Derakhshan v. Tizzio

2012 OK CIV APP 8, 270 P.3d 215, 2011 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 121, 2011 WL 7144172
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 19, 2011
DocketNo. 108,967
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2012 OK CIV APP 8 (Derakhshan v. Tizzio) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Derakhshan v. Tizzio, 2012 OK CIV APP 8, 270 P.3d 215, 2011 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 121, 2011 WL 7144172 (Okla. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

JANE P. WISEMAN, Judge.

T1 Michael J. Tizzio (Michael) and Phillip G. Tizzio (Phillip) 1 appeal from the trial court's order finding that Nazanin Dera-khshan (Plaintiff) met her burden in showing all elements of fraud, deceit, and false pretense thereby awarding her $23,000 in actual damages. Based on our review of the facts and applicable law, we affirm.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

2 According to Plaintiff's contentions set forth in the pretrial conference order, Michael informed her on January 2, 2009, that he would be taking a business trip to New York for the weekend.2 Shortly thereafter, Michael contacted Plaintiff stating he was in jail and needed $23,000 for bail money and to hire an attorney. Michael further stated "he had no means of accessing his bank from New York, needed funds immediately, that his life was in danger and that upon release he would immediately refund the money." Michael asked Plaintiff to provide the money to his father, Phillip, in Oklahoma City so that it could be forwarded to Michael immediately. "[Michael] further represented that he would either refund the money immediately upon his return or in the alternate would transfer the Deed to the property he owned" in Oklahoma City.

1 3 Plaintiff contends she provided $23,000 to Phillip. Upon his return, Michael refused to meet with Plaintiff but mentioned in a phone conversation that he mailed her a cashier's check for $23,000. Plaintiff never received any money.

1 4 In the pretrial conference order, Plaintiff asserts that she subsequently learned Michael was not in New York in January 2009 and that he deceived her into providing him with money she would not otherwise have provided. Plaintiff then brought the present lawsuit to recover the $23,000 in which she asserted claims for fraud, deceit, and false pretense.3 Defendants responded denying Plaintiff's allegations.

1 5 On August 23, 2010, the case proceeded to non-jury trial. At the conclusion of the trial, the trial court "found that the Plaintiff had met her burden of showing all elements of Fraud, Deceit and False Pretense4 and awarded the Plaintiff a sum of $23,000.00" in actual damages against Defendants.

1 6 Defendants appeal.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

17 "In a non-jury trial the trial judge acts as the trier of fact and those findings are entitled to the same weight and consideration that would be given to a jury's verdict." Hagen v. Independent Sch. Dist. No. I-004, 2007 OK 19, ¶ 7, 157 P.3d 738, 740. "In an action at law the findings of fact by the trial court have the same force and effect as the verdiet of a jury, and those findings will not be disturbed upon appeal where there is any evidence reasonably tending to support the [217]*217findings." Id. "Thus, on appeal, we must accept the findings of fact made by the trier of fact if those findings are supported by competent evidence." Id.

"The credibility of the various witnesses and weight and value to be given to their testimony is for the jury or for the trial court on waiver of a jury, and conclusions there reached will not be disturbed on appeal, unless appearing clearly to be based upon caprice or to be without foundation."

Hinds v. Johnston, 2009 OK CIV APP 54, ¶ 5, 211 P.3d 236, 239 (quoting Livingston v. Bonham, 1957 OK 52, ¶ 13, 308 P.2d 657, 661).

ANALYSIS

I. Froud

18 Defendants first argue the trial court erred in finding that all elements of fraud were shown by clear and convincing evidence. Actionable fraud, pursuant to Oklahoma case law, consists of the following elements: "[The defendant made a material representation that was false; that he knew when he made the representation that it was false; and that he made it with the intention that it should be acted upon by plaintiff, and that plaintiff acted in reliance upon it and thereby suffered detriment." Silk v. Phillips Petroleum Co., 1988 OK 93, ¶ 12, 760 P.2d 174, 176-77; see also Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instructions-Civil, Number 18.1. Plaintiff is required to submit evidence of each element of fraud before the issue may properly be submitted to the trier of fact for consideration. Silk, 1988 OK 93 at ¶ 13, 760 P.2d at 177. "The absence of any one element of fraud is fatal to [Plaintiff's] claim." Id. at ¶ 37, 760 P.2d at 180.

T9 As the Oklahoma Supreme Court stated:

"The mere fact that fraud is claimed will not justify the submission of that issue unless facts are produced from which an trresistible deduction of fraud reasonably arises. Fraud may not be presumed by the jury from circumstances; it must arise as does any other issue of fact from a preponderance of all the evidence. Deceit, fraud, and fraudulent intent arise from acts and conduct inharmonious with good faith and must emanate from clear and convincing proof."

Id. at ¶ 13, 760 P.2d at 177 (quoting Johnson v. Caldwell, 1937 OK 327, ¶ 15, 71 P.2d 620, 623).

¶ 10 Even though fraud may never be presumed but must be proven by clear and convincing evidence, it may be established by cireumstantial evidence:

"Fraud may be proved by circumstantial evidence. Indeed, from its nature it is difficult to prove it by direct evidence, and it is seldom that it can be so proved. Hence it is more often shown by cireum-stances than in any other way. It is impossible, however, to enumerate the facts from which it may be inferred. Each case must depend on its own facts, and all the facts and cireumstances connected with and surrounding the transaction are to be considered together in determining whether it was fraudulent. Facts of trifling importance when considered separately, or slight cireumstances trivial and inconelu-sive in themselves, may afford clear evidence of fraud when considered in connection with each other. It has been said that in most cases fraud can be made out only by a concatenation of cireumstances, many of which in themselves amount to very little, but in connection with others made a strong case."

Austin v. Wilkerson, Inc., 1974 OK 23, ¶ 17, 519 P.2d 899, 904-05 (quoting Griffith v. Scott, 1927 OK 361, ¶ 18, 261 P. 371, 376). "[FJraud can be predicated upon a promise to do a thing in the future when the intent of the promisor is otherwise." Citation Co. Realtors, Inc. v. Lyon, 1980 OK 68, ¶ 8, 610 P.2d 788, 790. "The gist of the rule is not the breach of promise but the fraudulent intent of the promisor at the time the pledge is made not to perform the promise so made and thereby deceive the promisee." Id. (emphasis added).

¶ 11 Plaintiff testified Michael told her in January 2009 that he was going to New York over the weekend to deal with a family business dispute. Plaintiff testified she received a phone call from Phillip that [218]*218weekend. According to Plaintiff, Phillip told her Michael had been arrested for criminal wrongdoing in New York for hitting a family member with a baseball bat, putting him in a coma, and needed $23,000 to pay for a lawyer and bond fees. Phillip promised her Michael would pay her back once he returned to Oklahoma from New York. Plaintiff testified she also received a text from Michael begging her to give his father the money for his upcoming court date.

{ 12 The next day, Plaintiff withdrew money from her money market account and gave Phillip eleven $1,000 money orders made out in blank to use for Michael.

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2012 OK CIV APP 8, 270 P.3d 215, 2011 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 121, 2011 WL 7144172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/derakhshan-v-tizzio-oklacivapp-2011.