IN THE COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS OF MARYLAND --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number 2020 September Term, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DAVID S. SCHUMAN, Appellant v. GREENBELT HOMES, INC., et al. Appellees --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Appeal from the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County Albert W. Northrop, Associate Judge --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- APPELLANT DAVID S. SCHUMAN’S BRIEF --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J.P. Szymkowicz Rita Turner SZYMKOWICZ & SZYMKOWICZ, LLP 15600 Bald Eagle School Road 2300 N Street, N.W., Suite 5310 Brandywine, Maryland 20613 Washington, DC 20037-1122 (410) 706-1129 (voice) (202) 862-8500 (voice) [email protected][email protected]Counsel for Appellant David S. Schuman
This is the Brief of Appellant David Schuman filed in the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland Case Number 2020 - September Term 2011 (Schuman vs. Greenbelt Homes, Inc., et al.). This case involves the migration of secondhand smoke from one townhouse into another. The legal theories involved are nuisance, trespass, breach of contract and the business judgment rule. For other documents involved in this case of first impression, see the four volumes of the Record Extract.
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J.P. Szymkowicz Rita Turner SZYMKOWICZ & SZYMKOWICZ, LLP 15600 Bald Eagle School Road 2300 N Street, N.W., Suite 5310 Brandywine, Maryland 20613 Washington, DC 20037-1122 (410) 706-1129 (voice) (202) 862-8500 (voice) [email protected][email protected]
Counsel for Appellant David S. Schuman
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TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS OF BRIEF………….....……………………………...i TABLE OF STATUTES, RULES AND AUTHORITIES CITED IN APPELLANT’S BRIEF.................................................................................iv TABLE OF CASES CITED IN APPELLANT’S BRIEF.................................iv STATEMENT OF THE CASE……………………….....……………..……..…1 STATEMENT OF QUESTIONS PRESENTED………………..........…..……3 STATEMENT OF MATERIAL FACTS……………………………..……….....4
Background of GHI’s Housing Cooperative……………..……..4
GHI’s Nuisance Clause in the Mutual Ownership Contract………….…………… ……………....………………....4
The Property at Issue - 11 Ridge Road………………….......…5 The Popovics’ Smoking Practices……………..………………..6 Migration of Secondhand Smoke from the Popovics’ Home to Mr. Schuman’s and Ms. Ipolito’s Homes……...……………......6 Effects of the Popovics’ Smoking on Ms. Ipolito…………………………………………………………….…7 Effects of the Popovics’ Smoking on Mr. Schuman…………………………………………………………...7 Surgeon General’s Reports on Secondhand Smoke………….8 Mr. Schuman’s Secondhand Smoke Expert, James L. Repace, M.Sc…………………………………………………….10 Mr. Schuman’s Medical Expert, Alfred Munzer, M.D………...11 Mr. Schuman’s Complaint to GHI’s Member Complaint Panel……………………………………………………………...12
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GHI’s Failure to Take Action to Stop the Migration of Secondhand Smoke from the Popovics’ Home into Mr. Schuman’s Home………………………………………………..14 The Circuit Court’s Oral Decision After Bench Trial……..…..15 Mr. Schuman’s Notice of Appeal……………………………….17
APPELLATE STANDARD OF REVIEW……………………………..….…...17 ARGUMENT………………………………………………..……………..….…18
I. BREACH OF CONTRACT………….....................……….......18
A. Under GHI’s MOC, GHI is the landlord and Mr. Schuman and the Popovics are tenants, and therefore, pursuant to the MOC, GHI has the power to enforce the “nuisance” clause contained in the MOC and to take action to prevent the Popovics’ from smoking in their home or on their patio.…………………………………………………………...….19 B. Covenant of Quiet Enjoyment……..………………....…21 C. Mr. Schuman is an intended beneficiary of the Popovics’ MOC………………………………………………………...........23
II. NUISANCE……………………………………………..………...23
A. Legal activities may constitute a nuisance………...…..25 B. There is no “right to smoke”……..………………..…….26 C. Secondhand smoke is a nuisance in other states…….26
1. Upper East Lease Associates, LLC v. Cannon, 2011 NY Slip Op. 50054U, *1 (Dist. Ct. of NY, 1st Dist. Nassau County January 20, 2011)……………………..26 2. Poyck v. Bryant, 13 Misc. 3d 699, 700 (Civil Ct. of the City of New York, August 24, 2006)…………………………………………………....…27
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3. Heck v. Whitehurst Co., 2004 Ohio App. LEXIS 3972, *5 (Ohio Ct. of App.. 6th App. Dist., Lucas Cty. August 20, 2004)………………………………………....29 4. Merrill v. Bosser, Case Number 05-4239 COCE 53 (Broward County, Florida County Court June 29, 2005)…………………………….………………..…….…29 5. McCormick v. Moran, 699 N.Y.S. 2d 273 (City Court of New York, Watertown, November 15, 1999)……………………………………………………....30
D. Conclusion………………………………………………...31
III. TRESPASS…………………………………….….………….….31
IV. NEGLIGENCE…………………………………………..……….31 V. THE BUSINESS JUDGMENT RULE …….……….………..…32
A. The business judgment rule does not preclude litigation of complaints sounding in tort or contract ………………….…33
B. The business judgment rule does not preclude litigation where the corporation has engaged in conduct that represents a breach of their fiduciary obligations………………………....33
VI. INJUNCTION………………………………………………….…34
CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………......…..34 CERTIFICATION OF BRIEF FORMAT……...…………………..…..……....36 CERTIFICATE OF ADMISSION OF ATTORNEY WITH OFFICES OUTSIDE THE STATE OF MARYLAND………………………………..…...36 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE……………………………………..…………..36 APPENDIX……………………………………………………………Appendix 1
Transcript of Circuit Court’s Oral Opinion Rendered in Open Court on November 3, 2011………………………………………...Appendix 2
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Circuit Court’s Final Order dated November 3, 2011……Appendix 17
Table of Statutes, Rules and Authorities Cited in Appellant David S. Schuman’s Brief
The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006……………………………………………………………………………8-10 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease - The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease: A Report of the Surgeon General. 2010. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health……..8-10
Table of Cases Cited in Appellant David S. Schuman’s Brief
American Legion Post 149 v. Department of Health, 192 P. 3d 306 (Wash. 2008)…………………….............................................................................26 Anne Arundel County Fish & Game Conservation Association, Inc. v. Carlucci, 83 Md. App. 121 (1989)………………………………………….…25 Bey v. Moorish Science Temple, 362 Md. 339 (2001)…………….……….17 Bishop Processing v. Davis, 213 Md. 465 (1957)………………….............25 Bittner v. Huth, 162 Md. App. 745 (2005)………………………………..…..31 Black v. Fox Hills North Community Association, Inc., 90 Md. App. 75 (1992)………………………………………………………………….…..…….32 Blondell v. Littlepage, 185, Md. App. 123 (2009)…………………………...23 Bocchini v. Gorn Management, 69 Md. App. 1 (1986)..………………..21-22 Brooks v. Lewin Realty, 378 Md. 70 (2003)………………….……………...21
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Chicago Title Insurance Company v. Allfirst Bank, 394 Md. 270 (2006)……………………………………………………………………......31-32 City of North Miami v. Kurtz, 653 So. 2d 1025 (Fla. 1995)………………...26 Exxon v. Yarema, 69 Md. App. 124 (1986)………………………………….24 Fagan v. Axelrod, 146 Misc. 2d 286 (Supreme Ct. of New York, Albany County, January 10, 1990)…………………………………………………….26 Five Oaks v. Gathmann, 190 Md. 348 (1948)………………..……….…….24 Fox v. Ewers, 195 Md. 650 (1950)……………………………………...……24 Giordano v. Connecticut Valley Hospital, 588 F. Supp. 2d 306 (D. Conn. 2008)……………………………………………………………………………..26 Gorman v. Sabo, 210 Md. 155 (1956)……………………………………24-25 Grass v. Sargent, 903 F.2d 1206 (8th Cir. 1990)…………………………....26 Green v. Greenbelt Homes, Inc., 232 Md. 496 (1963)………………....19-20 Heck v. Whitehurst Co., 2004 Ohio App. LEXIS 3972 (Ohio Ct. of App.. 6th App. Dist., Lucas County. August 20, 2004)……………………………......29 Herilla v. Baltimore, 37 Md. App. 481 (1977).............................................23 Kwon v. Johnson, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 129223 (W.D. Va. 2010)………26 Leatherbury v. Gaylord Fuel Corp., 276 Md. 367 (1975)…………………..34 McCormick v. Moran, 699 N.Y.S. 2d 273 (City Court of New York, Watertown, November 15, 1999)………………………...............................30 Meadowbrook Swimming Club v. Albert, 173 Md. 641 (1938)………...….24 Merrill v. Bosser, Case Number 05-4239 COCE 53 (Broward County, Florida County Court June 29, 2005)………………………...………..…29-30 Mountain Manor Realty, v. Buccheri, 55 Md. App. 185 (1983)………..33-34
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Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. v. Regency Furniture, Inc., 183 Md. App. 710 (2009)………………………………………………………………..……..21 Operation Badlaw v. Licking County General Health District, 866 F. Supp. 1059 (S.D. Ohio 1992)…………………………………………………….…...26 Poyck v. Bryant, 13 Misc. 3d 699 (Civil Ct. of the City of New York, August 24, 2006)…………………………………………………………………….27-29 Reid v. Brodsky, 397 Pa. 463 (1959)………………………………………...25 Sadler v. Dimensions Healthcare Corp., 378 Md. 509 (2003)……..…..….33 ST Systems Corporation v. Maryland National Bank, 112 Md. App. 20 (1996)………………………………………………………………………..18-19 Susquehanna Fertilizer v. Malone, 73 Md. 268 (1890)……………….....…24 Taylor v. NationsBank, N.A., 365 Md. 166 (2001)………………………….19 Unger v. Unger, 274 N.J. Super. 532 (Burlington County Superior Court, New Jersey, March 29, 1994)………………………………………………...26 Upper East Lease Associates, LLC v. Cannon, 2011 NY Slip Op. 50054U (Dist. Ct. of NY, 1st Dist. Nassau County January 20, 2011)…………..26-27 Village Green Mutual Homes, Inc. v. Randolph, 362 Md. 179 (2000)..19-20 Walker v. Haywood, 65, Md. App. 1 (1985)………………………………....18 Wilson-X v. Department of Human Resources, 403 Md. 667 (2008)…17-18 WSSC v. CAE-Link, 330 Md. 115 (1993)………………………..............….24
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STATEMENT OF THE CASE
On the one hand, this is a case of first impression concerning
whether the migration of secondhand smoke from one adjoining
townhouse to another is a nuisance and what duties the landlord of both
properties has to prevent such migration. On the other hand, this case is
very simple in its application of centuries-old theories of nuisance, breach
of contract and landlord-tenant relationships.
In this case, Mr. Schuman and his next-door neighbors, Mr. and Mrs.
Popovic, live in Greenbelt Homes, Inc.’s cooperative housing complex. As
members of GHI’s cooperative, both Mr. Schuman and the Popovics are
bound by GHI’s Mutual Ownership Contract [“MOC”] that establishes a
landlord-tenant relationship between GHI and its members and requires all
members “to respect the comfort and peace of mind of neighbors,” “not to
engage in conduct that is objectionable conduct,” and not to do any “act or
thing that shall or may be a nuisance, annoyance, inconvenience, or
damage” to “the occupants of adjoining dwellings.”
The facts of this case are clear and not in controversy – secondhand
smoke from the Popovics’ home and patio migrates into Mr. Schuman’s
home and patio through the common dividing wall between the units and
through windows, causing Mr. Schuman significant physical discomfort and
negative health effects, including dry eyes, nose, and throat, upper
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respiratory infections, and loss of sleep; moreover, the Circuit Court took
judicial notice of the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2006 and 2010 Reports on
secondhand smoke that conclude that the effects of secondhand smoke
are extremely dangerous and immediate, and that there is no safe level of
exposure to secondhand smoke.
Following exhaustion of GHI’s internal administrative procedures,
Mr. Schuman filed suit against the Popovics on nuisance, trespass,
negligence and breach of contract theories, and against GHI on theories of
negligence and breach of contract, including the breach of the implied
covenant of quiet enjoyment that landlords owe to tenants, for failing to
enforce the MOC’s “nuisance” clause. Mr. Schuman moved for a
declaratory judgment on whether the Popovics’ smoking was a nuisance
under the MOC and for a permanent injunction directing the Popovics to
refrain from smoking inside their unit and on their patio. Mr. Schuman also
sought monetary damages resulting from the Popovics’ smoking and GHI’s
failure to take action to stop the Popovics from exposing Mr. Schuman to
secondhand smoke.
After a seven-day bench trial, Judge Northrop found that
“secondhand smoke is not good. It’s harmful. It presents a risk” and
admitted that smoking killed his sister, but nevertheless denied all relief to
Mr. Schuman on the grounds that “[t]his is a legislative decision” and “up to
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this point” the legislature has chosen not to ban smoking. Additionally, the
Circuit Court found that Mr. Schuman should mitigate his damages by
closing his windows, that Mr. Schuman caused his problems by renovating
his home, that Mr. Schuman could have taken his dispute to GHI’s
membership as a whole after GHI’s Member Complaint Panel found that it
was powerless to stop the Popovics from smoking and that the business
judgment rule protects GHI from liability.
STATEMENT OF QUESTIONS PRESENTED
In a case where Mr. Schuman and his neighbors, Mr. and Mrs.
Popovic, are bound by GHI’s “Mutual Ownership Contract” [“MOC”] that
creates a landlord-tenant relationship between GHI and its members and
that bans “nuisance[s], annoyance[s], inconvenience[s] and [anything that
causes] damage to GHI […] or to the occupants of adjoining dwellings,”
and where the evidence presented at trial was undisputed that the
Popovics’ secondhand smoke migrated from their property onto
Schuman’s patio and into his home causing Mr. Schuman to suffer
physical injuries, annoyance and inconvenience due to the Popovics’
smoking, did the Circuit Court err in
(1) failing to enforce Mr. Schuman’s rights found in GHI’s MOC,
(2) failing to recognize and apply the common law of nuisance in denying Mr. Schuman’s request for a permanent injunction precluding the Popovics from smoking on their
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property, and
(3) denying Mr. Schuman’s request for monetary damages based on the migration of secondhand smoke?
STATEMENT OF MATERIAL FACTS1
Background of GHI’s Housing Cooperative
Both Mr. Schuman and the Popovics are members of GHI’s
cooperative housing association and are parties to GHI’s Mutual
Ownership Contract ["MOC"]. [E. 1590-1613]. This MOC “creates a legal
relationship between GHI and Member as that of landlord and tenant" and
“establishes the rights and obligations” of both parties “in addition to those
rights and responsibilities established by Maryland law.” [E. 1590].
GHI’s Nuisance Clause in the Mutual Ownership Contract
GHI’s MOC contains a “nuisance” clause that states
Member . . . shall use the Premises and the common property and facilities in conformance with the terms of this Contract,
1 During the seven week period between the last day of testimony and closing arguments in the Circuit Court, Mr. Schuman obtained transcripts of the trial testimony and prepared and filed a 156 page “proposed summary of testimony presented at trial, findings of fact and conclusions of law” that highlighted the testimony and evidence introduced at trial with citations to the transcript and record. [E. 1773-1937].
On November 28, 2011, Mr. Schuman filed a motion to extend page limit for brief in the Court of Special Appeals in order to set forth, in detail, the facts and law relevant to this case of first impression, but the Court denied this motion on December 14, 2011.
Therefore, in this brief, Mr. Schuman will summarize the relevant
facts and legal argument and direct the Court to the “156 page brief” for additional support where necessary.
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the Bylaws, and the Rules. . . . It shall be the duty of Member to respect the comfort and peace of mind of neighbors . . . not to engage in conduct that is objectionable conduct, and to ensure that all persons occupying or visiting in the Premises so act. Member agrees not to do or allow to be done . . . any act or thing that shall or may be a nuisance, annoyance, inconvenience, or damage to GHI or its members or tenants, or to the occupants of adjoining dwellings or of the neighborhood. [E. 1592].
The Property at Issue - 11 Ridge Road
The properties at issue are attached townhouses in GHI’s housing
cooperative with the Popovics living between Mr. Schuman’s and Ms. Dory
Ipolito’s homes. [E. 302]. The Popovics moved in after Mr. Schuman and
Ms. Ipolito were already living there. [E. 302]. The following pictures of
these townhouses show the close proximity of the units. [E. 1447-48]:
The wall separating the Schuman and Popovic units is a “hollow” wall
comprised of drywall over plywood and chicken wire that has a “number of
penetrations” with cutouts for electrical outlets and pipes. [E. 198, 384].
�� ������ ��� ������ ��� ��� ���� ������
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The wall between the Popovic and Ipolito units is a “brick firewall.” [E.
197].
The Popovics’ Smoking Practices
Ms. Popovic died in April 2012 of a cancerous tumor. Prior to trial,
Mr. Popovic consented to an order prohibiting his smoking inside his
home, that the Circuit Court made permanent in its final order. [E. 1978].
Mr. Popovic currently smokes on his patio “after he gets home for about an
hour, hour-and-a-half,” whereas, prior to his wife’s sickness, “it could be for
a longer period.” [E. 354-55].
Migration of Secondhand Smoke from the Popovics’ Home to Mr. Schuman’s and Ms. Ipolito’s Homes
Prior to living next-door to Mr. Schuman and Ms. Ipolito, the
Popovics lived in another GHI home where their neighbors – three units
away – testified in the Schuman trial that smoke from the Popovics’
cigarettes migrated into their home. [E. 263]. After the Popovics moved,
their neighbor, Mrs. Hammett, noticed a “tar residue” that left a “distinct
outline on the wall” surrounding where pictures had once hung in the
Popovics’ former house. [E. 279-80]. Mr. Schuman and Ms. Ipolito both
began having problems with secondhand smoke when the Popovics
moved in. [E. 303, 394]. After Mr. Schuman and Ms. Ipolito complained to
GHI about the Popovics’ smoking, GHI “caulked” and “sealed” the walls
between the various units, but this did not prevent the smoke from
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migrating from through the walls, and obviously, could never stop smoke
from migrating from the Popovics’ outdoor patio into Mr. Schuman’s and
Ms. Ipolito’s homes. [E. 303-05, 396].
Effects of the Popovics’ Smoking on Ms. Ipolito
Ms. Ipolito testified that the Popovics’ smoking caused her chest to
tighten and to have to use a rescue inhaler to assist her breathing due to
her asthma. [E. 307-10]. Ms. Ipolito further testified that, in order to
prevent smoke from entering her home, she is forced to shut her windows
whenever the Popovics smoke on their patio. [E. 310-11]. Additionally,
Ms. Ipolito has a screened-in porch that she cannot use due to the
Popovics’ smoking. [E. 312-13]. Moreover, Ms. Ipolito testified that she
likes to keep her windows open on nice days but has to keep her windows
closed due to the Popovics’ smoking. [E. 314-15]. When her
neighborhood experienced a long power outage on a hot day, Ms. Ipolito
had to sleep in another bedroom on the other side of her house in order to
alleviate the effects of the Popovics’ smoke that entered the house with the
windows open. [E. 315].
Effects of the Popovics’ Smoking on Mr. Schuman
Mr. Schuman complained that the Popovics’ smoking caused him to
lose sleep, experience frequent headaches and a persistent cough and
that he had to open his windows (when the Popovics were smoking inside)
“to ventilate the unit, causing cold air to enter” and raising his heating bill.
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[E. 1624]. Mr. Schuman testified that the Popovics’ smoking affected his
health in an “involuntary” manner and that “I found it very difficult to
breathe. My heart was racing. My eyes were tearing up, sneezing,
coughing, congested, coughing, you name it. It got so bad I had to go to
the doctor.” [E. 401]. Additionally, Mr. Schuman testified that “Not to make
a huge laundry list. I couldn’t sleep. I felt nauseous at times. I had
headaches. It was just a terrible, terrible situation.” [E. 402]. Mr.
Schuman stated that he “didn’t have these issues before the smoking
started” and that “[t]hey happened with a vengeance very close in time to
this smoke.” [E. 414]. Mr. Schuman further testified that “I experienced
them when I experienced the smoke. I didn’t experience them when there
wasn’t smoking, and I didn’t experience them when the Popovics stopped
smoking inside.” [E. 416]. With regard to the Popovics’ outdoor smoking,
Mr. Schuman testified that
I can’t fully use my property the way I feel I would like to use it. Mr. Popovic is free to use his property the way he wants to; gets to sit on his patio; keep his windows open. I can’t keep my windows open on a nice day like it was yesterday. I would like to be able to sit on my patio; use my rocking chairs; enjoy my property. I would like to use my backyard. I would like to keep my windows open; have the fresh breeze blow through my house on nice days. I don’t want to have to run the air conditioner and pay for that. [E. 467].
Surgeon General’s Reports on Secondhand Smoke
In 2006 and in 2010, the U.S. Surgeon General published two
reports totaling 1,415 pages on the health effects of exposure to
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secondhand smoke.2 After finding no “problem with their authenticity,
reliability or anything else,” the Circuit Court took judicial notice of the facts
contained in these reports. [E. 640]. Among the Surgeon General’s
findings are facts that
• There are at least 250 chemicals in secondhand smoke that are toxic or carcinogenic. [See 2006 Report at page 29]. • Secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. [See 2006 Report at page 531]. • Even a brief exposure to secondhand smoke has adverse consequences for the heart, blood and blood vessels. [See 2006 Report at page 64]. • Despite estimated exposure levels equivalent to smoking only one-half of one cigarette per day, the estimated increase in risk of cardiovascular disease from exposure to secondhand smoke is 25 to 30 percent above that of unexposed persons. [See 2006 Report at page 519]. • People who have heart disease should avoid even brief exposures to secondhand smoke. [See 2006 Report at pages 576-77]. • HVAC systems cannot fully control exposures to secondhand smoke unless a complete and total smoking ban is enforced. [See 2006 Report at page 92]. • The 2010 Report “explains beyond a shadow of a doubt how tobacco smoke causes disease, validates earlier findings, and expands and strengthens the science base” and calls the data contained in this Report “irrefutable.” [See 2010 Report at Foreword].
2 See Mr. Schuman’s trial exhibits 17 and 18 that, due to size, are not included in the Record Extract. See 2006 Report at http://www.surgeon general.gov/library/reports/secondhandsmoke/fullreport.pdf. See 2010 Report at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/tobaccosmoke/ full_report.pdf.
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• The harmful effects of smoking do not end with the smoker. Every year, thousands of nonsmokers die from heart disease and lung cancer, and hundreds of thousands of children suffer from respiratory infections because of exposure to secondhand smoke. [See 2010 Report at Foreword]. • There is no risk-free level of exposure to tobacco smoke, and there is no safe tobacco product. [See 2010 Report at Foreword].
Mr. Schuman’s Secondhand Smoke Expert, James L. Repace, M.Sc.
At trial, Mr. Schuman called James L. Repace, M.Sc., a health
physicist, to testify as an expert in secondhand smoke. Mr. Repace has
published approximately seventy-five scientific papers on secondhand
smoke and the U.S. Surgeon General cited Mr. Repace’s work nineteen
times in the 2006 Report. [E. 642, 648-49]. Mr. Repace first testified that it
is not technologically feasible to “seal” walls to prevent secondhand smoke
from migrating from one attached townhouse to another because there are
“just too many pathways, plumbing [and] electrical connections” and that
the “gaps between the wall board and the floor” are “not perfect.” [E. 688-
91]. Mr. Repace also testified that the results of a nicotine monitor study of
the inside of Mr. Schuman’s home revealed that there was secondhand
smoke present and that this objective data was confirmed by the fact that
Mr. Repace also smelled the smoke. [E. 707-08, 1521-38]. Based on the
data from this study, Mr. Repace found that Mr. Schuman’s “average daily
SHS-nicotine exposure produces an estimated excess chronic mortality
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risk that exceeds by more than 2000 times the de minimis risk level used
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for hazardous air pollutants.
[E. 746-47, 1535]. Mr. Repace also performed a secondhand smoke
infiltration test with a $12,000 monitor inside Mr. Schuman’s home while
Mr. Popovic was smoking on his outdoor patio and found that this smoke
entered Mr. Schuman’s open windows and resulted in a five to six times
higher than average median level of pollution that was “both irritating and
carcinogenic.” [E. 697-98, 701-03, 755, 845-46, 1563-76]. Additionally, Mr.
Repace found that even if Mr. Schuman closed his windows, secondhand
smoke from the Popovics’ patio would still enter Mr. Schuman’s home,
albeit at lower levels than if the windows were open. [E. 774].
Mr. Schuman’s Medical Expert, Alfred Munzer, M.D.
At trial, Mr. Schuman called Alfred Munzer, M.D., the former
President of the American Lung Association and the Director of Pulmonary
Medicine at Washington Adventist Hospital, as his medical expert. [E.
853-54]. Dr. Munzer, who was present in the courtroom when Mr.
Schuman testified as to his medical injuries from the Popovics’ smoking,
found that
Secondhand smoke, like any other smoke, like direct smoking, is rapidly taken up; inhaled. It is then taken up in the lungs and rapidly, as some of the substances are transferred at the alveolar level to the bloodstream, and then to distant parts of the body, and that’s how we explain some of the more chronic effects of cigarette smoking, for example, the abduction of lung cancer in organs that are as distant as the bladder . . .
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[and] generally, [the body] defends itself, if you will, against the offense, against the - - that’s the manifestation that we call sneezing, the red eyes, the burning of the eyes. These are all manifestations that the body is being attacked by something it doesn’t like . . . [and that] I think the symptoms that [Mr. Schuman] described are a harmful effect of exposure to secondhand smoke. Certainly, his complaint of burning of the eyes, his complaint of tightness in his chest, wheezing, coughing, headache, all of those are adverse effects and may be transient, might not be terribly important in the long run, but they are definite adverse effects indicating that he is being exposed to secondhand smoke, and secondhand smoke, furthermore, is getting into his body and may place him at risk of developing some further problems later on. [E. 862-64, 872-74].
Dr. Munzer also testified that he believed that Ms. Ipolito “had been
exposed to secondhand smoke, and it had caused exacerbations of her
asthma.” [E. 868].
Mr. Schuman’s Complaint to GHI’s Member Complaint Panel
In January 2009, when the Popovics’ smoking became “unbearable,”
and after Mr. Schuman’s letters to the Popovics had no effect, Mr.
Schuman filed a complaint with GHI’s Member Complaint Panel under
procedures set forth in GHI’s “Member Handbook.” [E. 1582-89, 1621-22].
On September 29, 2009, GHI’s Member Complaint Panel received
testimony from Mr. Schuman and Mrs. Popovic in response to Mr.
Schuman’s complaint. [E. 1642-48]. During this Member Complaint Panel
hearing, the Chairwoman, Sylvia Lewis stated “Secondhand smoke is
damaging and it is nothing we have to discuss” and proceeded to receive
testimony from Mr. Schuman and his secondhand smoke expert, Mr.
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Repace. [E. 1642]. During this hearing, Panel Member Ed James stated,
“I am impressed by Mr. Repace’s report.” The Panel took it as a given that
secondhand smoke from the Popovics’ smoking migrated into Mr.
Schuman’s home. [E. 596]. During her testimony, Mrs. Popovic
recognized the dangers of secondhand smoke, a fact that the Board took
as a given. [E. 596, 1092, 1646]. GHI’s General Manager, Gretchen
Overduff, admitted at trial that HVAC systems cannot fully control exposure
to secondhand smoke in a multi-unit building. [E. 599-600]. GHI’s General
Manager, further testified at trial that secondhand smoke is “irritating and
malodorous,” that “sounds, smells, scents will pass between units [within
GHI’s complex],” that secondhand smoke places non-smokers at
significant risk of health problems and that secondhand smoke in Mr.
Schuman’s home is “considered a hazard.” [E. 608, 610, 615, 622]. GHI’s
President, Tokey Boswell, was asked at trial, “So you agree that the health
effects of secondhand smoke are documented?,” to which he responded,
“Yes, absolutely.” [E. 1205]. GHI’s President also conceded that neither
the Popovics nor GHI presented any evidence to the Member Complaint
Panel in opposition to Mr. Schuman’s claims. [E. 1173-74]. GHI’s
President further testified that it was “not terribly a surprise” for the Board
to learn that “secondhand smoke is entering Mr. Schuman’s unit” and that
“any member who has lived next to a smoker would tell you that the odor
of secondhand smoke comes in, and that’s just true.” [E. 1172-73].
14
Additionally, GHI’s President admitted that he has does not like
secondhand smoke and has “closed [his] windows and doors when one of
[his] neighbors smokes,” and does so “because that improves [his]
personal quality of life.” [E. 1221]. Mr. Popovic admitted that when he was
smoking inside his home, secondhand smoke migrated in Mr. Schuman’s
home and that he continues to smoke on his outdoor patio. [E. 1265-66].
Mr. Popovic further admitted that secondhand smoke is dangerous and
annoying to Mr. Schuman and that secondhand smoke causes cancer. [E.
1269, 1271-72, 1294-95]. Finally, Mr. Popovic was asked at trial “If Mr.
Schuman were having a dinner party outside on his patio, would you still
go out on your patio and smoke?,” to which he responded, “One or two
cigarettes probably, maybe.” [E. 1270].
GHI’s Failure to Take Action to Stop the Migration of Secondhand Smoke from the Popovics’ Home into Mr. Schuman’s Home
Despite receiving uncontroverted evidence as to the dangers of
secondhand smoke and as to the fact that secondhand smoke from the
Popovics’ home migrated into Mr. Schuman’s home, GHI’s Member
Complaints Panel published a written decision with regard to Mr.
Schuman’s complaint that stated
it appears that the only remedy is for your neighbors to cease smoking. Because GHI is not a smokefree community, the cooperative is not able to request that your neighbors not smoke. This is a difficult situation and it appears there is no solution unless your neighbors are willing to stop smoking, or one party or the other wishes to relocate.
15
During a meeting with your neighbor, your health concerns were discussed and suggestions were made for dealing with this problem. We hope that they will consider the problem more fully and be willing to be a part of the solution. At this time, there appears to be nothing further that GHI can do to resolve the problem. [emphasis added] [E. 1635].
The Member Complaint Panel Chairwoman explained this decision at trial
by stating that GHI did not believe that it had the power to ask the
Popovics to stop smoking. [E. 1116]. GHI’s President stated at trial that
“there are times when members cannot resolve the issue between
themselves” and that “[i]f they cannot resolve it, it’s sometimes best for one
of the members to move out.” [E. 1208].
The Circuit Court’s Oral Decision After Bench Trial
During the six days of testimony in a bench trial, Judge Northrop, as
did GHI during the Member Complaints Panel hearing, received
uncontroverted evidence as to the dangers of secondhand smoke to Mr.
Schuman and as to the fact that secondhand smoke from the Popovics’
home migrated into Mr. Schuman’s home. However, despite this
uncontroverted evidence, the Circuit Court refused to grant Mr. Schuman’s
motion for a permanent injunction concerning the Popovics’ patio smoking
(although it did grant by consent a permanent injunction regarding the
Popovics’ indoor smoking), refused to grant Mr. Schuman’s motion for a
declaratory judgment that the Popovics’ smoking violated GHI’s “nuisance”
clause and refused to award any monetary damages to Mr. Schuman
16
against the Popovics and GHI under any legal theory. [E. 1422-1436,
1978]. In rendering this decision, Judge Northrop noted that his father was
a “lifelong smoker,” that “there’s no question that smoking killed [his sister],
that he “was the managing partner who banned smoking in [his] law office”
and that the courthouse where the trial took place is smokefree. [E. 1423-
24]. Judge Northrop, in rendering his decision in open court stated “in my
mind, secondhand smoke is not good. It’s harmful. It presents a risk.” E.
1428]. Additionally, Judge Northrop found that GHI’s suggestion that Mr.
Schuman move if he did not like the Popovics’ smoking was “ludicrous”
and “outrageous.” [E. 1424].
Notwithstanding the undisputed evidence and Judge Northrop’s own
observations, the Circuit Court found that “not all nuisances are
necessarily actionable” and that “[t]his is a legislative decision. The
legislatures looked at secondhand smoke. They’ve looked at that issue,
and they’ve made a determination, and they have chosen, at least up to
this point, not to ban secondhand smoke generally or all smoking or to limit
it to certain smoking areas” and that “if this decision is to be made, it is a
decision, in my view, that’s going to have to be made by the legislature.”
[E. 1431-32]. With regard to GHI, the Circuit Court found that the business
judgment rule immunizes it from liability. [E. 1425]. The Circuit Court also
found that, despite GHI’s making two statements after the Member
Complaints Panel decision that “there appears to be nothing further that
17
GHI can do to resolve the problem” and “[t]he Board regrets there is
nothing more it can do for you regarding this matter,” that Mr. Schuman
could have taken his complaint to GHI’s general membership for final
resolution. [E. 1635, 1640, 1424-25]. The Circuit Court also found that Mr.
Schuman should mitigate the effects of the Popovics’ patio smoking by
closing his windows and suggested that a “better solution would be to put a
20-inch exhaust fan in the kitchen window, open a window on the other
side of the unit, bring in fresh air into the unit, and blow away any chance
of secondhand smoke coming in.” [E. 1428-29].
Mr. Schuman’s Notice of Appeal
On November 28, 2011, Mr. Schuman filed a timely notice of appeal
of the Circuit Court’s oral decision and final order entered on November 3,
2011. [E. 1980-81].
APPELLATE STANDARD OF REVIEW
When reviewing a judgment arising from a bench trial, the appellate
court must "review the case on both the law and the evidence," but “must
not set aside the judgment of the trial court on the evidence unless clearly
erroneous.” Bey v. Moorish Science Temple, 362 Md. 339, 353 (2001).
Additionally, the appellate court “must consider the evidence in the light
most favorable to the prevailing party, deciding not whether the trial judge's
conclusions were correct, but whether they were supported by a
preponderance of the evidence.” Id. “[T]rial judges do not have discretion
18
to apply inappropriate legal standards, even when making decisions that
are regarded as discretionary in nature.” Wilson-X v. Department of
Human Resources, 403 Md. 667, 675 (2008).
ARGUMENT
I. BREACH OF CONTRACT
Mr. Schuman claims that the Popovics, on one hand, and GHI, on
the other hand, breached the “nuisance clause” of GHI’s MOC. With
regard to his claim against the Popovics, Mr. Schuman claims that he is a
third-party beneficiary of the MOC between the Popovics and GHI, and
thus, has standing to sue the Popovics for the Popovics’ violations of the
“nuisance clause” of the Popovics’ MOC. With regard to his claims against
GHI, Mr. Schuman claims that GHI breached the implied covenant of quiet
enjoyment (and thus, breached Mr. Schuman’s MOC) by failing to take
action to prevent the Popovics from smoking inside their home and outside
their home at a distance where secondhand smoke could migrate into Mr.
Schuman’s home through open windows and through cracks around
closed windows and doors.
“Parties have the right to make contracts and courts [have] the duty
to enforce them in their integrity and entirety.” Walker v. Haywood, 65, Md.
App. 1, 14 (1985). A court has the duty “to interpret the language of the
contract and determine what a reasonable person in the parties' position
would have meant by the language used in the contract. Additionally,
19
words within a contract are afforded their ordinary meaning unless
otherwise specified.” ST Systems Corporation v. Maryland National Bank,
112 Md. App. 20, 34 (1996). In Taylor v. NationsBank, N.A., 365 Md. 166,
175 (2001), the court found that “[t]o prevail in an action for breach of
contract, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant owed the plaintiff a
contractual obligation and that the defendant breached that obligation. It is
not necessary that the plaintiff prove damages resulting from the breach,
for it is well settled that where a breach of contract occurs, one may
recover nominal damages even though he has failed to prove actual
damages.” The Circuit Court failed to enforce GHI’s MOC, and instead,
found that this is a “matter for the legislature.” The evidence at trial was
undisputed that the Popovics’ smoking was annoying and inconveniencing
to Mr. Schuman, at the very least, and dangerous to Mr. Schuman’s
health, at worst; therefore, the Circuit Court’s refusal to enforce this
contract is in error.
A. Under GHI’s MOC, GHI is the landlord and Mr. Schuman and the Popovics are tenants, and therefore, pursuant to the MOC, GHI has the power to enforce the “nuisance” clause contained in the MOC and to take action to prevent the Popovics’ from smoking in their home or on their patio. This “landlord-tenant” relationship was confirmed in Green v.
Greenbelt Homes, Inc., 232 Md. 496, 500 (1963), in which a member of
GHI’s cooperative housing cooperative violated the terms of GHI’s MOC.
See also Village Green Mutual Homes, Inc. v. Randolph, 362 Md. 179, 183
20
(2000). As a result, GHI ordered the member to vacate the premises.
Green, 232 Md. at 500. The trial court found that GHI’s MOC contained
“restrictions on the use of the cooperative dwelling unit” which gave the
corporation the “right to terminate the contract” in the event of the
member’s breach. Id. at 504. Moreover, the court observed that “[a]n
important factor in the maintenance of a cooperative housing project is the
control of the activities of the cooperative members living within the
project” and that
The economic and social interdependence of the tenant-owners demands cooperation on all levels of cooperative life if a tolerable living situation is to be maintained. Each tenant-owner is required to give up some of the freedoms he would otherwise enjoy if he were living in a private dwelling and likewise is privileged to demand the same sacrifices of his cotenant-owners with respect to his rights. By analogy, the cooperative agreement is really a community within a community, governed, like our municipalities, by rules and regulations for the benefit of the whole. Whereas the use of lands within a city is controlled by zoning ordinances, the use of apartments within the cooperative project is controlled by restrictive covenants. The use of the common facilities in the project is controlled on the same theory that the use of city streets and parks is regulated. In both situations compliance with the regulations is the price to be paid to live in and enjoy the benefits of the particular organization. Id. at 503-04.
In Village Green, 362 Md. at 191, the court recognized that “the activities of
cooperative members may be contractually regulated and that these
regulations should be enforced.” Thus, GHI owed the same duties to Mr.
Schuman that all landlords owe to their tenants and had the power to
21
enforce the “nuisance” clause contained in the MOC and to take action to
prevent the migration of the Popovics’ secondhand smoke.
B. Covenant of Quiet Enjoyment. “In Maryland, generally, in the absence of an actual or constructive
eviction, a tenant will have a claim for damages caused by conduct by the
landlord that strikes at the essence of its obligations under the lease. The
scope or magnitude of the interference necessary to constitute a breach of
the covenant of quiet enjoyment must be such as goes to the essence of
what the landlord is to provide. If that is proven, a breach of the covenant
of quiet enjoyment will be established and the tenant may recover
damages incurred by the breach. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. v.
In Bocchini v. Gorn Management Company, 69 Md. App. 1, 4
(1986), a tenant created “unbearable” noise during the middle of the night
and had a “very loud alarm clock” that went off at 5:00 a.m. After the
Bocchini plaintiff’s efforts to directly resolve the problem with her neighbors
failed, the plaintiff complained to the joint landlord. Id. The landlord
informed the plaintiff that it “was not going to take any action regarding the
problem.” Id. at 5. Thereafter, the Bocchini plaintiff filed suit against the
landlord alleging that the neighbor’s lease “included a clause against
excessive noise” and that the landlord’s refusal to enforce that provision
22
“ratified and encouraged” the neighbor’s behavior. Id. In Bocchini, the
court found that “[w]here, through lease provisions or otherwise, [the
landlord] has [the ability to correct or terminate the actions of the tenant],
the thought is that [the landlord] ought not to be able to escape his
obligation under a covenant of quiet enjoyment by steadfastly refusing to
exercise his authority.” Id. at 12. “The insertion in a lease of a restriction
against excessive noise or other offensive conduct is precisely for the
purpose of enabling the landlord to control that conduct. Its principal
function – at least in a multi-unit apartment lease – is to protect the right of
other tenants to the quiet enjoyment of their homes by allowing the
landlord to evict a tenant who transgresses upon that right.” Id. The
Bocchini case concluded by stating:
The traditional view rests essentially upon the notion that a landlord should not be responsible for the actions of persons over whom he has no control. In the older cases, tenants were treated much the same as trespassers or other strangers in that regard; unless the landlord in some way authorized or sanctioned the offensive conduct, he would not be held liable for it. Our concern is not with the underlying principle but rather with its application. The more recent cases dwell not so much on whether the landlord has approved the conduct of the tenant as whether he is in a position to correct or terminate it. Where, through lease provisions or otherwise, he has that ability, the thought is that he ought not to be able to escape his obligation under a covenant of quiet enjoyment by steadfastly refusing to exercise his authority. We adopt that view. It is fair and it is reasonable. Id. at 11-12 (1986). [emphasis in original].
23
In the instant case, GHI had the “ability” to stop the migration of
secondhand smoke from Popovics’ home to Mr. Schuman’s home
pursuant to the MOCs it entered into with both Mr. Schuman and the
Popovics. By “steadfastly refusing to exercise [its] authority” to abate this
nuisance, GHI breached the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment.
C. Mr. Schuman is an intended beneficiary of the Popovics’ MOC.
The “nuisance clause” in the MOC exists for the protection of each
member’s fellow neighbors in order for the neighbors to “fulfill their housing
needs in comfortable, pleasant surroundings.” [E. 1582]. Thus, when a
GHI member enters into GHI’s MOC, he or she does so with the intent of
providing his or her neighbors with the benefits of contractual provisions
concerning behavior in the community, including nuisances. Therefore,
since Mr. Schuman was an intended beneficiary of the Popovics’ MOC, he
has standing to sue the Popovics for violating the “nuisance clause”. See
Blondell v. Littlepage, 185, Md. App. 123, 138 (2009).
II. NUISANCE
In Herilla v. Baltimore, 37 Md. App. 481, 491 (1977), the court
defined “nuisance” as “anything that works or causes injury, damage, hurt,
inconvenience, annoyance, or discomfort to one in the legitimate
enjoyment of his reasonable rights of property, or which renders ordinary
use and occupation by a person of his property uncomfortable to him.”
24
See also Meadowbrook Swimming Club v. Albert, 173 Md. 641, 645
(1938); Five Oaks Corporation v. Gathmann, 190 Md. 348, 354 (1948);
Fox v. Ewers, 195 Md. 650, 658 (1950); Susquehanna Fertilizer Company
v. Malone, 73 Md. 268, 280 (1890). “All tangible intrusions, such as noise,
odor, or light fall within the realm of nuisance.” Exxon Corporation v.
Yarema, 69 Md. App. 124, 147 (1986). “A disturbance of the comfort or
convenience of the occupant, as by loud noises is a nuisance. So long as
the interference is substantial and unreasonable, and such as would be
offensive or inconvenient to the normal person, virtually any disturbance of
enjoyment of property may amount to a nuisance.” Id. at 148. In WSSC v.
CAE-Link Corporation, 330 Md. 115, 147 (1993), the court found that
“odors emanating from [the defendant’s] plant” was a nuisance when the
odors “produced actual physical discomfort to persons of ordinary
sensibilities, tastes, and habits.” In Gorman v. Sabo, 210 Md. 155 (1956),
two next-door neighbors were involved in a suit in which one neighbor
intentionally played a loud radio to annoy and harass the other neighbor.
In Gorman, the court observed that “[i]f noise causes physical discomfort
and annoyance to those of ordinary sensibilities, tastes and habits and
seriously interferes with the ordinary comfort and enjoyment of their
homes, and thus diminishes the value of the use of their property rights, it
constitutes a private nuisance, entitling those offended against to
damages.” Id. at 159. “So long as the interference is substantial and
25
unreasonable, and such as would be offensive or inconvenient to the
normal person, virtually any disturbance of the enjoyment of the property
may amount to a nuisance.” Id. In nuisance cases, corroboration from
similarly situated neighbors is instructive to show that these neighbors both
experienced the same discomfort. See Bishop Processing v. Davis, 213
Md. 465, 471 (1957).
A. Legal activities may constitute a nuisance.
Legal activities may constitute a nuisance. In Anne Arundel County
Fish & Game Conservation Association, Inc. v. Carlucci, 83 Md. App. 121,
123 (1989), neighbors of a gun club sought an injunction against a gun
club on a nuisance theory. The gun club argued that since it was not
subject to noise restrictions imposed under law, its activities could not be
enjoined as a private nuisance. Id. at 125. The Carlucci court held that
this fact would not bar the neighbors’ nuisance claim, stating that:
it makes no difference that the business was lawful and one useful to the public and conducted in the most approved method. The rule which must control is whether the nuisance complained of will or does produce such a condition of things as in the judgment of reasonable men is naturally productive of actual physical discomfort to persons of ordinary sensibilities, tastes, and habits, such as in view of the circumstances of the case is unreasonable and in derogation of the rights of the party. Id. at 127, 131. See also Reid v. Brodsky, 397 Pa. 463, 465 n.1 (1959).
26
B. There is no “right to smoke.”
Throughout the testimony in this case, GHI and Mr. Popovic have
implied that the Popovics have the “right to smoke;” however, a review of
the common law reveals that there is no such “right to smoke.” This
holding is supported by several cases in other jurisdictions: In Fagan v.
Axelrod, 146 Misc. 2d 286, 297, (Supreme Ct. of New York, Albany
County, January 10, 1990), the court found that “[t]here is no more a
fundamental right to smoke cigarettes than there is to shoot up or snort
heroin or cocaine or run a red light.” See also Giordano v. Connecticut
Valley Hospital, 588 F. Supp. 2d 306, 321 (D. Conn. 2008); Operation
Badlaw v. Licking County General Health District, 866 F. Supp. 1059, 1064
(S.D. Ohio 1992); American Legion Post 149 v. Department of Health, 192
P. 3d 306, 322 (Wash. 2008); City of North Miami v. Kurtz, 653 So. 2d
1990); Kwon v. Johnson, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 129223, *4 (W.D. Va.
2010); Unger v. Unger, 274 N.J. Super. 532, 540 (Burlington County
Superior Court, New Jersey, March 29, 1994).
C. Secondhand smoke is a nuisance in other states.
1. Upper East Lease Associates, LLC v. Cannon, 2011 NY Slip Op. 50054U, *1 (Dist. Ct. of NY, 1st Dist. Nassau County January 20, 2011)
In Upper East Lease Associates, LLC v. Cannon, 2011 NY Slip Op.
50054U, *1 (Dist. Ct. of NY, 1st Dist. Nassau County January 20, 2011),
27
the court stated that “[i]n modern high-rise apartment settings, a tenant’s
home is not [emphasis in original] the tenant’s castle. Landlords of such
dwellings have a corresponding duty to prevent one tenant’s habits from
materially interfering with another tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment. When
a tenant’s smoking results in an intrusion of second-hand smoke into
another tenant’s apartment, and that tenant complains repeatedly, the
landlord runs a financial risk if it fails to take appropriate action.” In
Cannon, the non-smoking tenant complained to the landlord about her
neighbor in the apartment below who smoked. Id. at *3. The court
observed that the landlord “initially tried, in good faith, to rectify the
nuisance” by “caulking and sealing around vents that may have been
conductors of cigarette smoke from the apartment below,” but that “it was
apparent to both plaintiff and defendant that these measures were
ineffective.” Id. The court found that “when these initial actions proved
ineffective, the landlord was obligated to take further steps to alleviate the
condition.” Id. at *4. The court concluded that the “landlord had the power
and duty to protect its tenants, when necessary, from second-hand smoke
constituting a ‘nuisance’ or a ‘health hazard.’” Id.
2. Poyck v. Bryant, 13 Misc. 3d 699, 700 (Civil Ct. of the City of New York, August 24, 2006)
In Poyck v. Bryant, 13 Misc. 3d 699, 700 (Civil Ct. of the City of New
York, August 24, 2006), the court stated that
28
[w]ith multiple neighbors living beside each other comes basic duties and responsibilities. There is a duty to protect each other’s right to privacy and a responsibility not to invade a neighbor’s privacy. The unwanted invasion of privacy comes in many guises such as noise, smells, odors, fumes, dust, water and even secondhand smoke. The key to avoiding such unneighborly behavior is for the neighbor to follow the often forgotten ‘Golden Rule’ – You shall love your fellow or neighbor as yourself. The Golden Rule is a general principle of ethics which essentially admonishes neighbors as follows: What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.
In Poyck, the plaintiff was a landlord who owned a condominium in a
building in New York City and commenced the action to collect rent from
the defendant whose defense was that secondhand smoke from a
neighboring apartment (not owned or controlled by the plaintiff) migrated
into his unit. Id. at 703. The non-smoking defendant complained to both
the landlord-plaintiff and the building’s management, but neither took
action to stop the migration of smoke. Id. The Poyck court observed that
there is an implied warranty of habitability in every landlord-tenant
relationship
where the landlord impliedly warrants as follows: First, that the premises are fit for human habitation; second, that the condition of the premises is in accord with the uses reasonably intended by the parties; and third, that the tenants are not subjected to any conditions endangering or detrimental to their life, health or safety.” Id. at 700-01.
Among the actions the plaintiff-landlord could have taken, the court
observed, was that the landlord “could have asked the board of managers
of the condominium to stop the neighbors from smoking” and “commenced
29
an action for damages or injunctive relief for noncompliance with the
bylaws and decisions of the board of managers.” Id. at 705-06.
3. Heck v. Whitehurst Co., 2004 Ohio App. LEXIS 3972, *5 (Ohio Ct. of App.. 6th App. Dist., Lucas County. August 20, 2004)
In Heck v. Whitehurst Co., 2004 Ohio App. LEXIS 3972, *5 (Ohio Ct.
of App.. 6th App. Dist., Lucas County. August 20, 2004), the plaintiff sued
his landlord after the landlord failed to take action with regard to the
plaintiff’s complaints that secondhand smoke migrated into his home from
the apartment below. At trial, the landlord testified that it “made numerous
efforts to identify potential leaks, removed switch plate covers, and outlets,
sealed them, pulled back carpet, sealed the area between the tack strip
and the bottom of the wall and sealed flue pipes” and “did everything it
could to rectify the problem.” Id. at *29. The court found that “the trial
court’s findings were supported by credible evidence that smoke was
infiltrating [the plaintiff’s] apartment and that [the landlord] had not made
the repairs necessary to keep the apartment in a fit and habitable
condition.” Id. at *31.
4. Merrill v. Bosser, Case Number 05-4239 COCE 53 (Broward County (Florida) County Court June 29, 2005)
In Merrill v. Bosser, Case Number 05-4239 COCE 53, Broward
County (Florida) County Court June 29, 2005 (accessed from
http://ash.org/merrillcase.pdf on April 30, 2012), the plaintiff moved into a
30
condominium unit where a neighbor smoked. The condominium’s
declaration contained a “nuisance clause.” Id. at *2-3. The Bosser court
entered judgment on the plaintiff’s behalf with regard to her nuisance claim
even though it found that “there is no case on point in Florida as to whether
secondhand smoke is considered a private nuisance” since other Florida
courts “have allowed a nuisance action to proceed based on odors created
by another party” and since the “Court of Appeals of Nebraska held that to
have the use and enjoyment of one’s home interfered with by smoke, odor,
and similar attacks upon one’s senses is a serious harm.” Id. at *5.
5. McCormick v. Moran, 699 N.Y.S. 2d 273 (City Court of New York, Watertown, November 15, 1999)
In McCormick v. Moran, 699 N.Y.S. 2d 273 (City Court of New York,
Watertown, November 15, 1999), the court ordered the tenant (who
smoked in the house) to pay the landlord for the cost of cleaning the home
after the tenant moved out. The court found that the tenant’s smoking
caused tobacco smoke residue to collect on various surfaces of the house
creating an offensive odor and a potential health risk that may arise to
others who may use the premises. Id. at 274. The court also found that
smoking creates a condition which, if it were not corrected, may be
detrimental to life or health, possibly subjecting the landlord to a violation
of the warranty of habitability.” Id. at 274-275.
31
D. Conclusion.
Whether the Popovics’ secondhand smoke results in a breach of
contract for violating GHI’s MOC or is a nuisance under the common law,
the undisputed evidence presented leads to only one conclusion –
judgment in Mr. Schuman’s favor against the Popovics and GHI.
III. TRESPASS
“A trespass is defined as an intentional or negligent intrusion upon or
to the possessory interest in property of another.” Bittner v. Huth, 162 Md.
App. 745, 752 (2005). “Every unauthorized entry upon the land of another
is a trespass, and whether the owner suffers substantial injury or not, the
owner at least sustains a legal injury, which entitles the owner to a verdict
for some damages; though they may, under some circumstances, be so
small as to be merely nominal.” Id. In the instant case, all parties agree
that secondhand smoke from the Popovics’ home and patio intruded upon
Mr. Schuman’s home and patio. At all relevant times, the Popovics knew
that their smoke was trespassing onto Mr. Schuman’s property. Thus, Mr.
Schuman has proven a cause of action against the Popovics for trespass.
IV. NEGLIGENCE
“The elements of negligence are well-established and require a
plaintiff to assert in the complaint the following: (1) that the defendant was
under a duty to protect the plaintiff from injury, (2) that the defendant
breached that duty, (3) that the plaintiff suffered actual injury or loss, and
32
(4) that the loss or injury proximately resulted from the defendant's breach
of the duty." Chicago Title Insurance Company v. Allfirst Bank, 394 Md.
270, 291 (2006). In the instant case, the evidence showed that the
Popovics owed Mr. Schuman a duty to protect him from the dangers and
irritation of secondhand smoke and breached this duty by allowing their
smoke to migrate onto Mr. Schuman’s property. The evidence also shows
that GHI owed Mr. Schuman a duty to protect him from the dangers of
secondhand smoke and to enforce its rules against nuisances. GHI
breached this duty by failing to take action to stop the Popovics from
smoking in the vicinity of Mr. Schuman’s home. As a direct and proximate
result of the Popovics’ and GHI’s breaches of their various duties, Mr.
Schuman suffered annoyance, inconvenience and negative health effects
from the inhalation of secondhand smoke.
V. THE BUSINESS JUDGMENT RULE.
The business judgment rule does not prevent the trial court from
reviewing GHI’s refusal to take action with regard to the Popovics’ smoking
since Mr. Schuman has alleged causes of action against GHI sounding in
tort and breach of contract. In Black v. Fox Hills North Community
Association, Inc., 90 Md. App. 75, 82 (1992), the court held that pursuant
to the business judgment rule, courts will not interfere in the internal affairs
of a corporation with only limited exceptions.
33
A. The business judgment rule does not preclude litigation of complaints sounding in tort or contract. The business judgment rule does not preclude litigation of
complaints against a corporation sounding in tort or contract. Sadler v.
Dimensions Healthcare Corp., 378 Md. 509, 532 (2003). In Sadler, the
court found that cases involving the business judgment rule seeking
injunctions on due process grounds are in contrast to cases alleging
common law and statutory causes of action in contract and tort. Id. at 526-
27. In Sadler, the court found that:
[t]he business judgment rule, which limits the court’s role in reversing the actions of a corporation, has never precluded full litigation of complaints sounding in tort or contract against the corporation. A corporation, as a private entity, may be held liable for tortious conduct and breaches of contracts, perpetrated by its officers, directors, and agents, against third parties. Id. at 532. In the instant case, Mr. Schuman filed suit against GHI (as his
landlord) on the basis of breach of contract, the breach of the implied
covenant of quiet enjoyment and negligence due to GHI’s failure to take
action to enforce the nuisance clause in GHI’s Mutual Ownership Contract;
thus, the business judgment rule does not apply in this case.
B. The business judgment rule does not preclude litigation where the corporation has engaged in conduct that represents a breach of their fiduciary obligations. In Mountain Manor Realty, Inc. v. Buccheri, 55 Md. App. 185, 195
(1983), the court found an exception to the business judgment rule where
34
a corporation’s board of directors has engaged in conduct that “represents
a breach of their fiduciary obligations.” In the instant case, GHI, as Mr.
Schuman’s landlord, owed fiduciary duties based upon both tort and
contract theories, to Mr. Schuman to enforce its Mutual Ownership
Contract’s “nuisance” clause by taking steps to prevent secondhand
smoke from migrating from the Popovics’ home into Mr. Schuman’s home.
Therefore, the business judgment rule does not apply.
VI. INJUNCTION
“A landowner may obtain an injunction against a nuisance on
adjoining land where it is shown that the injury is of such a character as to
materially diminish the value of his property and seriously interfere with the
ordinary comfort and enjoyment of it.” Leatherbury v. Gaylord Fuel Corp.,
276 Md. 367, 377 (1975). The undisputed evidence that the Popovics’
patio smoking seriously interfered with Mr. Schuman’s comfort and
enjoyment of his home and materially diminished the value of Mr.
Schuman’s property justifies a permanent injunction against this behavior.
CONCLUSION
Mr. Schuman requests that this Honorable Court reverse the denial
of his motion for a declaratory judgment that the Popovics’ smoking
violates the “nuisance” section of GHI’s Mutual Ownership Contract and
the denial of his motion for a permanent injunction regarding Mr. Popovic’s
patio smoking. Additionally, Mr. Schuman requests that this Honorable
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Court set aside the Circuit Court’s rulings that Mr. Schuman was required
to take his complaint to GHI’s membership as a whole and that the
business judgment rule protects GHI from liability. Mr. Schuman also
requests this Honorable Court to remand this case to the Circuit Court to
enter judgment on all counts in Mr. Schuman’s favor and to award
monetary damages to Mr. Schuman against both Mr. Popovic and
Greenbelt Homes, Inc.
Respectfully submitted,
__________________________________ J.P. Szymkowicz SZYMKOWICZ & SZYMKOWICZ, LLP 2300 N Street, N.W., Suite 5310 Washington, DC 20037-1122 (202) 862-8500 [email protected] Rita Turner 15600 Bald Eagle School Road Brandywine, Maryland 20613 (410) 706-1129 [email protected] Counsel for Appellant David S. Schuman
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CERTIFICATION OF BRIEF FORMAT
I hereby certify, pursuant to Maryland Rule 8-504 (a) (8), that the foregoing Brief was prepared using 13 point Arial typeface.
CERTIFICATE OF ADMISSION OF ATTORNEY WITH OFFICES OUTSIDE THE STATE OF MARYLAND
I certify, pursuant to Maryland Rule 1-313, that I am admitted to
practice law before the Maryland Court of Appeals and am in good
standing before that Honorable Court.
__________________________________ J.P. Szymkowicz SZYMKOWICZ & SZYMKOWICZ, LLP 2300 N Street, N.W., Suite 5310 Washington, DC 20037-1122 (202) 862-8500 [email protected]
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on April 30, 2012, I sent, via FedEx Ground #107416215000476 two printed copies of the foregoing Brief and Record Extract and one pdf copy of the foregoing Brief and Record Extract on a DVD-ROM (with agreement of counsel) to Greenbelt Homes, Inc.’s counsel, Jason E. Fisher, Esquire, of the Law Firm of Lerch, Early and Brewer, Chartered, Three Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 460, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-5367.
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I hereby certify that on April 30, 2012, I sent, via FedEx Ground -
Home Delivery #107416215000483, one printed copy of the foregoing Brief and Record Extract and one pdf copy of the foregoing Brief and Record Extract on a DVD-ROM (with agreement of Mr. Popovic) to Darko Popovic at his home, located at 11 Ridge Road, Unit R, Greenbelt, Maryland, 20770. I hereby certify that on April 30, 2012, I sent, via FedEx Ground #107416215000490, one printed copy of the foregoing Brief and one pdf copy of the foregoing Brief and Record Extract on a DVD-ROM (with agreement of counsel) to the Tobacco Control Legal Consortium’s counsel, Stephen J. Nolan, Esquire, 222 Bosley Avenue, Suite A-1, Baltimore, Maryland 21204-4328.