Fields v. Kroger Co.

6 Ohio App. Unrep. 63
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 22, 1990
DocketCase No. 1926
StatusPublished

This text of 6 Ohio App. Unrep. 63 (Fields v. Kroger Co.) 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
Fields v. Kroger Co., 6 Ohio App. Unrep. 63 (Ohio Ct. App. 1990).

Opinions

STEPHENSON, J.

This is an appeal from a judgment entered by the Lawrence County Common Pleas Court granting a motion for summary judgment. Wherein a complaint filed by Hazel and Walter Fields was dismissed as against Schaefer Super Markets, Inc, defendant below and appellee herein, and a cross-claim filed by The Kroger Company, Inc, defendant below and appellant herein, against appellee was also dismissed. Appellant appeals and assigns the following errors:

"FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR"

"THE TRIAL COURT ERRED AS A MATTER OF LAW IN GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN FAVOR OF SCHAEFER SUPER MARKETS, INC., AGAINST THE KROGER COMPANY.

"SECOND ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR "THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN NOT FINDING THAT A QUESTION OF FACT EXISTED AS TO WHETHER SCHAEFER SUPER MARKETS, INC. MAINTAINED THE REQUISITE CONTROL OVER THE PREMISES AT ISSUE TO BE HELD LIABLE HEREIN."

The pertinent facts to this appeal are as follows. Hazel Fields and Walter Fields filed an amended complaint on November 4, 1987, wherein they averred that on April 30,1986 Hazel fell and was injured in the parking lot of Krogers located in Ironton, Ohio. They alleged that her injuries were caused by the negligence of appellant as lessee of the property, and appellee, as lessor of the property, for their failure to properly maintain the parking lot. Hazel Fields was injured as a result of a shopping cart she was pushing hitting a hole in the parking lot causing her to lose her balance and fall.

Appellant filed an amended answer on November 19,1987 denying liability and a cross-claim against appellee asserting that appellee failed to maintain the parking lot as required pursuant to the lease agreement.1 Appellant thus sought indemnification for any monies it might become obligated to pay to the Fields based upon [64]*64the April 30,1986 fall. Appellee filed an amended answer on December 9,1987 denying liability and filed an answer to appellant's cross-claim on January 20, 1988 seeking to have appellant's cross-claim dismissed. Attached to the answer was a cross-claim against appellant wherein appellee sought indemnification pursuant to the lease agreement. Appellant filed an answer to appellees cross-claim on January 26, 1989 wherein it denied liability.

On February 1, 1989, appellee filed a motion for summary judgment seeking to have the Fields' complaint and appellant's crossclaim dismissed against it. After memoranda were filed for and against summary judgment, on some date which does not appear in the record, the motion was argued before a referee. On March 22,1989, the referee filed a one page report wherein it recommended that the motion be denied. Appellee filed objections to the referee's report on April 5,1989 and a hearing was held upon appellee's objections on August 2, 1989. The court below granted appellee's motion for summary judgment on August 31,1989, wherein it stated there was "no just reason for delay."

Because both of appellant's assignments of error involved issues concerning whether or not the court below erred in granting summary judgment, we will address them together. Appellant basically contends that the court erred in classifying its claim as a tort claim when it was actually a breach of contract claim. Appellant further argues that the court erred in its determination that there was no question of material fact as to whether appellee maintained the requisite control over the premises in question to be held liable.

Where a party moves for summary judgment, the court should only grant the motion if the following criteria set forth in Civ. R. 56(C) are met:

"(1) no genuine issue as to any material fact remains to be litigated,

"(2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, and

"(3) it appears tom the evidence that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion and viewing such evidence most favorably toward the party against whom the motion is made, that conclusion is adverse to that party." Temple v. Wean United. Inc. (1977), 50 Ohio St. 2d 317; Harless v. Willis Day Warehousing Co. (1978), 54 Ohio St. 2d 64.

We will now apply the foregoing standard to the case at bar. In its cross-claim, appellant averred the following:

1. Plaintiffs Hazel Fields and Walter Fields have brought a complaint in this action alleging they have suffered injuries due to a hole in the surface of the concrete parking lot of the Kroger Company store located at 2125 South Third Street, Ironton, Ohio.

2. Defendant Schaefer Super Markets, Inc, is the lessor of the property upon which the Kroger store is located. The relevant portions of said lease agreement are attached as Exhibit A of the original answer and crossclaim of defendant The Kroger Company, Inc, and are hereby incorporated by reference.

3. Pursuant to the terms of the said lease agreement, defendant Schaeffer [sic] Super Markets, Inc, was obligated to keep in repair sidewalks, driveways and the parking lot.

4. As a result of this obligation, defendant Schaeffer [sic] Super Markets, Inc, is liable to the Kroger Company for any moneys which it may be required to pay to plaintiffs in this action."

This clearly is a claim based on breach of contract-i.e., appellant asserts that because appellee breached its obligation to repair the parking lot, Hazel Fields was injured. As damages, appellant sought reimbursement of all monies it may become obligated to pay Hazel and Walter Fields. Appellee argues that appellant's claim was not one based on breach of contract. Appellee contends, citing 2 Anderson's Ohio Civil Procedure (1989), Chapter 41, that there are four requirements which must be included in a claim for breach of contract, to-wit:

(1) a copy of the contract must be attached,

(2) the claimant should generally allege performance of all conditions precedent,

(3) the claimant must allege breach of the contract and set forth a statement of the breach, and

(4) special damages must be set forth specifically.

Without stating which of the four claimed requirements appellant failed to satisfy, appellee maintains that appellee failed to satisfy the requirements. Appellee concludes that if this court holds that appellant's cross-claim included a claim for breach of contract, substantial rights of appellee would be affected. Assuming arguendo, that these alleged requirements are necessary, we find no merit to appellee's assertion that appellant did not satisfy them.

With respect to the first of appellee's requirements, we note that appellee did attach relevant portions of the lease to its original cross-[65]*65claim and incorporated the same by reference in its amended cross-claim. Appellant stated that the lease agreement was too voluminous to attach in its entirety. This satisfied the mandates of Civ. R. 10(D). Appellee certainly was not prejudiced by appellant's failure to attach the entirety of the lease its pleading. If appellee did not have a copy of the lease, which appears unlikely, it could have requested that appellant provide a copy.

We next look at the second requirement, i.e., that all conditions precedent be alleged. The only relevant condition precedent was that appellant give appellee notice that repairs were necessary. In the case at bar, appellant did fail to assert that it had given notice; however, it did address that issue in its response to appellee's motion for summary judgment. Further, Civ. R.

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Bluebook (online)
6 Ohio App. Unrep. 63, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fields-v-kroger-co-ohioctapp-1990.