Hall v. Harris
| Decision Date | 11 August 1999 |
| Docket Number | No. A99A1652.,A99A1652. |
| Citation | 239 Ga. App. 812,521 S.E.2d 638 |
| Parties | HALL et al. v. HARRIS et al. |
| Court | Georgia Court of Appeals |
OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE
Gorby & Reeves, Douglas R. Kertscher, Atlanta, Mary D. Peters, for appellants.
Hopkins & Taylor, James J. Hopkins, for appellees.
In early June 1989, Joe Richard Harris, defendant-appellee, was the sole owner, officer, and manager of Harris Builders, Inc. and Multi-Pest Services, Inc., defendants-appellees, and acted as developer-builder/general contractor of a house at 80 Hidden Lakes Drive in Carrollton, Carroll County. Harris determined the design, materials and construction methods for such house, selected all subcontractors, inspected all work, and accepted all subcontractor work. He had the exterior of the house covered with synthetic stucco, known as "EIFS." Harris also had his company, Multi-Pest Services, Inc. do the termite barrier treatment of the house.
Murphy, plaintiffs' expert witness, testified that, in his expert opinion, the defendants had been negligent in the choice of materials and design, in construction and workmanship, and in inspection and acceptance of the work of subcontractors; that the defendants breached warranties; and that the defendants breached the contract provision that rotten wood in doors and windows would be replaced. He based such opinions upon a detailed inspection that he put into a report, which set forth the factual bases of his specific factual findings. The EIFS cladding was intended by the manufacturer for commercial and industrial applications and not residential structures, because residential structures have more doors and windows through which moisture can get behind the artificial stucco. The defendants chose to use EIFS although the house had 34 windows, 14 doors, and many penetration points through the cladding for utilities and fixtures, which increased the risk of moisture penetration behind the EIFS unless properly sealed. Murphy found, in fact, that moisture had penetrated at such points so that the door and window frames had rotted. Harris had knowledge and expertise in the area of stucco installation and application sufficient to allow him to detect defects by merely observing the work, so that he was aware of these defects or should have been.
At the time of construction, EIFS and other synthetic stucco products were generally known in the industry to retain or trap moisture so that wood beneath the EIFS would rot; that the trapped moisture would encourage termite infestation; and that extending the EIFS to and below ground level would provide concealed termite access. Such information was provided by the manufacturer as part of its specifications and installation instructions. Harris was aware of the special precautions that were mandated by the manufacturer when using EIFS, i.e., adequate prime coating, flashing, backer rods, sealant, and caulking. These precautions should be taken where the synthetic stucco abutted wooden doors, windows, decorative columns, frieze, fascia board, roof side wall junctures, and roof lines making seams; moisture barriers were essential at such potential access areas to keep rainwater from seeping behind the EIFS.
In this case, the EIFS was negligently extended to and below ground by the installer, contrary to the manufacturer's installation directions and specifications for use of the product. Such improper installation was observable by the defendants during and after final installation, inspection, approval, and acceptance of the work. The defendants did not follow or require its installers to follow such general construction standards, precautions, and manufacturer's specifications in either their contract with subcontractors, their acceptance of work from the installer, or their own or other subcontractors' work. The defendants inspected and accepted such negligently and defectively performed work. Further, flat decorative surfaces at windows, doors, columns, and other areas provided water collection points and moisture entry areas, which were prepared and installed or inspected and accepted by the defendants. Where EIFS cladding was penetrated for deck attachments, electric meters, light fixtures, hose bibs, or similar utility openings, there were no proper back wraps, improper back wraps, base coats, backer rods, or sealants to prevent moisture penetration. All of such negligent installation procedures and defective conditions were readily observable by an expert like Harris, during and after the EIFS installation, or were the results of the acts or omissions of the defendants directly. Harris in the exercise of ordinary care, while carrying out contract compliance inspection and acceptance of the subcontractor's work, should have discovered such defects and deviations from the workmanship standard of care. With time, damage from termites and wood rot directly resulted from such negligent acts, omissions, and defective workmanship.
The house was constructed by the defendants with other defects in design, workmanship, and material; the failure to waterproof the foundation walls was below the reasonable standard of care used by a reasonable homebuilder. The floor joists span of 11'8", with the 2" × 10" joists notched to 2" × 6" at each end, reduced the joist load capacity to the equivalent of a only 2" × 6" with a span of 9'8". Concentric loading of piers for the floor joists was at a single pier located under the kitchen. The roof had no felt or other underlayment beneath the shingles, no flashing under valleys, a slope over the living room of only 3 ½' in 12', and shingles in such area with only a 5 ¼" reveal.
In June 1989, the house was scheduled for, but never inspected for, a certificate of occupancy by the Carroll County Building Inspector's office. Carroll County never issued a certificate of occupancy on this house. Between 1990 and 1992, renters made complaints to the Carroll County Building Inspector's office about construction and water problems; Harris was aware of such complaints prior to the sale to the plaintiffs. The Building Inspector's office refused to issue an occupancy certificate. On September 11, 1992, Harris swore in an affidavit in another suit with regard to this house that "[i]n fact, because of water problems, Carroll County would not and to this day will not issue a certificate of occupancy." However, Harris by deposition in this case, swore that a certificate of occupancy was issued in 1989; he failed to explain such material conflict in his testimony. He sought to provide instead a questionable document purporting to be an authentic certificate of occupancy.
In early 1993, Harris, by brochure, represented that the house had "the look and feel of luxury," "so much quality," and "impressive stucco." The plaintiffs, Joseph M. and Creaestia Hall, saw the brochure and inquired of Harris. Harris made the oral, material misrepresentation that the house had been "code approved." Harris also represented that the house was a "quality" house, requiring "low maintenance," and that "you won't find a house that is better built than this one anywhere in Carrollton." The plaintiffs relied upon such oral representations in meeting the builder-seller's asking price.
The sales contract required "[s]eller to replace all rotten wood around all windows and doors." On April 21, 1993, Harris, as builder-seller, signed a "Seller's Property Disclosure Statement" representing that no building codes were violated and that there were no structural problems with the house. Murphy's inspection revealed that many, if not most, of the doors and windows with rotten wood were installed in 1989 or 1990 from the affixed manufacturer's codes and had not been replaced.
Harris requested that the plaintiffs use Multi-Pest Services, Inc. to inspect for termites and to provide the termite letter for the house without disclosing that he owned and controlled the company. The termite letter certified that the house was free of termites and that neither the termite inspector "nor the Company has, had or contemplate having any interest in the property involved, nor is acting in association with any party to the transaction." However, Murphy's inspection revealed present and past evidence of termite and carpenter ant damage and infestation. In 1993, prior to the sale of the house, Harris admitted to Caralee Haygood of the Georgia Department of Agriculture that the house had prior termite infestation and wood rot. Multi-Pest Services, Inc. reported to the plaintiffs that all the rotten wood had been replaced.
Plaintiffs presented (1) the affidavit of their expert witness, who gave his opinion based upon a thorough inspection, showing defects, negligent inspection and construction, breach of contract, and a basis for fraud; (2) their own affidavits; (3) the affidavit of a Carroll County Building Inspector; (4) Harris' affidavit in another case which conflicts with his sworn deposition testimony; (5) the deposition of Harris; (6) the deposition of Jack Barr; (7) the affidavit of Christopher Pyles; and (8) the affidavit of Caralee Haygood. However, the trial court granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment on all theories of liability. Because the trial court failed to follow Lau's Corp. v. Haskins, 261 Ga. 491, 405 S.E.2d 474 (1991), as to the procedure for the grant of summary judgment, for burden of proof, for favorable inferences for the plaintiffs, and for evidence presented in opposition to a motion for summary judgment, we reverse the trial court's grant of summary judgment on all but one theory of liability.
1. Plaintiffs contend that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment as to the fraud count. We agree.
The defendant made material oral statements that were false that the house was "code approved"; that the house had a certificate of occupancy; and that the house was a ...
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