Kenny Willis and his neighbors, Rick and Joyce Taylor, were good friends. Rick helped Kenny repair his truck and Kenny cut the Taylors’s yard because they did not own a lawnmower. One day, while the Taylors were out, Kenny began to cut their grass. Joyce returned home and saw what he was doing but made no effort to stop him. Kenny negligently ran the mower over a stretch of gravel. A piece of the gravel shot through the air and struck Jackie Gill in the eye. She filed suit against both Willis and the Taylors. A jury found the three defendants jointly and severally liable.

Questions:

1. Why would the Taylors be liable for Kenny’s negligence?

2. Why?

3. Was there an explicit agency agreement?

4. Did the Taylors have control over their yard? Could Joyce have asked Kenny to stop mowing her yard?

5. Was Kenny acting as an agent for the Taylors?