Crull v. Maple Park Body Shop

521 N.E.2d 1099, 36 Ohio App. 3d 153, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10545
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 2, 1987
DocketCA86-08-125
StatusPublished
Cited by64 cases

This text of 521 N.E.2d 1099 (Crull v. Maple Park Body Shop) 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
Crull v. Maple Park Body Shop, 521 N.E.2d 1099, 36 Ohio App. 3d 153, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10545 (Ohio Ct. App. 1987).

Opinions

Per Curiam.

This cause came on to be heard upon an appeal from the Mid-dletown Municipal Court of Butler County.

In July 1984, plaintiff-appellant, Jack Crull, contracted with defendants-appellees, Maple Park Body Shop and its owners, Ken Brewer and George Alan Sorrell, to have his 1971 Mustang painted so that he could drive it and enter it in an occasional show. On July 3, 1984, appellant was given a written estimate of $1,348.20. In late July, appellant took the car to appel-lees’ shop. Two or three weeks later, appellees discovered that the car had been damaged by hail, and notified appellant that additional work would be necessary. Appellant agreed to pay the additional cost, and the work proceeded.

Appellant later testified that he wanted to have the car returned to him in time to enter a show on September *154 1, but that having the car painted correctly was more important to him than having it done quickly. Nevertheless, the work was not finished until October 25, 1984, when appellant paid $1,762.95 to appellees and, apparently satisfied with the work, took the car home.

Later, dissatisfied with the quality of the work, appellant filed a complaint in the Middletown Municipal Court. Appellant’s first claim alleged breach of contract and warranties, and his second, third and fourth claims alleged violations of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act.

Appellees’ motion for partial summary judgment on the second, third and fourth claims was granted, and the case went to trial on the breach of contract claim alone. The trial court, finding that appellant had failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that appellees had breached the contract, dismissed appellant’s complaint with prejudice.

Appellant timely filed the instant appeal, naming the following two assignments of error:

Assignment of Error No. 1:

“The trial court’s judgment in favor of defendants on the breach of contract claim was error and against the weight of the evidence.”

Assignment of Error No. 2:

“The trial court erred as a matter of law by granting defendants’ motion for summary judgment.”

In support of his first assignment of error, appellant argues that the evidence clearly showed that appellees agreed to do the work in a “show quality” as opposed to a “street quality” manner.

The trial court found that the parties agreed that appellees were to perform a “street quality” job, and that appellees did not breach that agreement. After a review of the record, we cannot say that the trial court’s judgment was unsupported by the evidence.

The credibility of witnesses and resolutions of conflicts in evidence are matters for the trier of facts. G. F. Business Equip., Inc. v. Liston (1982), 7 Ohio App. 3d 223, 225-226, 7 OBR 285, 287-288, 454 N.E. 2d 1358, 1361. On appeal, the trial court’s resolution of fact will not be disturbed unless clearly contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence. See C. E. Morris Co. v. Foley Constr. Co. (1978), 54 Ohio St. 2d 279, 8 O.O. 3d 261, 376 N.E. 2d 578. If the judgment of the lower court is supported by some competent, credible evidence going to all the essential elements of the case, it will not be reversed by a reviewing court as being against the weight of the evidence. Seasons Coal Co. v. Cleveland (1984), 10 Ohio St. 3d 77, 10 OBR 408, 461 N.E. 2d 1273; C. E. Morris Co., supra.

Since there is competent, credible evidence in the record that the parties agreed to a “street quality” job, we find appellant’s argument to be without merit. First, appellant’s expert witness testified that a “show quality” job would have cost appellant $3,000 to $3,500. Additionally, ap-pellee George Alan Sorrell testified that had he been employed to perform “show quality” work, the price would have been at least twice as much as he had charged. Thus, it is reasonable to infer therefrom that the parties had agreed that the painting was to be of “street quality.”

The trial court’s decision that there was not a breach of contract is also supported by the weight of the evidence. Appellant’s own expert witness testified that the paint job was probably initially a show quality job which had deteriorated into a street quality job by the time he had inspected the car. Further, the evidence showed that the car was worth $5,000 after the paint job. Thus, it is apparent *155 that appellant received the bargained-for service.

Appellant also argues that the contract was not completed by an agreed-to date. However, appellant’s own testimony was that he was concerned that the work be done correctly, rather than quickly.

Accordingly, appellant’s first assignment of error is overruled.

In support of his second assignment of error, appellant contends that a genuine issue of material fact existed as to whether appellees violated the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act, R.C. 1345.01 et seq.

A motion for summary judgment will be granted when it is determined that (1) no genuine issue as to any material fact remains to be litigated; (2) the party moving for summary judgment is entitled to judgment as a matter of law; and (3) it appears from the evidence that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and viewing such evidence most strongly in favor of the party against whom the motion for summary judgment is made, that conclusion is adverse to that party. Temple v. Wean United, Inc. (1977), 50 Ohio St. 2d 317, 327, 4 O.O. 3d 466, 472, 364 N.E. 2d 267, 274; Civ. R. 56(C).

If the adverse party does not set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial, summary judgment shall be entered against him. Unsupported . allegations in the pleadings are not sufficient to require the denial of summary judgment. Harless v. Willis Day Warehousing Co. (1978), 54 Ohio St. 2d 64, 65-66, 8 O.O. 3d 73, 74, 375 N.E. 2d 46, 47; Civ. R. 56(E).

Appellant’s second claim alleged that appellees committed “an unfair or deceptive act or practice” in violation of R.C. 1345.01 et seq., by breaching their contract with appellant. However, since we have already determined that there was no breach, this argument is deemed moot.

The second claim also alleged that appellees committed an unfair and deceptive act by failing to register their fictitious name with the Secretary of State, as required by R.C. 1329.01(C). We recognize that in some circumstances the failure to register a fictitious name may be a relevant factor in the determination whether a supplier has committed an unfair or deceptive act. See, e.g., Brown v. Lyons (1974), 43 Ohio Misc. 14, 72 O.O. 2d 216, 332 N.E. 2d 380. However, we feel that the mere failure to register a fictitious name is not an “unfair or deceptive act” for which appellant can obtain relief under the Consumer Sales Practices Act. Nor do we feel that appellant is entitled to relief under R.C. 1329.10. R.C.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
521 N.E.2d 1099, 36 Ohio App. 3d 153, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10545, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crull-v-maple-park-body-shop-ohioctapp-1987.