Found. Medici v. Butler Inst. of Am. Art

2022 Ohio 2923
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 22, 2022
Docket2020-T-0042
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2022 Ohio 2923 (Found. Medici v. Butler Inst. of Am. Art) 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
Found. Medici v. Butler Inst. of Am. Art, 2022 Ohio 2923 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

[Cite as Found. Medici v. Butler Inst. of Am. Art, 2022-Ohio-2923.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO ELEVENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT TRUMBULL COUNTY

FOUNDATION MEDICI, CASE NO. 2020-T-0042

Plaintiff-Appellant, Civil Appeal from the -v- Court of Common Pleas

THE BUTLER INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN ART, Trial Court No. 2019 CV 01799

Defendant-Appellee.

OPINION

Decided: August 22, 2022 Judgment: Affirmed

Michael D. Rossi, Guarnieri & Secrest, PLL, 151 East Market Street, P.O. Box 4270, Warren, Ohio 44482, and Thomas C. Nader, Nader & Nader, 7011 East Market Street, Warren, Ohio 44484 (For Plaintiff-Appellant).

Thomas J. Wilson, Comstock, Springer & Wilson, Co., LPA, 100 Federal Plaza East, Suite 926, Youngstown, Ohio 44503 (For Defendant-Appellee).

THOMAS R. WRIGHT, P.J.

{¶1} Appellant, Foundation Medici (“Medici”), appeals the trial court’s decision

awarding summary judgment in favor of appellee, The Butler Institute of American Art

(“Butler”). We affirm.

{¶2} In May 1995, Medici and Butler entered into an agreement for the operation

of a Butler museum branch in Trumbull County on real estate owned by Medici. The

parties also entered into a written lease in May 1995, in which Butler leased property in Trumbull County from Medici for 99 years to operate the Trumbull County branch. After

five years, the lease permitted either party to terminate the agreement.

{¶3} In June 2019, Medici sent Butler notice of intent to cancel the lease

agreement, and in response, Butler advised Medici of its intent to remove its artwork.

{¶4} Medici filed suit in November 2019, seeking temporary and permanent

injunctions enjoining Butler from removing four pieces of art that it alleges were to remain

at Medici. The parties narrowed Medici’s claim down to one piece, the untitled Pierre

Soulages terra-cotta mural, which has been displayed at the Trumbull County

branch/Medici building since Butler acquired it.

{¶5} Medici filed an amended complaint in January 2020 and sought declaratory

judgment that the mural is a permanent fixture to the building; that the mural was an

improvement and endowment; and that the mural is held in charitable trust, owned by

Butler as trustee to be displayed at the Medici building.

{¶6} Butler filed an answer and counterclaim contending that it paid $250,000 to

construct an addition at the Medici, and as a result of Medici’s premature cancellation of

the parties’ 99-year lease, Medici is unjustly enriched by its retention of the addition, which

Butler can no longer use. Medici moved to dismiss the counterclaim.

{¶7} Thereafter, the trial court held an evidentiary hearing on the issue of “the

ownership and possession” of the mural. At the hearing, the trial court stated that the

hearing was being held to “sort out certain issues of fact that we haven’t received

stipulations on, and we’re going to go through the agreed-upon exhibits here. After this,

the parties will have an opportunity to brief this and file cross motions of summary

judgment on the legal issues.”

2 Case No. 2020-T-0042 {¶8} After the hearing, the parties filed motions for summary judgment. Before

ruling on the competing summary judgment motions, the trial court overruled Medici’s

motion to dismiss Butler’s counterclaim. Thereafter, Medici moved for judgment on the

pleadings as to Butler’s counterclaim raising the same argument.

{¶9} The trial court granted Butler’s motion for summary judgment and overruled

Medici’s motions for summary judgment and for judgment on the pleadings. The court

did not, affirmatively rule on the counterclaim, which remains pending, but it did find no

just cause for delay.

{¶10} Medici’s sole assigned error asserts:

{¶11} “The trial court erred in denying appellant, Foundation Medici’s Motion to

Dismiss Counterclaim; in denying Medici’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; in

denying Medici’s Motion for Summary Judgment; and in granting Appellee, Butler Institute

of American Art’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Medici's ‘fixture’ and ‘declaration of

charitable trust’ claims.”

{¶12} Medici’s assigned error consists of four arguments. First, it argues the trial

court erred as a matter of law by overruling its motion to dismiss and motion for judgment

on the pleadings regarding Butler’s counterclaim for unjust enrichment. Medici claims

that a cause of action for unjust enrichment cannot stand when it arises from a written

agreement unless a companion claim is filed for fraud, bad faith, or illegality in the

contract’s performance.

{¶13} As stated, however, Medici appeals from the trial court’s decision awarding

Butler summary judgment, which resolves Medici’s claims against Butler but does not

determine the merits of Butler’s counterclaim. The judgment appealed only resolves and

3 Case No. 2020-T-0042 disposes of Medici’s causes of action and, by the court’s inclusion of the “no just reason

for delay” language from Civ.R. 54(B), prevents any further judgment on Medici’s

affirmative claims for relief against Butler. Regional Imaging Consultants Corp. v.

Computer Billing Servs., Inc., 7th Dist. Mahoning No. 00 CA 79, 2001 WL 1539261, *6

(Nov. 30, 2001).

{¶14} Although the trial court denied Medici’s motion to dismiss and motion for

judgment on the pleadings that sought dismissal of Butler’s counterclaim, the trial court

has not determined that Butler’s counterclaim has merit or awarded it damages. Thus,

we are without authority to address it. Id. (the judgment does not qualify as a final

appealable order on the claim because it does not resolve the dispute); R.C. 2505.02(B).

Because the court did not rule on the merits of Butler’s counterclaim, its denial of the

motion to dismiss and motion for judgment on the pleadings are not reviewable at this

juncture. See Kierland Crossing, LLC v. Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Inc., 10th Dist.

Franklin No. 11AP-627, 2011-Ohio-5626, ¶ 10.

{¶15} Accordingly, we do not address Medici’s argument that the existence of a

written agreement precludes a cause of action for unjust enrichment, and this aspect of

its first assigned error is overruled.

{¶16} Medici’s second argument under its sole assigned error claims that the trial

court erred in its application of the three-part test governing whether an item is a fixture

that has converted into realty and that the court incorrectly held that the terra-cotta mural

is not a fixture.

{¶17} The trial court found that the mural, which was gifted to Butler, is not affixed

to the building and that although Butler wanted the mural displayed at the Trumbull County

4 Case No. 2020-T-0042 branch, there is nothing evidencing that Butler intended for the mural to become part of

the realty. The trial court concluded that “there is no evidence to support the

characterization of the [mural] as a fixture according to the requirements.”

{¶18} We review decisions awarding summary judgment de novo, meaning we

review the trial court’s decision independently and without deference, pursuant to the

standards in Civ.R. 56(C). Brown v. Cty. Commrs. of Scioto Cty., 87 Ohio App.3d 704,

711, 622 N.E.2d 1153 (4th Dist.1993); Northeast Ohio Apt. Assn. v. Cuyahoga Cty. Bd.

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2022 Ohio 2923, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/found-medici-v-butler-inst-of-am-art-ohioctapp-2022.