Bloss v. Paris Township

159 N.W.2d 867, 10 Mich. App. 497, 1968 Mich. App. LEXIS 1444
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 29, 1968
DocketDocket No. 2,585
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 159 N.W.2d 867 (Bloss v. Paris Township) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bloss v. Paris Township, 159 N.W.2d 867, 10 Mich. App. 497, 1968 Mich. App. LEXIS 1444 (Mich. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

Holbrook, J.

The background of this case from the beginning is necessary for a proper understanding’ of the issue raised on this appeal as a result of the granting of summary judgment dismissing the conspiracy counts in plaintiff’s amended complaint.

Plaintiff, Floyd Gr. Bloss, doing business as Stardust Drive-In Theatre, operated his outdoor theater in the township of Paris, Kent county, Michigan, in 1963,1964, and the forepart of 1965 under annual [500]*500licenses1 issued by the township. In April, 1965, the township refused to grant plaintiff’s application for renewal of the license. Plaintiff on April 30, 1965, commenced an action against Paris township and its officers and trustees, claiming the statute and resulting township resolution in question were unconstitutional and requesting an injunction restraining the township from enforcing the terms of the resolution. The defendants answered the complaint and filed a counterclaim requesting an injunction restraining plaintiff from operating the theater because (1) he had no township license and (2) the theater as conducted by plaintiff constituted a public nuisance.

On May 28, 1965, after a hearing with testimony taken, the trial court determined that plaintiff was operating a public nuisance because plaintiff’s acts of showing adult movies at the outdoor theater were visible and viewed by children from public ways and the backyards of neighbors. The trial court granted a temporary injunction restraining plaintiff from operating the theater until further order of the court. After a further hearing, on July 9, 1965, the trial court entered a temporary order permitting plaintiff to operate the theater under restrictions as to the type of movies that could be shown.

Another hearing was held with testimony taken on motion of the defendants, and on August 19,1965, the trial court entered a temporary injunction restraining plaintiff from further operating the theater for the reason that plaintiff had resumed the showing of adult movies.

The pretrial statement was filed December 27, 1965, wherein plaintiff was granted the right to file [501]*501an amended complaint within 15 days adding a count founded on conspiracy.

On January 14, 1966, plaintiff filed his amended complaint adding counts of alleged conspiracies seeking $250,000 in damages. Plaintiff therein named Paris township and Peter Lamberts, John YanDyke, Cyrus Fisher, Kitchener Tassell, Robert Ide, Dale Heyboer, and Preston Miller, officers of Paris township, as coconspirators with Ben Yan Dam and Lucille Yan Dam, Anthony Janesick and Johanna Janesick, and LeRoy Wint. The Yan Dams have a home adjoining the outdoor theater of plaintiff. Mrs. Janesick is the owner of the outdoor theater property which was leased to plaintiff. Mr. Janesick acted in the matter with power of attorney from his wife. Mr. Wint was an agent of the Janesicks who is charged with attempting to dispossess the plaintiff. The gist of the conspiracies charged in plaintiff’s amended complaint was that the defendants conspired to put him out of business.

On January 21, 1966, defendants Paris township and the officers and trustees of the township filed a motion for summary judgment of dismissal of the conspiracy counts for the reason that plaintiff had failed to state a cause of action. GrCR 1963, 117.2. Other defendants on January 25, 1966, joined in the motion.

On January 25, 1966, the trial court, pursuant to GrCR 1963, 505.2, ordered a separate trial for plaintiff’s count 1 and defendants’ counterclaim. This trial was commenced February 1 and completed February 14, 1966.

On February 28, 1966, the Honorable Fred N. Searl, circuit judge, filed his opinion determining that plaintiff’s manner of conducting the outdoor theater constituted a public nuisance. Further, that when given an opportunity during pendency of the [502]*502suit to operate the theater properly, plaintiff disregarded the court’s order and resumed the showing of adult movies. The trial court determined that it would he impossible to allow plaintiff to operate the outdoor theater without such operation resulting in a public nuisance and ordered the abating of the public nuisance by enjoining the operation of the theater by plaintiff.

On March 15, 1966, judgment in accord with the opinion of the court was entered. The plaintiff made application for leave to appeal direct to the Supreme Court which was granted by an order of the Supreme Court, June 13, 1966.2 Plaintiff’s application to dissolve the trial court’s injunction was denied.

On June 27, 1966, after a hearing, the trial judge filed his opinion granting defendants’ motion for summary judgment of dismissal of the conspiracy counts in plaintiff’s amended complaint. Plaintiff appeals to this Court and raises 1 question for review as follows: Should summary judgment on the pleadings have been granted by the trial court in the within cause?

The trial judge in his opinion on the motion for summary judgment stated in part as follows:

“In Fenestra Incorporated v. Gulf American Land Corporation, 377 Mich 565 (Decided April 5, 1966), the Supreme Court said at p 593:
‘A conspiracy is a combination of two or more persons, by some concerted action, to accomplish a criminal or unlawful purpose, or to accomplish a purpose not unlawful by criminal or unlawful means. Veriden v. McLeod (1914), 180 Mich 182. In addition, at the core of an actionable civil conspiracy is a question of damages. This facet of the law of [503]*503conspiracy is accurately summed up in the case of Roche v. Blair (1943), 305 Mich 608, 613, 614: “The law is well established that in a civil action for damages resulting from wrongful acts alleged to have been committed in pursuance of a conspiracy, the gist or gravamen of the action is not the conspiracy but is the wrongful acts causing the damages. The conspiracy standing alone without the commission of acts causing damage would not be actionable. The cause of action does not result from the conspiracy but from the acts done.” In the case of Auto Workers’ Temple Ass’n v. Janson (1924), 227 Mich 430, 433, the point is made more succinctly: the foundation of the action is the damage and not the conspiracy.’
“It is not necessary to determine whether the acts of the defendants alleged in counts II and III would under any circumstances be actionable. They are not the cause of whatever damage plaintiff may have suffered by reason of the closing of his theater.
“Such damage resulted solely from the orders of this court, namely, the temporary injunctive order of May 28, 1965, the temporary injunctive order of August 19, 1965, and the judgment of this court of March 15, 1966. For these orders and judgments the defendants cannot be held liable in damages.” (Emphasis supplied.)

Now it is true as contended by plaintiff that upon appeal from an order granting summary judgment, all facts well pleaded by the party against whom such order is granted must be taken as true. Also, the granting of a summary judgment is a harsh remedy and all doubts should be resolved in favor of the party against whom such judgment is entered. Durant v. Stahlin (Appeal in re Van Dusen, Elliott, Romney) (1965), 375 Mich 628.

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Bluebook (online)
159 N.W.2d 867, 10 Mich. App. 497, 1968 Mich. App. LEXIS 1444, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bloss-v-paris-township-michctapp-1968.