Callawassie Island Members Club, Inc. v. Dennis

790 S.E.2d 435, 417 S.C. 610, 2016 S.C. App. LEXIS 92
CourtCourt of Appeals of South Carolina
DecidedAugust 3, 2016
DocketAppellate Case No. 2014-001524; Opinion No. 5434
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 790 S.E.2d 435 (Callawassie Island Members Club, Inc. v. Dennis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Callawassie Island Members Club, Inc. v. Dennis, 790 S.E.2d 435, 417 S.C. 610, 2016 S.C. App. LEXIS 92 (S.C. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

LOCKEMY, C.J.

Ronnie D. Dennis and Jeanette Dennis (Appellants) appeal the circuit court’s grant of the Callawassie Island Members Club, Inc.’s motion for summary judgment. We reverse and remand to the circuit court.

FACTS/PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In 1999, Appellants purchased property on Callawassie Island, a private island located between Beaufort and Hilton Head Island. They also purchased a membership in the Calla-wassie Island Club (CIC). The provisions governing membership in CIC were memorialized in the Plan for Offering of Memberships in the Callawassie Island Club (CIC Plan). In 2001, CIC members purchased the club’s assets and took over operation of the club under a new name, the Callawassie Island Members Club (CIMC). In conjunction with the purchase, CIMC issued an amended plan for offering of membership (CIMC Plan) and established its own general club rules (GCR) and bylaws.

In November 2010, Appellants stopped paying dues to CIMC, asserting their tender of a letter of resignation to CIMC relieved them of any further obligation to CIMC. Thereafter, in August 2011, CIMC filed a breach of contract action against Appellants for the collection of unpaid dues, [613]*613fees, assessments, and other charges. CIMC asserted the CIMC Plan, like the CIC Plan before it, required resigned members remain in good standing with CIMC until their memberships were reissued by CIMC. CIMC maintained Appellants were CIMC members and were bound by the CIMC Plan. According to CIMC, Appellants paid a $4,000 assessment required of members at the time of the transfer of assets from CIC to CIMC, were issued a membership certificate to CIMC, and continued to enjoy membership privileges for a number of years.

Appellants answered the complaint, alleging they were informed by CIMC management that club members who joined prior to 2001 would not be required to maintain a membership but could resign their membership at the member’s discretion. Appellants further asserted the GCRs provide that members not paying dues will be suspended for four months, and members whose accounts are not settled within those four months shall be expelled from CIMC. Appellants asserted the GCRs provide that dues and fees do not accumulate as a result of an expulsion. Appellants also claimed CIMC did not maintain a fair and reasonable process for the termination of memberships, failed to allow members to approve fundamental changes to members’ rights, failed to act in good faith, and made material misrepresentations to Appellants. Additionally, Appellants asserted counterclaims for breach of fiduciary duty and negligent misrepresentation.

On September 30, 2013, CIMC filed a motion for summary judgment. CIMC argued its contracts with Appellants (including the CIMC Plan, the GCRs, and the bylaws) were unambiguous in their collective requirement that a member must remain in good standing with CIMC until his membership is reissued. CIMC further argued the South Carolina Nonprofit Corporation Act1 (the Act) provides that a member is not relieved from any obligations which were incurred, or commitments which were made, while he was still a member.

Following a hearing in November 2013, the circuit court granted CIMC’s motion for summary judgment on January 15, 2014. The court found CIMC’s governing documents were unambiguous and clearly required a resigned member to pay [614]*614dues until his membership is reissued. The court further found there was no evidence of fraud or bad faith on the part of the CIMC Board of Directors (CIMC Board), and the Act clearly provides that a member cannot void a contractual undertaking simply by leaving a club. The court also found CIMC was entitled to summary judgment on Appellants’ breach of fiduciary duty and negligent misrepresentation claims. The court awarded CIMC $51,131.76 in unpaid dues and attorney’s fees.

Thereafter, Appellants filed a motion for reconsideration, objecting to the form of the summary judgment order and the legal standard employed by the court in reaching its determination. They alleged there were questions of fact for the jury to decide, including what documents apply and bind the parties; what documents constitute a contract between the parties; the amount of damages owed; whether CIMC is bound by statements of its agents that Appellants would accumulate no more than four months of dues and fees before being expelled; whether it violates state law for Appellants to be treated differently than other similarly situated members; and whether it violates state law to not allow Appellants to resign.

Following a hearing in May 2014, the circuit court issued an amended order, once again granting CIMC summary judgment and denying Appellants’ motion to reconsider. This appeal followed.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

When reviewing the grant of a summary judgment motion, the appellate court applies the same standard that governs the trial court under Rule 56(c), SCRCP, which provides that summary judgment is proper when there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Rule 56(c), SCRCP; Fleming v. Rose, 350 S.C. 488, 493, 567 S.E.2d 857, 860 (2002). In determining whether a genuine issue of fact exists, the evidence and all reasonable inferences drawn from it must be viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Sauner v. Pub. Serv. Auth. of S.C., 354 S.C. 397, 404, 581 S.E.2d 161, 165 (2003), To withstand a motion for summary judgment in cases applying the preponderance of the evidence burden of proof, the nonmoving party is only required to submit a mere [615]*615scintilla of evidence. Hancock v. Mid-South Mgmt. Co., Inc., 381 S.C. 326, 330, 673 S.E.2d 801, 803 (2009).

LAW/ANALYSIS

I. Issues of Fact

Appellants argue the circuit court erred in failing to apply the “mere scintilla” standard and disregarding evidence of genuine issues of material fact.

A. Contractual Relationship

First, Appellants contend a genuine issue of fact exists as to whether they have a contractual relationship with CIMC. Appellants argue there is no evidence their CIC membership was transferred to CIMC. They maintain they signed a purchase agreement with CIC in 1999 and never entered into any membership agreement with CIMC. Conversely, CIMC argues Appellants’ CIMC membership is evidenced by their payment of a $4,000 assessment associated with the transfer of CIC to CIMC and the issuance of a membership certificate to Appellants.2 CIMC also argues Appellants’ CIMC membership is evidenced by their admission of their continued use of CIMC amenities and their admission that they had a duty to pay dues to CIMC until their membership was resigned, transferred back to CIMC, or as otherwise terminated as allowed by the governing documents.

We hold a question of fact does not exist as to whether Appellants were members of CIMC. The evidence in the record supports the circuit court’s finding that Appellants’ membership in CIC transferred to CIMC upon the sale of the club.

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Bluebook (online)
790 S.E.2d 435, 417 S.C. 610, 2016 S.C. App. LEXIS 92, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/callawassie-island-members-club-inc-v-dennis-scctapp-2016.