GREEK EASTER

CHRISTOS decided to host a party to celebrate Greek Easter. He invited his family and some of his closest friends. The day arrived. Everyone was having a good time.

Just off the living room, where the main party was being held, there is a door that leads to a fire escape that leads down to the backyard. The fire escape is made of metal and is attached to the wooden frame of the house by large bolts. At some point, AUNT VOULA went out to the fire escape to smoke a cigarette (CHRISTOS always sent people to the fire escape if they wanted to smoke). While standing there, the fire escape began to pull away from the house and it collapsed two stories below to the backyard. AUNT VOULA was seriously injured, unconscious and bleeding badly from her head.

AUNT VOULA ran a catering business. When invited to the party along with other family members, she insisted on providing all the food, cooking it and serving it, all for free. CHRISTOS accepted AUNT VOULA's offer only after she agreed to accept enough money to at least pay for the food.

PENELOPE heard, but did not see the fire escape crash (she was in the front of the house when it collapsed). She then rushed to the back of the house and saw AUNT VOULA unconscious and bleeding. She suffered severe emotional distress and passed out. AUNT VOULA was PENELOPE'S aunt and godmother, a highly regarded role within Greek culture. As her godmother, she was a central person in her entire life, especially since Penelope's mother had died when she was young.

Turns out there was a reason that the fire escape fell. The house had been suffering from water damage in several areas, leading to some wood rot where the fire escape was bolted to the house. The bolts had been slowing pulling away from the house and it was just a matter of time. The weight of one person on the fire escape on that particular day was the final factor that sent it to the ground. CHRISTOS did not know about the water damage or the wood rot. It was reported to him in a building inspection report that was completed when he bought the house a few years earlier, but he never read the report. Had he read the report or closely inspected the fire escape, he would have learned of the dangerous condition.

1. AUNT VOULA SUES CHRISTOS IN NEGLIGENCE. WHAT RESULT?

2. PENELOPE SUES CHRISTOS FOR NEGLIGENT INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, WHAT RESULT?