Professional Documents
Culture Documents
United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
3d 152
Appeal from the District Court of the Virgin Islands, Thomas K. Moore, J.
Vincent A. Colianni, II, (Argued), Colianni and Colianni, Christiansted,
St. Croix, for Appellants.
Matthew J. Duensing, (Argued), Michael Fitzsimmons, Stryker, Duensing,
Casner & Dollison, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, for Appellees.
Before NYGAARD, BECKER, and STAPLETON, Circuit Judges.
OPINION OF THE COURT
NYGAARD, Circuit Judge.
Richard and Margaret Fabend sued Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, Caneel Bay,
Inc., and the United States Department of Interior, National Park Service after
Richard was injured while bodysurfing in the Virgin Islands. Fabend settled the
claims against the United States, but proceeded in the District Court of the
Virgin Islands against the remaining defendants. Fabend claims that the
The District Court had jurisdiction over this diversity action under the Revised
Organic Act, 48 U.S.C. 1612(a), and 28 U.S.C. 1332(a)(1). We have
jurisdiction to review the summary judgment order pursuant to 28 U.S.C.
1291, and exercise plenary review. Blair v. Scott Specialty Gases, 283 F.3d
595, 602-03 (3d Cir.2002). Although we review the facts in the light most
favorable to Fabend, the central issue, whether appellees had a duty to warn or
protect him, is a question of law. Turbe v. Gov't of the Virgin Islands, 938 F.2d
427, 429 (3d Cir.1991) ("The nature of the legal duty owed by a defendant is
generally a question of law.") (citing Restatement (Second) of Torts 328B(b)
(1965)). We hold that the appellees did not exercise sufficient control over the
beach to create a duty to warn and will affirm.
I.
3
Cinnamon Bay beach on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands is owned by the United
States and is part of the Virgin Islands National Park. The Fabends were staying
at the Cinnamon Bay Campground, which was owned by Caneel Bay, Inc. and
operated by Rosewood Hotels and Resorts. Rosewood and Caneel had a limited
and non-exclusive right to operate a campground and related services on
national park land adjacent to Cinnamon Bay beach, pursuant to a series of
concession agreements between Caneel and the National Park Service.
Rosewood also rented cabins and operated a restaurant, beach store, and
watersports center.
The relationship between Rosewood and the National Park Service was
governed by a Concession Contract, a Concessions Operational Plan, and an
additional Operating Plan. Under the terms of these documents, the National
Park Service retained full access to the area adjacent to Cinnamon Bay beach,
including the right to enter the area at any time; final authority over
Rosewood's operations, such as the rates charged and the dates and hours of
campground operation; and the responsibility for providing protection services
for beach visitors, including law enforcement, safety inspections, and lifeguard
functions. S.A. at 40-58, 101-09, 114-21. The National Park Service has
acknowledged that it maintained physical control over all beaches and waters of
the Virgin Islands National Park, including Cinnamon Bay beach. The National
Park Service also produced signs and brochures to warn visitors of dangerous
conditions within the park.
Although the factual accounts offered by the District Court and the two parties
vary in some respects, none of these differences is germane to our decision.
According to his deposition, Fabend was heading back into the ocean from a
successful "bodysurf" when he saw a particularly large wave coming at him.
He decided it was too large to bodysurf and attempted instead to dive through
it. When he tried to do this, the wave hit him and smashed him headfirst into
the sand, breaking his neck.
II.
7
(1) A common carrier is under a duty to its passengers to take reasonable action
10
11
12
(3) A possessor of land who holds it open to the public is under a similar duty
to members of the public who enter in response to his invitation.
The rules stated in this Section apply only where the relation exists between the
parties, and the risk of harm, or of further harm, arises in the course of that
relation. A carrier is under no duty to one who has left the vehicle and ceased to
be a passenger, nor is an innkeeper under a duty to a guest who is injured or
endangered while he is away from the premises. Nor is a possessor of land
under any such duty to one who has ceased to be an invitee.
14
Id.
15
As Comment c makes clear, the duty to protect, and hence the duty to warn,
exists only where the risk arises from the relationship, and it is not alone
sufficient that a guest is exposed to a risk during the period he remains such.
People undoubtedly come to Cinnamon Bay Campground to engage in
numerous recreational activities on St. John and the surrounding waters
hiking, sailing, deep sea fishing, snorkeling, and sunbathing, as well as body
surfing. This does not mean, however, that Caneel and Rosewood have a duty to
warn guests of all of the non-obvious risks associated with these activities. A
risk arises in the course of the relationship only if it occurs on the relevant
premises. Id.
16
Our inquiry into whether appellees had a duty to warn Fabend of the shorebreak
condition begins with the question of whether Cinnamon Bay beach and the
adjacent bay should be considered part of the "premises" of the campground.
To answer this question, courts have applied the "sphere of control" concept to
determine whether a duty exists in various types of innkeeper liability cases. In
Banks v. Hyatt Corp., 722 F.2d 214 (5th Cir.1984), for example, the Fifth
Circuit Court of Appeals applied a sphere of control test when considering
whether a hotel owed a duty to protect a patron from a criminal assault by a
third party when the patron was just outside the entrance doors to the hotel on a
public sidewalk. Id. at 215. The hotel's security department had been made
aware of reports of a number of incidents at the entrance, and the owner of the
property had also received a recommendation to station a guard at the entrance.
Id. at 218-19. The property owner contracted with the hotel to hire men for the
purpose of adopting new security measures in areas outside the hotel's
premises, including the area where the decedent was killed. Id. at 219. When
the decedent's wife and children sued for wrongful death, the court concluded
that the hotel's power to take security measures put it in sufficient control of the
entrance to impose a duty on it to take reasonable measures to protect its guests
from harm and/or to warn them of dangerous conditions.
17
Although Banks involves the death of a guest from the actions of a third party,
it nonetheless states a principle that is relevant to the question before us, which
it calls the "sphere of control" test. That is to say, when an innkeeper possesses
or exercises sufficient control over the property adjacent to his premises, he has
the power to take protective measures to reduce the risk of injury on that
property. Having such power, the innkeeper has a duty to exercise it to the
benefit of his patrons.
18
The specific factual setting of a case will ultimately dictate whether a party is
in the position to control or has the power to control land adjacent to his
property such that a duty to protect or warn arises. See id. at 227. The "sphere of
control" test requires that we look at the circumstances of the case to ascertain
whether sufficient control exists over the adjacent premises. Relevant indicia of
control include who is responsible for the safety of guests, who has the
authority to dictate who may use the property, and whether the guests were
invited by the property owners to use the adjacent land. See Pacheco v. United
States, 220 F.3d 1126, 1131-32 (9th Cir.2000). If, for example, an innkeeper
leases property to operate a hotel, but the government retains control over the
land for the use of general public, the innkeeper must only warn guests of
dangers on the leased property and the ingress or egress therefrom. See
Stedman v. Spiros, 23 Ill.App.2d 69, 161 N.E.2d 590 (1959), cited in Banks,
722 F.2d at 223-24; see also Jones v. Halekulani Hotel, Inc., 557 F.2d 1308,
1311 (9th Cir.1977) (finding that a hotel had no duty to protect someone who
was injured diving from a seawall owned by the hotel but used as a public
easement "[b]ecause the hotel had no right to control the use of the public
thoroughfare ... [and][i]t is inequitable to impose a duty of maintenance on one
without authority to control use").
19
Though we have never explicitly adopted the Banks test, the District Court of
the Virgin Islands followed it in an earlier case, which we affirmed without
opinion. See Manahan v. NWA, 821 F.Supp. 1105, 1108-09 (D.VI.1992)
(affirmed without opinion at 995 F.2d 218, 1993 WL 190061 (3d Cir.1993)).
The Manahan Court adopted the position that "an innkeeper is not an insurer
against all risk of injury to its guests, but is obligated only to take reasonable
steps to minimize risks that are foreseeable to its guests when they are
reasonably within its sphere of control." 821 F.Supp. at 1109 (emphasis added).
20
held that "[t]he duty to protect against known dangerous conditions falls upon
the possessor of the land." Id. at 684. Quoting the Restatement, we defined a
"possessor" of land as someone who "occupies the land with the intent to
control it." Id.
21
III.
22
It is undisputed that the park, including the swimming area, was owned by the
federal government, and that the National Park Service had the right to exercise
exclusive control over activity in that area. While the National Park Service had
granted a license to Caneel and Rosewood, that license was limited under the
controlling documents to the operation of cabins and a campground, a gift shop,
and a water sports shop at locations assigned by the National Park Service,
subject to certain controls retained by the National Park Service. For present
purposes, the critical fact is that the National Park Service, except to the extent
of authorizing operation of a water sports shop, did not in those documents
surrender any control of the beach to Caneel or Rosewood. It follows that
Caneel and Rosewood had no actual authority to control the swimming area
where Fabend was injured. The National Park Service retained that authority
and exercised it by promulgating regulations governing activities there and,
indeed, publishing warnings of risks to be found there.
23
Nevertheless, Fabend suggests that Caneel and Rosewood, despite their lack of
authority to do so, assumed the responsibility of controlling activity in the
swimming area and that, accordingly, this area must be considered a part of
their premises. The problem with this theory is that all of the conduct of Caneel
and Rosewood is consistent with their limited license and there is no evidence
from which a jury could find that they exercised control over the swimming
area.2
24
We reject the idea that a jury might find that Caneel and Rosewood exercised
joint control over the swimming area. Fabend asserts that the Appellee's de
facto control is evidenced by the facts that (1) Appellees were allowed to post
signs, (2) there was no National Park Service regulation prohibiting it from
hiring a lifeguard, (3) Appellees had a "maintenance crew;" (4) Appellees
provided "trash cans as a service to beach users as they would return to the
campground;" (5) that Appellees' personnel would at times patrol the beach for
campground security purposes, and that one of its employees acknowledged
that he had "monitored and policed" the swimming area on occasion; (6)
Appellees operated the only amenities on the beach; (7) Appellees exclude nonguests from the beach at times and (8) Appellees suggested in their advertising
that the beach belongs to them.
25
There is no question that Caneel and Rosewood had actual authority to post
signs necessary or appropriate to the operation of a campground and the water
sport shop, but that is of no legal significance here. What is important is that
there is no evidence that they ever posted a sign purporting to direct or control
activities in the swimming area. Similarly, Rosewood had actual authority to
have its personnel provide campground security,3 as well as trash cans for its
guests returning there, and it is not surprising that it did so. None of this is
probative, however, of whether Caneel and Rosewood in fact exercised control
over the swimming area. The relevant documents do not grant control of the
swimming area to Caneel or Rosewood and, indeed, they reserve that control to
the National Park Service.4 Accordingly, the absence of a regulation
prohibiting Caneel or Rosewood from hiring a lifeguard is hardly surprising.
The relevant fact is that there is no evidence suggesting that either ever asserted
control by engaging the services of a lifeguard for the swimming area.
26
27
28
A. Well, the leaves come down, he rake right around the building to try to keep
it clean so we don't stump our toes on the tree roots and stuff like that.
29
Q. Does he do any maintenance on the beach itself; that is, pick up any leaves,
bottles or anything on the beach?
30
31
Q. Have you?
32
33
34
35
A. Yes.
36
37
38
39
40
The only evidence concerning Caneel and Rosewood personnel and the
swimming area indicated that they would advise people renting boats of the
National Park Service rule prohibiting the use of boats in the swimming area
and would secure a commitment that that rule would be obeyed.6 This would
support a finding that Caneel and Rosewood exercised control with regard to
the equipment they leased pursuant to their authority to operate a water sports
shop; it would not support a finding that Caneel or Rosewood exercised control
over the swimming area. The relationship between Caneel and Rosewood and
Fabend while he was swimming was no different from their relationship with
their other guests when they were hiking, deep sea fishing, or swimming on the
other side of St. John. Under the governing law, that relationship was
insufficient to give rise to a duty to warn on their part.
41
Fabend's contention that defendants "rent the only cottages on the beach" is
also misleading. The cottages are not on the beach, but on the campground
property adjacent to the beach, and are part of the concession contract with the
National Park Service. Similarly, the appellees do not "exclude non-guests from
the beach," but merely shut the road to the campground to non-guests during
nighttime hours as is required by the National Park Service. See 36 C.F.R.
1.5. As the District Court observed, appellees do not attempt to control other
methods of accessing the beach at night. In fact, by law they would be
prevented from doing so. See 12 V.I.C. 402 (guaranteeing public access to the
shorelines of the Virgin Islands).
42
Fabend also asserts that the appellees made up rules for the beach, such as
placing a ban on campfires, and enforced rules such as a ban on boats in the
designated swimming area. But the record demonstrates that none of these rules
are the appellees' rules: they are rules established by the National Park Service
which appellees merely aided in enforcing.
43
Finally, Fabends' argument that appellees treat the beach as their property when
they advertise "our ... white sandy beach" in their brochures is unpersuasive. A
common phrase does not create a legal duty. As the District Court observed,
rhetoric does not establish control and ownership any more than does an
invitation to enjoy "our gentle trade winds."
44
Because the evidence establishes that the beach was not within appellees'
sphere of control, we hold that they did not have a legal duty to warn swimmers
of the shorebreak danger. As such, the appellees are not liable for the injuries
Fabend suffered.
IV.
45
For the above reasons, we will affirm the District Court's grant of summary
judgment in favor of the appellees.
******
46
Notes:
1
Fabend and his expert witness claim that many Cinnamon Bay beach guests
have fallen victim to this shorebreak and received serious injuries, although
they only specifically mention and document one such injury
At oral argument we asked the parties to indicate the portions of the record that
bear on the issue of whether defendants would have been allowed to post signs
warning of beach conditions. Regardless of whether defendants would have
been allowed to post their own signs, however, the point remains that such
signs were the legal responsibility of the National Park Service
The documents explicitly state that, consistent with 36 C.F.R. 1.5, the
National Park Service retains the power and responsibility to regulate its land
for the safety of visitors, and to take action such as beach closures, or use
restrictions to maintain that safety
There is testimony from an NPS employee, Leon Varlack, that NPS did not
have personnel assigned to clean the beach at Cinnamon Bay. Mr. Varlack,
however, did not claim to have observed Caneel or Rosewood personnel
cleaning the beach, and his understanding of who had responsibility for doing