Creighton v. Krummell

26 Pa. D. & C.5th 294
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas
DecidedJuly 1, 2012
StatusPublished

This text of 26 Pa. D. & C.5th 294 (Creighton v. Krummell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Creighton v. Krummell, 26 Pa. D. & C.5th 294 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2012).

Opinion

This matter comes before the court on defendants Richard and Celine Krummell’s preliminary objections to plaintiffs’ second amended complaint. Plaintiffs initiated this action with the filing of a complaint on June 27, 2007, alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Defendants filed an answer with new matter and counterclaim on December 12,2007. After a two year delay in litigation, on January 11,2010, the parties stipulated that plaintiffs would be allowed to file an amended complaint, which they did the same day. Defendants filed preliminary [295]*295objections to the amended complaint on March 22, 2012, which were rendered moot by plaintiffs’ filing of a second amended complaint on April 11, 2012. Defendants filed preliminary objections to the second amended complaint on April 30, 2012. Defendants filed a brief in support of their position on May 18, 2012. Plaintiffs filed a brief in opposition on May 25,2012. Oral argument was heard on June 4, 2012. We are now prepared to decide this matter.

DISCUSSION

Pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. § 1028(a), preliminary objections may be filed by any party to any pleading on several grounds, including:

(2) Failure of a pleading to conform to law or rule of court or inclusion of scandalous or impertinent matter;
(3) Insufficient specificity in a pleading;
(4) Legal insufficiency of a pleading (demurrer).

Pa. R.C.P. 1028(a)(2), (3), (4). In ruling on preliminary objections, we recognize that the court must accept as true “all well-pleaded allegations and material facts averred in the complaint, as well as all reasonable inferences deducible therefrom....” Wurth by Wurth v. City of Philadelphia, 584 A.2d 403, 407 (Pa. Cmwlth.1990). The court need not accept as true, however, “conclusions of law, unwarranted inferences from facts, argumentative allegations, or expressions of opinion.” Myers v. Ridge, 712 A.2d 791, 794 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1998).

When ruling on a preliminary objection that would dismiss the action, we are mindful to sustain the objection [296]*296only in the cases which are clear and free from doubt. King v. Detroit Tool Co., 682 A.2d 313, 314 (Pa. Super. 1996). In determining whether the factual averments of a complaint are sufficient to state a cause of action, all doubts must be resolved in favor of the sufficiency of the complaint. Slaybaugh v. Newman, 479 A.2d 517, 519 (Pa. Super., 1984). A demurrer will be sustained only where the complaint demonstrates with certainty that under the facts averred within, the law will not permit a recovery. Id.; see also Cianfrani v. Commonwealth, State Employees’ Retirement Bd., 505 Pa. 294, 296, 479 A.2d 468, 469 (1984). If any theory of law will support the claim raised by the complaint, dismissal is improper. Slaybaugh, supra; Cianfrani, supra. Alternatively, a motion to strike a pleading may be granted when lack of conformity to a law or a rule of court occurs. Pa.R.C.P. § 1028(a)(2).

The relevant facts of this case, as alleged in the second amended complaint, are as follows. Plaintiffs and defendants entered into an agreement for sale of real property on or about January 16, 2005. As part of that agreement, defendants were to place $5,000 in escrow until construction work was completed on the property. Defendants never placed this $5,000 in escrow. At closing on June 29,2005, the parties entered into a verbal agreement in which plaintiffs waived the necessity of defendants placing money in escrow, and in turn, defendant Richard Krummell promised to complete repairs on the property, including:

a. Painting an apartment in the white house;
b. Painting the exterior of the white house;
[297]*297c. Fixing the vinyl siding above the garage doors;
d. Installing a tile floor in the brown house.

Since plaintiffs waived the necessity of putting the money in escrow, the work in question was essentially prepaid for by plaintiffs. However, defendants never completed the work outlined above, breaching their contract with plaintiffs. Thus, plaintiffs allege they have suffered a loss in the amount of $5,000.

Further, plaintiffs allege that defendants installed an insufficient and malfunctioning septic system in the apartment house located on the property. They allege that the system was installed without a permit and was not built according to applicable building codes. Plaintiffs allege that defendants knew that the system was inadequate and defective, yet failed to disclose this on the real estate sellers disclosure form, in violation of statute. Defendants represented on the disclosure form that they were not aware of any leaks, backups or any other problems relating to the sewage system. Plaintiffs allege that this was a material misrepresentation which they justifiably relied on when purchasing the property, and thus they are entitled to the $19,650 it cost to have a new septic system installed.

Finally, plaintiffs allege that when defendants moved out of the apartment they left a piano behind. However, they told plaintiffs that the piano would not be there long as friends were coming to help them move it. Plaintiffs allege that the piano was stored on plaintiffs’ property for over a year. They allege that defendants appreciated the benefit of not paying for storage for the piano and claim that they are entitled to reasonable value for storage [298]*298fees relating to the piano. In total, plaintiffs bring three counts against defendants: breach of contract, violation of the unfair trade practices and consumer protection law (UTPCPL), and unjust enrichment.

In the matter now before the court, defendants raise two preliminary objections in the nature of motions for legal insufficiency of a pleading (demurrer), one as to plaintiffs’ claim under the unfair trade practices and consumer protection law, and one as to plaintiffs’ claim for unjust enrichment. First, defendants allege that the UTPCPL applies only to real estate purchased primarily for personal, family or household purposes. Defendants allege that plaintiffs purchased the property in question as an investment, have never resided at the property, and indeed continue to use the property as a rental. Next, defendants allege that plaintiffs’ unjust enrichment claim is not permitted, as claims for unjust enrichment sound in tort, and tort recovery is not permitted in a breach of contract claim. We will address the issues raised by defendants in turn.

I. Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law

Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, 73 Pa.C.S.A. § 201-9.2(a), provides that:

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Related

WURTH BY WURTH v. City of Philadelphia
584 A.2d 403 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1990)
Myers v. Ridge
712 A.2d 791 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1998)
Growall v. Maietta
931 A.2d 667 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2007)
Mitchell v. Moore
729 A.2d 1200 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1999)
King v. Detroit Tool Co.
682 A.2d 313 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1996)
Valley Forge Towers South Condominium v. Ron-Ike Foam Insulators, Inc.
574 A.2d 641 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1990)
Lal v. Ameriquest Mortgage Co.
858 A.2d 119 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2004)
Slaybaugh v. Newman
479 A.2d 517 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1984)
Villoresi v. Femminella
856 A.2d 78 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2004)
Cianfrani v. Commonwealth, State Employees' Retirement Board
479 A.2d 468 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1984)

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Bluebook (online)
26 Pa. D. & C.5th 294, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/creighton-v-krummell-pactcompl-2012.