WPCY 4Vj 0(yw@ 0l 0DU 0J 0T 0^7 0h 0r 0|o 0 0q 1u 0dv UB % U6" U>X B) DC AM BOU*lC D3v~#v 0@t AO 0D D/  B<f|$3|xk($ WDXYZD[U\]^_`Ӏ((3$ !      0  (#$  0  2 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 d<  9p`(Arial  !  #d#!  ''   YYY FILED'X June26,1998CecilCrowson,Jr.'AppellateCourtClerk  9 !#d#!  $          ""& ThemultiplelistingagentforthesaleofthemotelwasERAPioneerRealtyofSevierville.&&&&'dxdPtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ellan Geneva  ellan Geneva ("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . !        \RA'\7MXXdd7""R%($A1-j|`  `@Rߛ ̀@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ ATKNOXVILLE DAVIDA.WILHOITE,SR.,ETUX., )C/ANO.03A019801CH00004      ) PlaintiffsAppellants,  )COCKECHANCERY      )v.      )HON.CHESTERS.RAINWATER,JR.,      )CHANCELLORNINAB.PROFFITT,ETAL.,  )      )AFFIRMEDAND DefendantsAppellees.  )REMANDEDJAMESM.CRAIN,Knoxville,forPlaintiffsAppellants.CLYDEA.DUNN,Newport,JAMESMcSWEENandFREDHOLT,McSWEEN&McSWEEN,Newport,andJAMESRIPLEY,SHARP&RIPLEY,Sevierville,forDefendantsAppellees.@ OPINION         Franks,J.  Inthisactionplaintiffssoughtrescissionofthepurchaseofamotelordamages,baseduponallegedfraudulentmisrepresentationsduringnegotiationsforthepurchase.Plaintiffssuedtheowners,arealestatefirm,BarbarasRealEstate,andtheTrustee.OnSeptember8,1994,plaintiffsagreedtopurchasethepropertyandreceivedadeedtothepropertyonSeptember13,1994.TheyelectednottomakeanypaymentsontheirloanandthepropertywasforeclosedinNovember,1995.ThisactionwasfiledpriortoforeclosureonFebruary7,1995.  DefendantBarbarasRealtyfiledamotionforsummaryjudgmentwhichwasultimatelygrantedbytheTrialJudge.ThegravamenofplaintiffscomplaintwasthatwhentheyfirstcontactedarepresentativeofBarbarasRealtyonJuly22,1994,theywereadvisedbytherepresentativethattherewouldbenewhighwayconstruction,makingthehighway comingbythemotelintofourlanesϜwhichwouldbecompletedintwotothreeyears.Theexistinghighwayatthattimecomprisedtwolanes.Afterthesalewasconsummated,plaintiffscontactedtheStateHighwayDepartmentanddeterminedthatwhiletherewereplanstobuildafourlanehighwayinthevicinity,theplannedhighwaydidnotgobythemotel.  BarbarasRealEstateessentiallyarguedintheirmotionthattherepresentationsdidnotconstituteactionablefraud,citingOakRidgePrecisionv.FirstTennesseeBank,835S.W.2d25(Tenn.App.1992).Weagreeforreasonshereinaftersetforth.  Subsequenttothegrantofthesummaryjudgment,plaintiffsamendedtheircomplainttostatethattheyhadinquiredofBarbarasrepresentativeaboutthefinancialrecordsofthemotel,inorderthattheycouldjudgetheprofitabilityoftheoperation,andtheywereadvisedthatthemotelhadbeen shutdownfortheproceedingtwoyearsandconsequentlytherewerenorecordsavailable,wheninfactthemotelhadbeeninoperation.Afterthetrial,theChancellor,withoutajury,foundthattheevidencedidnot sustainfraudonthepartofthedefendants.TheJudgesaid:0 0 ThisCourtfindsthattheplaintiffshavewhollyfailedtosustainorshowbyapreponderanceoftheevidence,anyevidenceoffraudonthepartofthesedefendantsoranyoneofthesedefendants.Themannerwashandledcompletelyaboveboard.Thepartieshadavailabletothemanyandallknowledgethatareasonableandresponsiblepersonwouldseek,andhadthemeansofobtainingitiftheyhadsoseenfit,andtheycantcomeinatalaterdateandseektohavesomethingsetasidebecause,inretrospect,itappearstobeanunwisedecisionontheirpart.TheevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainsttheChancellorsfinding,T.R.A.P.Rule13(d).  WenotethattherealestateagentallegedlymakingtherepresentationstoplaintiffwasTomGoolsby,andplaintifftestifiedthathecontactedMr.Goolsby,andplaintifffurthercharacterizedMr.Goolsbyas ourrealestateagent. )   כHefurtherelaborated:0 0 [W]eauthorizedhimtopresenttheofferandnegotiatethetransactionforthemotel.Therecorddemonstratesthatplaintiffsessentiallymadenoindependentinvestigationorchecksonthemotelpropertypriortopurchase.PlaintiffDavidWilhoiteexplained:0 0 IvegonethroughalotofrealestatetransactionsinCalifornia,andIhaddoneresearchandhadbeenverysuccessfulatbuyingandsellingrealestate,andalwaysmademoney.ButasIwasmakingpreparationstocomehome,IprettymuchletmyguarddownthinkingIwasdealingwithgoodhandshakepeople....Astoplaintiffscontentionthattheagentfraudulentlymisrepresentedthatthemotelhadnotbeeninoperationinthelasttwoyears,therecordestablishesthatplaintiffcouldhavereadilyascertainedthemotelhad,infact,beeninoperation.Moreover,theevidencepreponderatesthatthisstatementwasnotaninducementtoplaintiffspurchasingthemotel.Asfortherepresentationastothelocationofanewfourlanehighway,therecordalsoshowsthatthisinformationcouldhavebeenreadilyascertainedbyplaintiff,whichwasdemonstratedbythefactthattheplaintiffreadilyϜobtainedinformationastothelocationshortlyafterpurchasingthemotel.  WebelievetheRulesetforthinWinsteadv.FirstTennesseeBank,N.A.,Memphis,709S.W.2d627(Tenn.App.1986)controls.There,thisCourtsaid:0 0 [W]herethemeansofinformationareathandandequallyaccessibletobothparties,sothatwithordinaryprudenceordiligence,theymightrelyontheirownjudgment,generallytheymustbepresumedtohavedoneso,or,iftheyhavenotinformedthemselves,theymustabidetheconsequencesoftheirowninattentionandcarelessness.Unlesstherepresentationsaresuchasarecalculatedtolullthesuspicionsofacarefulmanintoacompletereliancethereon,itisnotcommonlyheld,intheabsenceofspecialcircumstances,that,wherethemeansofknowledgearereadilyavailable,andthevendororpurchaserasthecasemaybe,hastheopportunitybyinvestigationorinspectiontodiscoverthetruthwithrespecttomattersconcealedormisrepresented,withoutpreventionorhindrancebytheotherparty,ofwhichopportunityheisorshouldbeaware,andwhereheneverthelessfailstoexercisethatopportunityandtodiscoverthetruth,hecannot,thereafterassailthevalidityofthecontractforfraud,misrepresentationorconcealmentwithrespecttomatterswhichshouldhavebeenϜascertained....709S.W.2dat633.  WeaffirmtheChancellorsfindingthatplaintiffsfailedtoestablishactionablefraudbyapreponderanceoftheevidence.  Wehaveconsideredallissuesraisedbytheplaintiffs,findthemtobewithoutmerit,andaffirmthejudgmentoftheTrialCourtandremandwithcostsoftheappealassessedtoappellants.@        __________________________      HerschelP.Franks,J.CONCUR:___________________________DonT.McMurray,J.___________________________CharlesD.Susano,Jr.,J.