Cusmano v. Lewis

55 Pa. D. & C.4th 1, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 146
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Westmoreland County
DecidedJanuary 31, 2002
Docketno. 3208 of 2001
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 55 Pa. D. & C.4th 1 (Cusmano v. Lewis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Westmoreland County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cusmano v. Lewis, 55 Pa. D. & C.4th 1, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 146 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2002).

Opinion

LOUGHRAN, P.J.,

The plaintiffs allege that on February 25, 2001, and for a period of approximately 10 years prior to that date, the plaintiffs resided at the Port Royal Village Mobile Home Park owned and operated by United Mobile Homes Inc. The [3]*3plaintiffs also allege that the defendants, Robert John Lewis and Lori A. Lewis, resided at the Port Royal Village Mobile Home Park on February 25, 2001, when the plaintiffs’ minor son, Philip C. Cusmano, was inside the Lewis’ mobile home and was shot and killed by Kevin Lewis, the minor child of Robert John Lewis.

As alleged in the complaint, Philip C. Cusmano, who had just turned 14, was at defendant Lewis’ residence with another child, Kevin Lewis, when that child, whose father is the defendant, Robert John Lewis, suddenly and without warning shot Philip C. Cusmano with a revolver. Philip C. Cusmano ran from the home after being shot and came to the home of Chris Kaylor, another child in the motor home park, where Philip C. Cusmano died in his father’s arms with plaintiff Carol Cusmano standing over her husband and watching as her son took his last breath.

A civil action was brought against Robert John Lewis, Lori A. Lewis, formerly known as Lori A. Wareham, and United Mobile Homes Inc., t/d/b/a Port Royal Village, as a result of these tragic events.

The defendant, United Mobile Homes Inc., has brought preliminary objections and has set forth three bases for the same. The first is a general demurrer to the claim of liability, United Mobile Homes contending that it owed no legal duty to prevent this shooting, particularly as it occurred inside the Lewis home. Secondly, it demurs to a claim for loss of consortium of the child, and thirdly, it demurs to the claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress, as the plaintiff/parents have not alleged that they [4]*4witnessed the actual gunshot, but rather only the death of their child.

In ruling on a preliminary objection in the nature of a demurrer, the court must accept as true all well pleaded allegations in the complaint and all inferences reasonably deducted therefrom. Further, all doubts should be resolved against dismissal of the complaint. Stone & Edwards Insurance Agency v. Department of Insurance, 151 Pa. Commw. 266, 616 A.2d 1060 (1992). The court shall sustain preliminary objections and dismiss the complaint only in cases that are clear and free from doubt that the law will not permit recovery. Capital City Lodge No. 12, Fraternal Order of Police v. City of Harrisburg, 138 Pa. Commw. 475, 588 A.2d 584 (1991).

Only where it appears with certainty that, upon the facts averred, the law will not permit recovery can the complaint be dismissed and summary judgment entered for the defendant. Bickell v. Stein, 291 Pa. Super. 145, 149, 435 A.2d 610, 612 (1981), citing Donnelly v. DeBourke, 280 Pa. Super. 486, 489-90, 421 A.2d 826, 828 (1980).

Since the sustaining of a demurrrer results in a denial of a pleader’s claim or a dismissal of his suit, a preliminary objection in the nature of a demurrer should be sustained only in cases that clearly and without a doubt fail to state a claim for which relief may be granted. If the facts as pleaded state a claim for which relief may be granted under any theory of law, then there is sufficient doubt to require the preliminary objection in the nature of demurrer to be rejected. Baker v. Cambridge Chase Inc., 725 A.2d 757 (Pa. Super. 1999).

[5]*5With regard to the claim by the plaintiffs against United Mobile Homes, the plaintiffs have alleged that United Mobile Homes, as the owner of the mobile home park, had a duty outside of any obligations it undertook as a result of the lease agreement, to maintain the premises and to make it safe for persons thereon, particularly business invitees.

A possessor of land who holds it open for his business purposes is subject to liability to individuals while they are upon the land for such purpose, for physical harm caused by the accidental, negligent or intentionally harmful acts of third persons, where the possessor fails to exercise reasonable care to discover that such acts are being done or are likely to be done, or give a warning adequate to enable the individual to avoid the harm or otherwise protect them against it. Congini by Congini v. Porterville Valve Company, 504 Pa. 71, 470 A.2d 515 (1983), and Restatement (Second) of Torts §341.

Furthermore, arising from the duty of a possessor of land to use reasonable care to discover and prevent the tortious acts of third persons, there is a series of cases holding that the possessor is liable for damages arising from criminal acts committed on the land by third persons. Ford v. Jeffries, 474 Pa. 588, 379 A.2d 111 (1977); Brooks v. Marriott Corporation, 361 Pa. Super. 350, 522 A.2d 618 (1987); Reider v. Martin, 359 Pa. Super. 586, 519 A.2d 507 (1987); and Prather v. H-K Corporation, 282 Pa. Super. 556, 423 A.2d 385 (1980). As such, where it is seen that an owner holds his land open for a business purpose, he is generally seen to have a duty to protect tenants from the foreseeable criminal acts of third [6]*6persons. See Feld v. Merriam, 506 Pa. 383, 485 A.2d 742 (1984), and Kerns v. Methodist Hospital, 393 Pa. Super. 533, 574 A.2d 1068 (1990).

Likewise, the court has also held that where a landlord, by agreement or voluntarily, offers a program to protect the leased premises by providing a program of security, he must perform the task in a reasonable manner and the tenant may rely upon being secure as a result of that program.

Here, the defendant, United Mobile Homes, owns the mobile home park and leases pieces of ground for mobile home units. To that extent, the mobile home park was essentially a landlord with regard to the mobile home community and, as such, had an obligation to protect its tenants against not only foreseeable negligent, but also intentional, acts of third persons. The plaintiffs assert that the mobile home park had received specific knowledge of the violent propensities of the minor, Kevin Lewis; yet, despite this knowledge, it did not take steps to remove this danger from its community by any means whatsoever. Neither did they attempt to warn or protect the tenants. The mobile home park chose to merely ignore the problem.

In the opinion of this court, defendant’s demurrer that no cause of action exists against United Mobile Homes Inc. must be denied.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
55 Pa. D. & C.4th 1, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 146, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cusmano-v-lewis-pactcomplwestmo-2002.