Haynie v. City of Forest Acres

THIS OPINION HAS NO PRECEDENTIAL VALUE. IT SHOULD NOT BE
CITED OR RELIED ON AS PRECEDENT IN ANY PROCEEDING
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY RULE 268(d)(2), SCACR.

THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
In The Court of Appeals

Frank "Doc" Haynie, Appellant,

v.

The City of Forest Acres and Mark M. Williams, Shaun
Greenwood, and Clark Frady, in their individual
capacities, Respondents.

Appellate Case No. 2014-001728

Appeal From Richland County
G. Thomas Cooper, Jr., Circuit Court Judge

Unpublished Opinion No. 2016-UP-246
Heard March 16, 2016 – Filed June 1, 2016

AFFIRMED AS MODIFIED IN PART, REVERSED
AND REMANDED IN PART

James Paul Porter and J. Lewis Cromer, both of J. Lewis
Cromer & Associates, LLC, of Columbia, for Appellant.

A. Johnston Cox, Janice Holmes, and Jessica A. Waller,
all of Gallivan, White & Boyd, P.A., of Columbia, for
Respondent City of Forest Acres; Kirby D. Shealy, III
and Lyndey R. Zwingelberg, both of Adams and Reese
LLP, of Columbia, for Individual Respondents.
PER CURIAM: In this civil matter, Frank "Doc" Haynie appeals the circuit
court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the City of Forest Acres (the City)
as well as Mark W. Williams, Shaun Greenwood, and Clark Frady in their
individual capacities (collectively "Individual Respondents"). Haynie contends the
court erred in (1) misapplying the law on his negligent supervision claim, (2)
finding Individual Respondents were entitled to immunity under the South
Carolina Tort Claims Act (SCTCA),1 and (3) issuing conflicting contemporaneous
orders. We affirm as modified in part and reverse and remand in part.

1. We find the circuit court erred in holding Haynie's negligent supervision claim
against the City failed as a matter of law because Frady and Greenwood did not
engage in the alleged tortious conduct on the City's premises. See Degenhart v.
Knights of Columbus, 309 S.C. 114, 116–17, 420 S.E.2d 495, 496 (1992) (holding
an employer may be liable for negligent supervision when (1) his employee
intentionally harms another when he is on the employer's premises, is on premises
he is privileged to enter only as an employee, or is using the employer's chattel; (2)
the employer knows or has reason to know that he has the ability to control his
employee; and (3) the employer knows or should know of the necessity and
opportunity for exercising such control). As building code enforcement officials,
Frady and Greenwood were privileged to enter the Brentwood Drive property and
the Subway restaurant to enforce the City's building code and permitting
ordinances. Moreover, we hold the court erred in finding, as a matter of law, the
City could not have reasonably anticipated the harm resulting to Haynie because
the record indicates the City was put on notice of Frady and Greenwood's alleged
misconduct. The evidence submitted, when viewed in the light most favorable to
Haynie, establishes the circuit court's grant of summary judgment on the negligent
supervision claim was erroneous.2 See, e.g., Hancock v. Mid-South Mgmt. Co.,

1
S.C. Code Ann. §§ 15-78-10 through -220 (2005 & Supp. 2015).
2
We respectfully disagree with the dissent's view that the circuit court erred in
granting summary judgment on Haynie's entire "negligence/gross negligence"
claim. Haynie's complaint against the City does contain one general cause of
action for negligence and gross negligence, but it compartmentalizes "particulars"
into subsections (a)–(d). Subsection (a) focuses on the City's alleged negligence in
hiring Greenwood and Frady. Subsections (b) and (c) relate to the City's alleged
Inc., 381 S.C. 326, 330, 673 S.E.2d 801, 803 (2009) (holding that, when the
preponderance of the evidence standard applies, "the non-moving party is only
required to submit a mere scintilla of evidence to withstand a motion for summary
judgment"). Accordingly, we reverse and remand for further proceedings.

negligence in supervising them. Haynie must prove different elements for these
distinct employer liability theories. See Degenhart, 309 S.C. at 116–17, 420
S.E.2d at 496 (outlining the elements for a negligent supervision claim); Doe v.
ATC, Inc., 367 S.C. 199, 204–08, 624 S.E.2d 447, 450–51 (Ct. App. 2005) (stating
the elements for a negligent hiring and retention claim and recognizing it as
distinct from a negligent supervision action). Therefore, the circuit court addressed
each claim in separate sections in its order. See Prior v. S.C. Med. Malpractice
Liab. Ins. Joint Underwriting Ass'n, 305 S.C. 247, 249, 407 S.E.2d 655, 657 (Ct.
App. 1991) (per curiam) (providing the court, in examining the complaint, must
look beyond the labels describing the acts to the acts themselves that form the basis
of the claim). In the final section of its order, the court addressed subsection (d) in
which Haynie alleged the City "knowingly allow[ed for the] disparate and unequal
application of the building codes and city ordinances." Although the dissent takes
issue with the circuit court's characterization and dismissal of subsection (d) as an
alleged equal protection violation, it agrees that Haynie did not contest the court's
dismissal of the negligent hiring claim. Therefore, we decline to reverse the court's
grant of summary judgment for the entire "negligence/gross negligence claim"
because it would allow Haynie to pursue a claim at trial that he abandoned on
appeal. In any event, Haynie's only reference to the circuit court's treatment of
subsection (d) appears in footnote three of his final brief where he states "the
elements of an equal protection violation are distinct from the elements of a
negligence/gross negligence claim; therefore, this holding is irrelevant and need
not be addressed." Thus, based upon Haynie's conclusory statement that the court's
ruling on his allegations in subsection (d) is irrelevant to his appeal, we find
Haynie abandoned the issue, leaving only his challenge to the court's grant of
summary judgment on his negligent supervision claim. See Glasscock, Inc. v. U.S.
Fid. & Guar. Co., 348 S.C. 76, 80–81, 557 S.E.2d 689, 691–92 (Ct. App. 2001)
(finding the appellant abandoned an issue presented in a footnote that was
"conclusory and cited no supporting authority" even when it was more fully
addressed in a reply brief).
2. Next, we find the circuit court erred in granting Individual Respondents
immunity from personal liability for the civil conspiracy claim because Haynie
presented evidence from which a jury could find Respondents intended to harm
him. See S.C. Code Ann. § 15-78-70(b) (2005) (providing an exception to SCTCA
immunity for personal liability for tortious conduct when an employee's conduct
evinces an intent to harm); Pridgen v. Ward, 391 S.C. 238, 248–49, 705 S.E.2d 58,
64 (Ct. App. 2010) (holding state agency employees were not entitled to SCTCA
immunity from a civil conspiracy claim because circumstantial evidence existed in
the record to support the jury's finding that they acted with an intent to harm the
plaintiff). Nevertheless, we find Haynie's civil conspiracy claim still fails as a
matter of law because a review of the complaint reveals Haynie failed to properly
plead special damages stemming from Individual Respondents' alleged civil
conspiracy. See Hackworth v. Greywood at Hammett, LLC, 385 S.C. 110, 117,
682 S.E.2d 871, 875 (Ct. App. 2009) (holding "[i]f a plaintiff merely repeats the
damages from another claim instead of specifically listing special damages as part
of the[] conspiracy claim, [then the] conspiracy claim should be dismissed").
Although presented somewhat differently, we find the damages resulting from
Haynie's allegations of negligence against the City and the special damages for the
civil conspiracy claim against Individual Respondents are essentially one and the
same. The special damages for litigation costs, emotional distress, and
embarrassment all overlap with the damages Haynie pled against the City.
Therefore, we affirm the circuit court's grant of summary judgment in favor of
Individual Respondents as modified. See Rule 220(c), SCACR ("The appellate
court may affirm any ruling, order, decision[,] or judgment upon any ground(s)
appearing in the [r]ecord on [a]ppeal.").

3. Because our resolution of the prior issues is dispositive, we decline to address
the final issue on appeal. See Futch v. McAllister Towing of Georgetown, Inc., 335
S.C. 598, 613, 518 S.E.2d 591, 598 (1999) (ruling an appellate court need not
address remaining issues when its resolution of a prior issue is dispositive).

AFFIRMED AS MODIFIED IN PART, REVERSED AND REMANDED IN
PART.

WILLIAMS and LOCKEMY, JJ., concur.

MCDONALD, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part.
MCDONALD, J.: I concur in the result reached by the majority. I write
separately, however, to address this court's holding on the negligence/gross
negligence claim against the City of Forest Acres.

To the extent the majority opinion gives the impression that Appellant appealed
only the circuit court's dismissal of a "negligent supervision" claim, I would clarify
that "negligent supervision" was merely one component of Appellant's cause of
action against the City.

The circuit court cogently recognized that the

Complaint alleges that the City was negligent or grossly
negligent in the following particulars: (1) in appointing
Defendants Greenwood and Frady to their positions when
they were unqualified (2) in failing to "properly supervise
defendants Frady and Greenwood in the performance of
their duties" (3) in "failing to listen to or follow through
with numerous complaints made by the Plaintiff . . . and
discourage the defendants Frady and Greenwood from
harassing, coercing and interfering with the plaintiff's
daily activities and (4) knowingly allowing disparate and
unequal application of the building codes and city
ordinances to deny plaintiff the same or similar relief
granted to numerous other residents and businesses. . . ."

While the circuit court's order certainly focuses on the partial Degenhart "negligent
supervision" analysis and Equal Protection3 theory presented by the City, the
court's "Conclusion" orders "that the Plaintiff's Complaint against the City of
Forest Acres be dismissed with prejudice." Appellant did not limit his appeal to an
appeal of the circuit court's dismissal of a "negligent supervision" claim but
properly addressed the circuit court's holding on his "negligence/gross negligence"
claim in his Consolidated Rule 59(e) Motion to Alter or Amend, his opening brief,

3
Interestingly, the Complaint sets forth no "Equal Protection" claim, nor any other
claim pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Appellant's cause of action against the City is
set forth as a "negligence/gross negligence" claim including the particulars
referenced by the circuit court.
his reply brief, and at oral argument.4 Thus, I would specify that the evidence
submitted, when viewed in the light most favorable to Haynie, establishes that the
circuit court's grant of summary judgment on the negligence/gross negligence
claim was erroneous.5

4
For example, Appellant has argued that the error in the circuit court's
foreseeability ruling was sufficient to bring about "a whole reversal on the
negligence/gross negligence order of the lower court."
5
Appellant did not contest the circuit court's dismissal of the "negligent hiring"
particular of the negligence/gross negligence claim.