourtthensaidthathewasfamiliarwiththepropertywhichhedeemed practicallyworthless,priortotheworkbeingdone,andthepropertymostcertainlynowisvaluable.Heconcludedbyruling:0 0 so,baseduponquantummerittheory,theplaintiffwouldbeentitledtorecoverhis$33,508.09.&  OurreviewoftheTrialCourtsjudgmentisdenovowithapresumptionsuitedcodefendantdaughterdidnottestifyattrial,andtheevidenceissharplydisputedonthepositionofwhetheracontractwasenteredbetweentheplaintiffandthedefendanttodothegradingandfillwork.TheevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainsttheTrialCourtsfindingthatdefendantenteredacontractwiththeplaintiff.However,theplaintiffdidnothavealicensetoengagein contracting.SeeT.C.A.626101etseq.Duetothisfact,defendantinsiststhatplaintiffisnotentitledtorecoverforhiswork,andreliesuponT.C.A.626103Ϝwhichprovidesinpertinentpart:0 0 RecoveryofExpensesbyUnlicensedContractor (a)(1)...Itisunlawfulforanyperson,firmorcorporationtoengagein,oroffertoengagein,contractingashereinabovedescribed,unlesssuchperson,firmorcorporationhasbeendulylicensedundertheprovisionsofthischapter...0 0 (b)Anyunlicensedcontractorcoveredbytheprovisionsofthischaptershallbepermittedinacourtofequitytorecoveractualdocumentedexpensesonlyuponashowingofclearandconvincingproof.PlaintiffalsocalledasawitnessJamesBrewerwhowasadozeroperator,andhetestifiedthathemoveddirtonthelotand guessedthatheworkedsevenoreightmonths.Oncrossexamination,hetestifiedthathewaspaidbycashandthatRobertsneverfurnishedhimwithataxform1099.PlaintiffalsocalledJakeHayneswhooperatedHaynesMachinerySales,Inc.Haynestestifiedthathehadrentedplaintiffatractor,buthedidnotkeepupwithwhereplaintiffusedhismachinery.Hedidobservethepieceofequipmentonthelotinquestionononeoccasion,becausehehadbeencalledtorepairandoilleak.Heofferedsomeinvoicesofhourstheequipmentwasrentedtoplaintiff,andtestifiedthatpaymentsweremadeincashandbythirdpartychecks.Herecalledthatononeoccasionplaintiffhadgivenhimacheckfor$4,000.00andhegavetheplaintiff$3,000.00cash,andapplied$1,000.00totheaccount.  WithduedeferencetotheChancellor,thiscasewasneitherplednortriedonthetheoryofquantummerit.SeePaschalls,Inc.v.Dozier,407S.W.2d150(Tenn.1965).  Plaintiffspleadingsandevidencearethatthedefendantenteredintoanoralcontractwiththeplaintifftodothegradingandfillworkondefendantspropertyandthatdefendantagreedtopayplaintiffforthiswork.Plaintiffsevidence,ineffect,establishesacontractwhichwasillegalundertheprovisionsofthe ContractorsLicensingActof1994".Moreover,asageneralrule,whereacauseofactionisbaseduponanillegalcontract,recoverycannotbehadonaquantummerit.SeeHotelv.Ewing,124Tenn.536(Tenn.1911).  PlaintiffsremedyontheevidencebeforeusisprovidedintheabovequotedsectionofT.C.A.626103andislimitedto actualdocumentedexpensesonlyuponashowingofclearandconvincingproof.𛀀Plaintiffsactionmustfailbecausefirsttheevidencedoesnotestablishactualdocumentedexpenses,andwefindthattheproofthatwasofferedonthesameisnotclearandconvincing.  Accordingly,wereversetheTrialCourtsjudgmentanddismissthisactionatappelleescost.@        __________________________      HerschelP.Franks,J.̜CONCUR:___________________________HoustonM.Goddard,P.J.___________________________DonT.McMurray,J.thattheTrialCourtsfindingsoffactarecorrect.T.R.A.P.Rule13(d).Thenon