City of Bowling Green v. Newlove

583 N.E.2d 1030, 65 Ohio App. 3d 293, 1989 Ohio App. LEXIS 4258
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 17, 1989
DocketNo. WD-88-88.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 583 N.E.2d 1030 (City of Bowling Green v. Newlove) 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
City of Bowling Green v. Newlove, 583 N.E.2d 1030, 65 Ohio App. 3d 293, 1989 Ohio App. LEXIS 4258 (Ohio Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

Abood, Judge.

This is an appeal from the judgment of the Bowling Green Municipal Court in which defendant-appellant, John Newlove, was found guilty of a separate violation of Bowling Green Ordinance Section 150.140(A) for each day from January 1, 1988 through June 14, 1988. Appellant has set forth five assignments of error:

“(A) [1] The Court below erred by permitting Appellee to proceed at trial on 166 counts of violating the Bowling Green Zoning Ordiance [sic], in spite of only one complaint being filed alleging one count of violation.
“(B) [2] The Court below erred by overruling Appellant’s Motion for Directed Verdict and Acquittal at the close of Appellee’s presentation of evidence.
“(C) [3] The Court below erred when it determined against the manifest weight of the evidence that Appellant was guilty of violating the Bowling Green Ordinance Section 150.01 [sic].
“(D) [4] The Court below erred by overruling Appellants’ [sic] Motion for New Trial pursuant to Criminal Rule 33 and request to set aside its Decision and Judgment of September 20, 1988.
“(E) [5] The Court below erred when it determined against the manifest weight of the evidence that Appellant should be fined in the amount of *296 $16,600.00 and placing the Defendant on probation for the maximum of five (5) years.”

The facts giving rise to this appeal are as follows. On or about July 6, 1988, zoning enforcement officer Bob Shetzer received a complaint from a Bowling Green citizen that a house owned by appellant located at 140 Manville Road in Bowling Green was occupied by more than three unrelated persons. The area in question was zoned R-2 Single Family Residential. Shetzer investigated the complaint and on July 28, 1988, filed a complaint on behalf of the city of Bowling Green against appellant alleging that he permitted, on June 14, 1988, more than three unrelated individuals to occupy the single family dwelling for living purposes at 140 Manville in violation of Bowling Green Ordinance Section 150.03. On August 8, 1988, appellant pled not guilty and the case proceeded to a trial to the court on September 9, 1988. At the trial, subsequent to opening statements, appellant moved the court to dismiss the complaint which motion was overruled. Appellee then moved the court to amend its complaint to include continuing violations of Bowling Green Ordinance Section 150.03 during the period from January 1, 1988 to July 14, 1988. The trial court granted appellee’s motion, and the trial continued. At the close of appellee’s case, appellant’s motion for directed verdict was denied and appellant introduced his own evidence. In its decision filed September 20, 1988, the trial court found appellant guilty of successive, separate violations of Bowling Green Ordinance Section 150.140(A) for each day between January 1, 1988 through June 14, 1988. On October 4, 1988, appellant filed a motion for new trial and on October 14, 1988, appellant filed a motion to disqualify Judge Bachman and an affidavit of prejudice. On November 4, 1988, Judge Gale Williamson denied appellant’s motion to disqualify Judge Bachman and the trial court denied appellant’s motion for new trial. On November 18,1988, the trial court filed its judgment entry sentencing appellant to the maximum fine for each violation plus costs and five years’ probation with certain conditions. The trial court then stayed $15,162 of the fine and costs on the condition that appellant not violate his probation. Thereafter, appellant filed this appeal.

In his first assignment of error, appellant asserts that the trial court erred in granting appellee’s motion to amend its complaint to include one hundred sixty-six separate offenses, overruling appellant’s implicit objections to the amendment. Appellant argues that there was no sworn affidavit as to the violations, he was never arraigned on the additional charges and, therefore, was not afforded the opportunity to plead or prepare.

The record before us indicates that when appellee made its motion at trial to amend its complaint, appellant made no objections whatsoever. Issues which *297 are not raised in the lower court will not be considered by the appellate court for the first time on appeal. State v. Geraldo (1983), 13 Ohio App.3d 27, 13 OBR 29, 468 N.E.2d 328. Accordingly, appellant’s first assignment of error is found not well taken.

In his second assignment of error, appellant asserts that the trial court erred in overruling his motion for directed verdict and acquittal made at the close of appellee’s case. Appellee argues, inter alia, that appellant, by presenting his own evidence after his motion for acquittal was denied, waived any claim of error which may have resulted from this denial.

“ * * * [I]t is well-established that where a defendant, after moving for a directed verdict at the conclusion of the state’s case, offers evidence on his own behalf, any error which might have occurred in overruling the motion is waived.” (Citations omitted.) State v. Whitmeyer (1984), 20 Ohio App.3d 279, 282, 20 OBR 370, 373, 485 N.E.2d 1055, 1058. See, also, State v. Kline (1983), 11 Ohio App.3d 208, 214, 11 OBR 330, 338, 464 N.E.2d 159, 166, fn. 8.

Our examination of the record indicates that at the close of the state’s case, and after the trial court denied appellant’s motion for acquittal, appellant did proceed to present evidence. Appellant did not later renew his motion for acquittal. Accordingly, any error claimed has been waived, and appellant’s second assignment of error is found not well taken.

In his third assignment of error, appellant asserts that the trial court’s finding that he was guilty of violating Bowling Green Ordinance Section 150.140(A) is against the manifest weight of the evidence.

A reviewing court will not reverse the decision of the trial court if there is substantial evidence to form a basis upon which reasonable minds could conclude that every element of the offense has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Eley (1978), 56 Ohio St.2d 169, 10 O.O.3d 340, 383 N.E.2d 132. In determining if the judgment of the trial court is against the manifest weight of the evidence, it is not the role of the reviewing court to weigh the evidence presented or to judge the credibility of witnesses. State v. Clay (1973), 34 Ohio St.2d 250, 251, 63 O.O.2d 391, 392, 298 N.E.2d 137, 138.

Bowling Green Ordinance Section 150.03 provides in relevant part:

“ * * * ‘SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING.’ A building designed for occupancy by one family for living purposes and including not more than 2 lodgers or boarders.”

Bowling Green Ordinance Section 150.140 provides in relevant part:

“(A) It shall be unlawful to locate, erect, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, change, maintain, or use any building or land in violation of any regula

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Bluebook (online)
583 N.E.2d 1030, 65 Ohio App. 3d 293, 1989 Ohio App. LEXIS 4258, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-bowling-green-v-newlove-ohioctapp-1989.