Presently before the court is the motion for summary judgment presented by defendants Cary Kasa, Silverbrook Anthracite Inc. and Casey Kassa Enterprises Inc. (pled as Casey Kasa Enterprises Inc.) (Kasa defendants). The plaintiffs have filed a response to said motion, and the parties argued their respective points at oral argument before the court on October 5, 2005. This matter is now ripe for adjudication.
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
This case began with a series of events which occurred on November 9, 1999, upon Archbald Mountain, Lack
At all times relevant to this matter, Casey Kasa Enterprises Inc. and Silverbrook Anthracite Inc. have been incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania. Silverbrook Anthracite has been and continues to be in the business of mining and water well drilling. Casey Kasa Enterprises Inc. has been and continues to be in the business of transporting the materials exhumed from the mining sites to the preparation plants for processing. Cary Kasa is an owner and officer of both coiporations. Marie Helen Granville was a former employee of Casey Kasa Enterprises Inc. and she remained friends with Mr. Kasa after her employment ended. (N.T. Cary Kasa, p. 64.)
In the days prior to the subject incident, the property owned by the defendant corporations on Archbald Mountain was vandalized. On the morning of November 9,
The plaintiff commenced this action by complaint originally filed on December 12, 2000 and named as defendants Cary Kasa and Marie Helen Granville. The complaint was later amended on April 25,2001, whereby the plaintiff joined defendants Casey Kasa Enterprises Inc. and Silverbrook Anthracite Inc. as captioned above, asserting claims of negligence and respondeat superior. On November 21, 2001, Ms. Granville entered into an agreement with the plaintiff concerning her involvement in this action, which is one of several issues raised by the defendants’ motion for summary judgment that will be discussed further below.
SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD
Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1035.2 provides that summary judgment is appropriate only in those cases where the record demonstrates that there is no genuine issue of any essential or material facts and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Bird Hill Farms Inc. v. United States Cargo & Courier Service Inc., 845 A.2d 900, 903 (Pa. Super. 2004); Conway v. Tink’s Spearment Café Inc., 01 CIV 6105 C.C.P. Lacka. Cty. (Judge Minora, August 13, 2004). In making that determination, the record must be viewed “in the light
DISCUSSION
The first issue centers upon an agreement entered by the plaintiff and defendant Granville on November 21, 2001. Mainly, we must determine whether the plaintiff’s claims against the Kasa defendants have been terminated on account of the agreement made between the plaintiff and Granville. It is the Kasa defendants’ contention that since the plaintiff has settled and released his claims with
“Brad Loff, a competent individual... and Marie Helen Granville, a competent adult individual. . . and her insurance carrier, Selective Insurance Company, hereinafter, “the parties,” that in exchange for the payment of $100,000 made by Marie Helen Granville and her insurance carrier, Selective Insurance Company, to Brad Loff within seven days from the date of the execution of this agreement, Brad Loff will withdraw with prejudice the punitive damages claim he has asserted against Marie Helen Granville in the lawsuit filed to Lackawanna County civil docket no. 2000-CV-6166 as a result of a shooting which occurred involving Brad Loff and Marie Helen Granville on November 9, 1999, and will agree not to enforce any subsequent judgment against Marie Helen Granville which he may obtain against Marie Helen Granville in the lawsuit filed to Lackawanna County civil docket no. 2000-CV-6166 as a result of a shooting which occurred involving Brad Loff and Marie Helen Granville on November 9,1999[.]... In the event the jury would return a verdict for $100,000 or in excess of $100,000, Brad Loff agrees to refrain from enforcing any subsequent judgment he may obtain against Marie Helen Granville only____The parties further understand and agree that this agreement is not a release and shall not be construed as a release.”
Settlement agreements are “contracts and must be considered pursuant to the general rules of contract inter
Presently, the court is called upon to look to the language of the partial settlement agreement between the plaintiff, Loff, and defendant, Granville. It is evident from the unambiguous terms stating “[t]he parties further understand and agree that this agreement is not a release and shall not be construed as a release” to mean that the parties had no intention to release Granville from the suit. The contract directs that the punitive damages claim asserted against Granville be withdrawn and likewise, any money judgment awarded to the plaintiff in the future be unenforceable against Granville. The effect of this agreement keeps Granville as a named party in the suit, since she has not been released and the negligence
The Kasa defendants insist that summary judgment is appropriate in that it is well settled law that the owner of a firearm owes no duty to protect others from a third party’s misuse of the firearm. Kuhns v. Brugger, 390 Pa. 331, 135 A.2d 395 (1957). Although this declaration has some merit, it is not applicable to the underlying circumstance, nor is it the law of this case. Let us turn to the decision made during the preliminary objection stage of this litigation wherein this court established that “an owner of a weapon owes a duty to all people who might suffer harm or injury from the weapon’s discharge and this includes harm inflicted by a third person if the owner knew or had reason to know that such person was likely to use the weapon in such a manner as to create an unreasonable risk of harm.” Loff v. Granville, 00 CV 6166 C.C.P. Lacka. Cty. (Judge Terrence Nealon, April 25, 2001); citing Frey by Frey v. Smith, 454 Pa.Super. 242, 685 A.2d 169 (1996), alloc. denied, 549 Pa.701, 700 A.2d 441 (1997); see also, Restatement (Second) of Torts §308 (1965-2005). It is likewise the law of the case that in regard to the reasonable foreseeability of the risk of injury, “the fact-finder could infer that... the owner of the gun knew or should have known that [the co-defendant]
There are several separate issues raised by the defendants’ request for summary judgment regarding the status of the plaintiff upon the Kasa defendants’ property. It is recognized that the standard of care that a landowner owes to an entrant upon his land is dependent upon that individual’s status as a trespasser, licensee or business invitee. Cresswell v. End, 831 A.2d 673 (Pa. Super. 2003);
The final issue offered by the defendants pertains to immunity provided to landowners pursuant to the Recreational Use of Land and Water Act, 68 P.S. §477-3. We find that the defendants’ arguments are frivolous and that they misapply the Act. The statute provides that a landowner owes no duty of care to keep the premises safe for entry or use by others for recreational purposes, or to give any warning of a dangerous condition. See 68 P.S. §477-3
Undoubtedly, the Kasa defendants’ active mining site does not qualify as a tract of land devoted to recreational use. It is arguably the site of an active business, allegedly also posted to keep out trespassers, although the defendants would like this court to believe they should be granted immunity under the Act since their property was allegedly being utilized in a recreational manner by the plaintiff. Cleary such an application of the statute disregards the contested facts of this case, and it further disregards the legislative intent. Given such contested facts, we therefore refuse to grant the Kasa defendants, specifically, Silverbrook Anthracite Inc., immunity based upon the Recreational Use of Land and Water Act. An appropriate order follows.
And now, to wit, October 17, 2005, upon consideration of the written arguments of counsel and in accordance with the preceding memorandum the following is hereby ordered and decreed that defendants Cary Kasa, Silverbrook Anthracite Inc. and Casey Kassa Enterprises Inc. (pled as Casey Kasa Enterprises Inc.) motion for summary judgment is denied.
. The plaintiff, Brad Loff, and his companions reportedly were unarmed. (N.T. Brad Loff, p. 111.)
. Cary Kasa referred to Granville as his contact person for the Archbald Mountain area. She was designated as such and given a key to gain access after her short employment and because of her close location of her home to the mining site. (N.T. Cary Kasa, pp. 69-76.) (N.T. Marie Helen Granville, pp. 30-31.)
. Ms. Granville presented deposition testimony that she was unaware that the gun was loaded. (N.T. Granville, pp. 37-38.)
. Cary Kasa provided deposition testimony that both “No Trespassing” signs were spread throughout the subject area, posted on trees and posted on the gate off the Meridian Street exit. The words “Keep Out” were painted upon rocks along the scale area of the mining site. (N.T. Cary Kasa pp. 40-43, 56-58.)
. Deposition testimony establishes that the loaded gun was left on the table of the trailer with no instruction as to its use. (N.T. Granville, p. 37.) (N-T. Kasa, pp. 103-104.) Reportedly, there were several previous incidents involving vandalism which was one of the reasons Mr. Kasa carried the gun with him to the mining site on the day at issue. (N.T. Kasa, pp. 78-79, 81.) Mr. Kasa never provided Granville with training in the area of firearm usage. (N.T. Granville, p. 39.)
. Deposition testimony has been presented regarding the use of Kasa defendants’ property by individuals who were given keys to the main gate by Mr. Kasa for the purpose of driving their vehicles onto the property as well as ATVs. (N.T. Loff, p. 122.) The defendants provide testimony that the area was posted with signs, other warnings and barriers prohibiting entrance upon the private property, despite the plaintiff’s assertions to the contrary. (N.T. Cary Kasa, pp. 40-43.)
. “Recreational purpose” includes, but is not limited to . .. hunting, fishing, swimming, boating, camping, picnicking, hiking, pleas
