Est. of Sinclair, G. v. Levin, H

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 9, 2015
Docket2649 EDA 2013
StatusUnpublished

This text of Est. of Sinclair, G. v. Levin, H (Est. of Sinclair, G. v. Levin, H) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Est. of Sinclair, G. v. Levin, H, (Pa. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

J-S69011-14

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

ESTATE OF GEORGE D. SINCLAIR C/O IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF GLENMEDE TRUST COMPANY PENNSYLVANIA

Appellant

v.

HARVEY LEVIN

Appellee No. 2649 EDA 2013

Appeal from the Judgment Entered January 6, 2014 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Civil Division at No(s): May Term 2012, No. 01277

ESTATE OF GEORGE D. SINCLAIR C/O IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF GLENMEDE TRUST COMPANY PENNSYLVANIA

Appellee

Appellant No. 2832 EDA 2013

Appeal from the Judgment Entered January 6, 2014 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Civil Division at No(s): May Term 2012, No. 01277

BEFORE: GANTMAN, P.J., FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E., and STABILE, J.

MEMORANDUM BY GANTMAN, P.J.: FILED JUNE 09, 2015

Appellant, Estate of George D. Sinclair c/o Glenmede Trust Company

(“Estate”), and Cross-Appellant, Harvey Levin (“Mr. Levin”), appeal and

cross-appeal from the judgment entered in the Philadelphia County Court of J-S69011-14

Common Pleas, in this breach of contract action. We affirm.

The relevant facts and procedural history of this case are as follows.

In December 2003, Mr. Sinclair loaned Mr. Levin $150,000.00 to finance Mr.

Levin’s purchase of real property located at 2009 Chestnut Street in

Philadelphia. Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Levin executed a promissory note on or

about December 3, 2003 (“2003 Note”),1 dictating the terms of the loan,

which provided that Mr. Levin would pay off the principal and all interest due

on the loan by December 31, 2004. Interest would accrue at a rate of eight

percent (8%) per year; in the event of a default, however, interest would

accrue at a rate of eleven percent (11%) per year. Despite requests for

payment, Mr. Levin made no payments toward the principal or interest

owed. To the best of our knowledge, Mr. Sinclair died sometime in 2005.

On May 10, 2006, the Estate sued Mr. Levin for nonpayment in the

Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, Civil Action, May Term, 2006

No. 1457.

On or about November 21, 2006, the Estate and Mr. Levin entered into

an agreement (“2006 Agreement”) concerning Mr. Levin’s repayment

obligations. Based on the parties’ new agreement, the Estate agreed to

terminate the 2006 lawsuit, which it discontinued without prejudice on

December 4, 2006. Under the terms of the 2006 Agreement, Mr. Levin ____________________________________________

1 The 2003 Note does not contain Mr. Levin’s signature. Mr. Levin raises this issue in his first and second claims on cross-appeal.

-2- J-S69011-14

agreed to pay the $150,000.00 principal owed to the Estate in ninety (90)

consecutive monthly payments of $1,666.66, beginning November 1, 2006.

Regarding interest, the 2006 Agreement provided in relevant part:

7. No interest will be due the Estate…from [Mr. Levin] provided that the principal monthly payments are paid when due and in full.

8. In the event that [Mr. Levin] defaults in payment of the principal payments due, hereunder, the [Estate] shall have the right to accelerate and demand full payment of both principal and accumulated interest, with interest to be calculated as set forth in the terms of the attached Promissory Note [(the 2003 Note)], with accumulated interest to be calculated from the date of the original [P]romissory [N]ote, and shall have the right to exercise any and all rights provided in the Promissory Note, including, but not limited to, an action in Confession of Judgment.

9. The terms and provisions of said Promissory Note are incorporated herein and made part hereof.

(2006 Agreement, 11/21/06, at 2 ¶¶ 7-9).2

According to the Estate, Mr. Levin made only twenty-seven (27)

payments between November 2006 and February 2011 (twenty-six

payments of $1,666.66 and one payment of $1,666.67,3 totaling

$44,999.83). After February 2011, Mr. Levin made no additional payments.

On May 15, 2012, the Estate filed a complaint against Mr. Levin alleging ____________________________________________

2 The parties dispute on appeal whether the 2003 Note is the “attached Promissory Note” referenced in the 2006 Agreement. 3 The record discloses that Mr. Levin’s February 2011 payment was actually $1,666.66.

-3- J-S69011-14

breach of contract. The Estate filed an amended complaint on July 12,

2012.4

A bench trial occurred on June 11, 2013, after which the court entered

its verdict (docketed on June 12, 2013) in favor of the Estate. Specifically,

based on the Estate’s admission in its amended complaint, the court decided

Mr. Levin made payments each month from November 2006 through August

2010 in the amount of $1,666.66, but stopped making payments in August

2010, with the exception of one payment of $1,666.66 in February 2011

(totaling $78,333.02 paid toward the $150,000.00 principal owed under the

2003 Note). Thus, the court concluded Mr. Levin owed a balance of

$71,666.98 on the principal. Additionally, the court assessed an eight

percent (8%) interest rate for all monies owed under the 2003 Note prior to

entering the 2006 Agreement; the court assessed no interest on any of Mr.

Levin’s payments made after entry of the 2006 Agreement; and the court

assessed an eleven percent (11%) interest rate for all monies owed after Mr.

Levin stopped making payments under the 2006 Agreement. In total, the

court ordered Mr. Levin to pay $130,003.19 to the Estate. ____________________________________________

4 In its amended complaint, the Estate stated: “[Mr. Levin] did make monthly payments of $1,666.66 from November, 2006 until August, 2010 but has made only one payment…since then, on February 11, 2011.” (Estate’s Amended Complaint, filed July 12, 2012, at 2 ¶8). The trial court decided this statement constituted a judicial admission that Mr. Levin made consecutive payments every month from November 2006 to August 2010, for a total of forty-six (46) payments during that timeframe. The Estate challenges this ruling in its first issue on appeal.

-4- J-S69011-14

Both parties timely filed post-trial motions; the court denied all post-

trial motions on August 27, 2013. The Estate filed a notice of appeal on

September 10, 2013, and Mr. Levin filed a cross-appeal on September 24,

2013. On November 7, 2013, the court ordered (by separate orders) both

parties to file a concise statement of errors complained of on appeal

pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) within twenty-one (21) days of the court’s

order. Mr. Levin timely complied on November 25, 2013. On January 3,

2014, the Estate filed its concise statement. On January 6, 2014, the Estate

filed a praecipe for entry of final judgment on the verdict, which the court

entered that day.5

At No. 2649 EDA 2013, the Estate raises the following issues for our

review:

WHETHER THE SENTENCE IN THE AMENDED COMPLAINT “[MR. LEVIN] DID MAKE MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $1,666.66 FROM NOVEMBER, 2006 UNTIL AUGUST, 2010 BUT HAS MADE ONLY ONE PAYMENT OF $1,666.67 SINCE THEN, ON FEBRUARY 11, 2011” IS TO BE CONSTRUED AS AN ADMISSION AGAINST THE ESTATE THAT MR. LEVIN MADE ALL 46 PAYMENTS FROM NOVEMBER, 2006 UNTIL AUGUST, 2010, DESPITE THE FACT THAT (1) THE AMENDED COMPLAINT MAKES NO REFERENCE TO CONSECUTIVE PAYMENTS (AND IN FACT ATTACHES AS AN ____________________________________________

5 The Estate and Mr. Levin’s notices of appeal relate forward to January 6, 2014, the date final judgment was entered and copies of the judgment were distributed to all appropriate parties.

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