Bautista v. Kolis

754 N.E.2d 820, 142 Ohio App. 3d 169
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 26, 2001
DocketCase Nos. 99 C.A. 99, 99 C.A. 218.
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 754 N.E.2d 820 (Bautista v. Kolis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bautista v. Kolis, 754 N.E.2d 820, 142 Ohio App. 3d 169 (Ohio Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

Gene Donofrio, Judge.

Defendant-appellant State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company appeals a decision of the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court denying its motion for summary judgment and granting the motion for partial summary judgment filed by plaintiffs-appellees, Celso O. Bautista and Puring V. Bautista.

On June 20, 1995, Celso O. Bautista was operating a motor vehicle on State Route 165 in Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio. Another vehicle operated by defendant Helen L. Kolis collided with Bautista’s vehicle, causing physical injury and other damages.

At the time of the accident, Kolis was an Ohio resident. She carried an automobile insurance policy with Motorists Mutual Insurance Company (“Motorists”), issued in Ohio, with a liability limit of $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident.

Mr. Bautista, a Virginia resident, carried an automobile insurance policy issued by defendant-appellant, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (“State Farm”). The policy was issued in Virginia and covered four vehicles. The policy had an UM/UIM coverage limit of $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident.

On June 4, 1997, the Bautistas, along with other passengers injured in the accident, filed a lawsuit against Kolis and State Farm. All plaintiffs, including the Bautistas, have settled their claims against Kolis with her insurer, Motorists. *171 Particularly relevant to this appeal is the fact that Motorists settled with the Bautistas for $50,000.

On October 29, 1998, State Farm filed a motion for summary judgment on the Bautistas’ claims against it for UM/UIM coverage. State Farm argued that Ohio law did not permit the stacking of UM/UIM coverage. State Farm argued that since its policy limit was $50,000 per person, Motorists’ policy limit was $50,000 per person, Motorists paid the Bautistas $50,000, the Bautistas were not left uninsured/underinsured.

That same day, the Bautistas filed a partial summary judgment motion. The Bautistas argued that their policy with State Farm was governed by Virginia law, which permits the stacking of UM/UIM coverage. The Bautistas argued that since their policy with State Farm covered four vehicles, the policy provided for a total of $200,000 in UM/UIM coverage. Since they already had been paid $50,000, they argued they were entitled to UM/UIM coverage to the extent of $150,000.

On March 19, 1999, the trial court issued a judgment entry sustaining the Bautistas’ partial summary judgment motion and overruling State Farm’s motion. The court held that Virginia law applied and that State Farm was liable for the aggregate amount of UM/UIM coverage. On July 6, 1999, the court filed an additional judgment entry clarifying the March 19, 1999 entry. The court explained that under Virginia law,' the Bautistas were entitled to $150,000 in coverage for their injuries, if any, sustained by Celso O. Bautista. The court noted that it reached this amount by subtracting $50,000 from the combined total of $200,000 of UM/UIM coverage, since Virginia law provides for a setoff of the amount the Bautistas received from Kolis’s insurer. The court also stated that other issues, not determined, including damages, remain open, to be determined later. This appeal followed.

Initially, we must determine whether this court has jurisdiction to consider this appeal. Section 3(B)(2), Article IV of the Ohio Constitution governs the limited subject matter jurisdiction of Ohio appellate courts specifically providing:

“Courts of appeals shall have such jurisdiction as may be provided by law to review and affirm, modify, or reverse judgments or final orders of the courts of record inferior to the court of appeals within the district * * *.”

An order of an inferior court is a final, appealable order only if the requirements of R.C. 2505.02 and Civ.R. 54(B), if applicable, are met. Chef Italiano Corp. v. Kent State Univ. (1989), 44 Ohio St.3d 86, 541 N.E.2d 64. If an order is not final and appealable, then an appellate court has no jurisdiction to review the matter and the appeal must be dismissed. Davison v. Rini (1996), 115 Ohio App.3d 688, 692, 686 N.E.2d 278, 280-281. Moreover, in the event that this *172 jurisdictional issue is not raised by the parties involved with the appeal, then this court is required to raise it on its own motion. Id.

R.C. 2505.02 sets forth five categories of final orders:

“(B) An order is a final order that may be reviewed, affirmed, modified, or reversed, with or without retrial, when it is one of the following:
“(1) An order that affects a substantial right in an action that in effect determines the action and prevents a judgment;
“(2) An order that affects a substantial right made in a special proceeding or upon a summary application in an action after judgment;
“(3) An order that vacates or sets aside a judgment or grants a new trial;
“(4) An order that grants or denies a provisional remedy and to which both of the following apply:
“(a) The order in effect determines the action with respect to the provisional remedy and prevents a judgment in the action in favor of the appealing party with respect to the provisional remedy.
“(b) The appealing party would not be afforded a meaningful or effective remedy by an appeal following final judgment as to all proceedings, issues, claims, and parties in the action.
“(5) An order that determines that an action may or may not be maintained as a class action.”

In this case, it is clear that the trial court’s order is not an order that vacates or sets aside a judgment or grants a new trial. It is also equally clear that it is not an order that determines that an action may or may not be maintained as a class action. Therefore, R.C. 2505.02(B)(1) and (5) are inapplicable.

The trial court’s order is not an order concerning a provisional remedy. “ ‘Provisional remedy’ means a proceeding ancillary to an action, including, but not limited to, a proceeding for a preliminary injunction, attachment, discovery of privileged matter, or suppression of evidence.” R.C. 2505.02(A)(3). In Bishop v. Dresser Industries, Inc. (1999), 134 Ohio App.3d 321, 324, 730 N.E.2d 1079,, 1081, the court held:

“[Cjonsideration of a summary judgment motion is not an ancillary proceeding. Summary judgment can be fully determinative of the issues before the court, and by its very terms, the trial court can grant final judgment on any or all pending claims. Therefore, the consideration of an issue by means of a summary judgment proceeding cannot be ancillary to the action.”

Considering the same question, this court, in Tribett v. Mestek, Inc. (Mar. 18, 1999), Jefferson App. No.

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Bluebook (online)
754 N.E.2d 820, 142 Ohio App. 3d 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bautista-v-kolis-ohioctapp-2001.