MITZI BAYNE RUTH, ET AL. v. HOME HEALTH CARE OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE, LLC, ET AL. (Tenn. Ct. App. March 3, 2010)
Mitzi Bayne Ruth, executrix of the Estate of Fred W. Bayne ("Executrix"), the Estate of Fred W. Bayne ("the Estate"), and Home Health Care of East Tennessee, Inc. ("HHC East") sued Home Health Care of Middle Tennessee, LLC ("the Company") and B. Fred Allred, III ("Allred") seeking, among other things, a declaratory judgment that Fred W. Bayne's death was an event triggering dissolution of the Company. Both plaintiffs and defendants filed motions for partial summary judgment.
After a hearing, the Trial Court entered an order granting plaintiffs' motion for partial summary judgment finding and holding, inter alia, that Fred W. Bayne's death was a liquidating event triggering the dissolution of the Company pursuant to the Company's Operating Agreement, and that Allred did not have the right pursuant to the Operating Agreement to purchase Fred W. Bayne's membership interest and continue the Company business. The Company and Allred appeal to this Court. We hold that the Operating Agreement was ambiguous, vacate the award of partial summary judgment, and remand to the Trial Court for further proceedings consistent with this Opinion.
Opinion may be found at:
http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCA/2010/ruthm_030310.pdf
