Bell v. Vardalides

36 N.E.2d 819, 34 Ohio Law. Abs. 241, 1941 Ohio App. LEXIS 975
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Bell v. Vardalides. Read the opinion of the Court — 42 Ohio Law. Abs. 486
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided May 23, 1941·No. No 1647·Published

Opinion

OPINION

By BARNES, J.

The above entitled cause is now being determined as an error proceeding by reason of the appeal of Nick Vardalides on questions of law from the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County, Ohio.

The original action, in addition to Vardalides, named three other defendants as follows: Clifton Stober, Fred Deubner and Mabel Deubner.

Characteristic of a deplorable practice in' Montgomery County, default judgments were taken against all the defendants and thereafter defaults opened up and answers filed.

Previous to the answers, some of the defendants filed demurrers, all of which were overruled.

Before the hearing the defendants, Stober, Fred Deubner and Mabel Duebner were dismissed as defendants in the action. The dismissal of Fred Deubner occurred on the morning of the trial.

The plaintiff in his petition prayed for judgment in the sum of $2,000.00, for services claimed to have been rendered under a contract of employment in a restaurant known as the Olympia Restaurant, allegedly owned and .operated by the defendant. It was alleged that the time of the service was from the 15th day of April, 1936, to the 15th day of February, 1938; that the wage agreed upon was $25.00 per week; that the total, period was ninety-six weeks, which would amount to $2400.00, upon which $400.00 had been paid.

The answer of Nick Vardalides admitted plaintiff’s employment from the 13th day of April, 1936, to November 7, 1936, and averred that for said period plaintiff was paid in full; that thereafter plaintiff worked for the Olympia Restaurant, Incorporated, and that during the period of time following November 7, 1936, the employment was not by the defendant, Nick Vardalides. The answer contained the further averment that the Olympia Restaurant, Inc., paid plaintiff for all wages due him during the time he was working for. such corporation.

Trial was had to a jury and resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff for $2,000, that being the full amount claimed. Thereafter motion for new trial was filed, overruled and judgment entered on the verdict, with $85.00 deducted, which plaintiff agreed to.

The necessary steps were taken through which the case was lodged in [243]*243our court through an appeal on questions of law.

Defendant’s assignments of error are set our under eight separately numbered specifications, as follows:

“1. The verdict of the jury and judgment herein is contrary to law.
2. The verdict of the jury and judgment herein is against the manifest weight of the evidence.
3. The verdict of the jury and judg- - ment herein should have been for the defendant.
4. The Court erred in the admission of evidence on behalf of Plaintiff-Appellee, over the objection of counsel for Defendant-Appellant, prejudicial to the rights of said defendant-appellant, and which was then and there excepted to.
5. For misconduct, passion and • prejudice of the jury and because the amount of said verdict was excessive.
6. Because of the overruling of motion for new trial on grounds of newly discovered evidence, material to the rights of Defendant-Appellant, which was to him unknown at the time of trial, and could not with reasonable diligence be ascertained.
7. Because the Court erred in his charge to the jury.
8. For all other errors apparent upon the face of the record.”

Specifications 1, 2 and 3 may be considered together under a general heading that the verdict and judgment weré contrary to law and against the weight of the evidence.

Plaintiff explains his action against four defendants for the reason that there was some uncertainty as to ■ the ownership of the Olympia Restaurant, and his counsel thought it advisable to include the three additional defendants as parties defendant.

For a number of years prior to plaintiff Bell’s erriployment, the defendant, Nick Vardalides, had been connected with the Olympia Restaurant as sole owner or as a partnership in'which his brother Antonio Vardalides, and Nick Paulua were partners.

The plaintiff and the defendant, Nick Vardalides, and his two partners were all of Greek nationality, but all had been naturalized as American citizens. None of the parties spoke the English language fluently. The transcript of the testimony is not as clear as it might be, due to the unfamiliarity of the parties with our language.

Shortly before the date of plaintiff’s claimed employment, he worked a few weeks under a prior employment. At that time he was working at nights from 7 to 12, at a salary of $10.00 per week,- all of which was paid, and this period is not involved under plaintiff’s present claim.

At that time the restaurant was operated by the three partners heretofore referred to. Some time in April the restaurant company lost its liquor license through action of the Liquor Control Board. Some weeks were taken up, in endeavoring to regain the license, but without avail. During this period the plaintiff was laid off.

He came back to work with the understanding that the license would be taken out in his name. In an effort to carry' out this plan-, bill of sale was made out to the plaintiff, Bell, and he executed to the then owners his note in payment. Plaintiff claims that this ■was a mere subterfuge and that in fact he continued to work under a then, agreed salary of $25.00 per week.

The defendant, Nick Vardalides, denies that any fixed salary was agreed upon, but that this was to be controlled by the successful operation of the business.

In the fall of 1936 the restaurant was incorporated under the name Olympia Restaurant, Inc.

The incorporators were Fred C. Deubner, Clifton Stober and Frederic W. Howell.

It is plaintiff’s claim that this action was a mere sham, and that in fact Nick Vardalides was the real owner and operator; that Vardalides so told him and that he, Bell, was working for Nick Vardalides.

[244]*244[243]*243Without analyzing the evidence in its entirety, we might say that this was [244]*244an issuable question and the evidence of such a character that the jury would be warranted in finding that the corporation was a mere subterfuge and taken for the sole purpose of seeking to protect the liquor license.

We would further say that there is sufficient evidence in the record to warrant the finding that plaintiff, Bell's salary was to be $25.00 per week.

Of course, the question of payment is an affirmative defense. The defendant claims that the salary was paid in full and introduces books of the concern containing, entries of cash and provisions paid to Bell, in the total sum of $1853.05.

It is possible that this total should be reduced by $255.00, this amount being covered by six receipts introduced in' evidence as defendant’s Exhibits F, G, H, I, J.

It is defendant’s. claim that certain entries in the book, particularly Exhibit C. - were not made in the regular course of business, but were entered in the handwriting of the defendant, Nick Vardalides, after the plaintiff was discharged from his employment.

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Bell v. Vardalides, 36 N.E.2d 819, 34 Ohio Law. Abs. 241, 1941 Ohio App. LEXIS 975 (Ohio Ct. App. 1941).

36 N.E.2d 819 (Bell v. Vardalides) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.