Greig v. Wallick

2012 Ohio 77
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 10, 2012
Docket2010AP090036
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 2012 Ohio 77 (Greig v. Wallick) 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
Greig v. Wallick, 2012 Ohio 77 (Ohio Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

[Cite as Greig v. Wallick, 2012-Ohio-77.]

COURT OF APPEALS TUSCARAWAS COUNTY, OHIO FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

: JUDGES: GARY L. GREIG : W. Scott Gwin, P.J. : John W. Wise, J. Plaintiff-Appellee : Julie A. Edwards, J. : -vs- : Case No. 2010AP090036 : : WILLIAM C. WALLICK : OPINION

Defendant-Appellant

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Civil Appeal from Tuscarawas County Court of Common Pleas Case No. 2009CV040307

JUDGMENT: Affirmed In Part and Reversed and Remanded In Part

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: January 10, 2012

APPEARANCES:

For Plaintiff-Appellee For Defendant-Appellant

TZANGAS, PLAKAS, MANNOS & RICHARD W. HINIG RAIES, LTD 217 N. Broadway James M. McHugh New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663 Megan J. Frantz 220 Market Ave., South Eighth Floor Canton, Ohio 44702 [Cite as Greig v. Wallick, 2012-Ohio-77.]

Edwards, J.

{¶1} Defendant-appellant William Wallick appeals from the August 24, 2010

Judgment Entry of the Tuscarawas County Court of Common Pleas.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE

{¶2} In 2005, appellant William Wallick sold his house to Gary Greig. At the

time, appellant had owned the house for approximately 25 years. Prior to purchasing

the house in July 2005 for $165,000.00, Greig had viewed it either two or three times

and “probably looked at the basement twice.” Trial Transcript at 73. Greig testified that

“there was nice white dry all on every part of that basement. And the floor was like

glossy. I see where she [his real estate agent] meant that you could’ve ate off the floor. I

mean it looked perfect.” Trial Transcript at 73.

{¶3} Greig testified that he reviewed the Residential Property Disclosure Form

in deciding to purchase the house. He testified that he remembered reviewing the form,

which had been signed by appellant on May 2, 2005, because it indicated that the roof

was only two years old. Appellant checked “No” on the Residential Property Disclosure

Form in response to the following questions:

{¶4} “D) WATER INTRUSION: Do you know of any previous or current water

leakage, water accumulation, excess moisture or other defects to the property, including

but not limited to any area below grade, basement, or crawl space?...

{¶5} “E) STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS (FOUNDATION, BASEMENT/CRAWL

SPACE, FLOORS, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR WALLS): Do you know of any

movement, shifting, deterioration, material cracks/settling (other than visible minor Tuscarawas County App. Case No. 2010AP090036 3

cracks or blemishes) or other material problems with the foundation, basement/crawl

space, floors, or interior/exterior walls?”

{¶6} Greig further testified that he had a home inspection done. The inspection

report stated that it made no representations as to the condition of the basement walls

because they were covered with dry wall.

{¶7} Greig moved into the house in October of 2005. He testified that he first

noticed water problems in the basement in the early spring of 2006. According to Greig,

the east basement wall was leaking water. He testified that he cleaned up the water and

waited to see if it would recur and that it did. Greig testified that he next checked the

gutters, downspouts and drains to make sure that they were not clogged and functioned

properly. However, the problem continued to get worse.

{¶8} In mid-2008, Greig contacted Pioneer Basement Solutions which

recommended an exterior waterproofing system. When Pioneer tore out the drywall, it

was discovered that the east wall was moderately bowed. Greig testified that the bow

“went the entire length of the wall” and that there were big cracks in the wall. He also

testified that the insulation that had been removed by Pioneer was moldy and had

mildew and that there was mold on the drywall. Greig testified that he had a fortress

stabilization system put in at Pioneer’s recommendation. Trial Transcript at 84.

{¶9} Jerry Whitaker, who was employed by Pioneer at the time, testified that

there was mold on the front of the drywall and that, when the drywall was removed,

there were fractures and cracks in the wall and several layers of caulking had been

applied to the cracks. The following testimony was adduced when Whitaker was

questioned about the cracks: Tuscarawas County App. Case No. 2010AP090036 4

{¶10} “A. Yeah, there was some bowing to the wall where the fracture had - -

where the soil had started to push that fracture in.

{¶11} “Q. Okay. And let’s first talk about the bowing. How would you describe

the bowing of the wall?

{¶12} “A. It was moderate. I wouldn’t say it was too far gone and I suggested we

could arrest it, the situation, so it wouldn’t bow anymore.

{¶13} “Q. Okay. And then let’s talk about the fractures or the cracks in the wall.

What did you observe regarding those?

{¶14} “A. They were - -

{¶15} “Q. And let me be more specific. How big were they?

{¶16} “A. They were very - - some were hairline cracks, some were as big as a

half inch to three quarters to an inch. Maybe stick your, you know, the tip of your finger

in some cracks. Some were horizontal, some were the stair stepping type of cracks.

Just pretty typical but not safe.

{¶17} “Q. Okay. And how long were these cracks?

{¶18} “A. They started out in the corner and from what we could tell they

covered the whole length of the wall up to if I remember right, it was forty feet, the whole

length of the rear wall.

{¶19} “Q. So pretty long.

{¶20} “A. Yeah, pretty long.

{¶21} “Q. You talked about a crack that was half an inch wide. Was there

caulking in that crack?

{¶22} “A. Yeah, there was. Tuscarawas County App. Case No. 2010AP090036 5

{¶23} “Q. And there were multiple layers of caulking in it?

{¶24} “A. The caulking was there and had pulled away from where they originally

put it on so that told me that this wall was in fact moving. Whoever put the caulking

there from that point it had moved so had stretched and pulled away from it. That’s

when at that point I told Mr. Greig you might want to, you know, think about arresting the

wall, keep it from moving anymore.

{¶25} “Q. So what you observed regarding the wall with the cracks and the

bowing, was that something that you could just leave alone and let it be?

{¶26} “A. I couldn’t do it with good conscience, no. That’s why I strongly

recommended to him to take a look at it and it needs to be corrected.

{¶27} “Q. And what did you recommend to him be done?

{¶28} “A. We recommended the fortress grid straps on that wall to keep it from

moving any further.

{¶29} “Q. The caulking that you discovered, was it the same color or different

colors?

{¶30} “A. There were shades of white, some kind of a yellowish. I don’t know if

somebody couldn’t buy the whole one consistent color or if they were just different

layers over time.” Trial Transcript at 38-39.

{¶31} Whitaker further testified that the caulking that was in the cracks and at

the base of the wall indicated that someone was trying to stop the water problem. He

testified that there were layers of caulking. Whitaker testified that the leaking in the

basement was caused by clogged footer drains on the exterior of the house that caused

water to build up on the outside of the house. According to Whitaker, the soil then Tuscarawas County App. Case No. 2010AP090036 6

became heavier over time and caused the wall to bow and crack. He also testified that a

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2012 Ohio 77, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/greig-v-wallick-ohioctapp-2012.