Hidy Motors, Inc. v. Sheaffer

916 N.E.2d 1122, 183 Ohio App. 3d 316
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 31, 2009
DocketNo. 08-CA-33
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 916 N.E.2d 1122 (Hidy Motors, Inc. v. Sheaffer) 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
Hidy Motors, Inc. v. Sheaffer, 916 N.E.2d 1122, 183 Ohio App. 3d 316 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

Grady, Judge.

{¶ 1} Defendants, Gary Sheaffer and Jason Sutton, appeal from orders denying their motions for summary judgment and granting partial summary judgment for plaintiff, Hidy Motors, Inc. (“Hidy”), on Sheaffer and Sutton’s counterclaims arising from their former employment by Hidy.

{¶ 2} Hidy is an automobile dealership. Hidy hired Sheaffer to work as a car salesman in November 2005. At that time, Sheaffer was 67 years old. Hidy hired Sutton to work as a car salesman in January 2006.

{¶ 3} Sheaffer and Sutton each signed Hidy’s employee noncompetition and confidentiality agreement when they were hired. The agreement prohibits employees from directly or indirectly competing with the business in which Hidy is engaged for two years following termination of their employment by Hidy. Matt Castrucci’s Auto Mall in Dayton is specifically identified in the agreement as one of the businesses in competition with Hidy for which former employees cannot work.

{¶ 4} Sheaffer quickly became one of Hidy’s top salespersons. On March 15, 2006, Sheaffer quit his employment at Hidy and accepted a position as general sales manager at Joseph Airport Toyota. Sheaffer worked for Joseph Airport Toyota for approximately two months before he was terminated following a disagreement with company management. Tim Bell, Hidy’s general sales manager, then contacted Sheaffer and offered him an opportunity to return to employ[321]*321ment at Hidy as a new-car salesman, on terms the same as Sheaffer’s prior employment.

{¶ 5} Sheaffer accepted Bell’s offer and returned to Hidy on May 5, 2006. Sheaffer did not sign Hidy’s noncompetition agreement when he began this second period of employment. The pay structure was the same as his prior employment with Hidy, but Bell assigned Sheaffer to the least desirable sales desk in the showroom. Sheaffer also lost all of his seniority that would permit him to receive more-favorable job assignments at Hidy. Further, Sheaffer had to reapply and wait to requalify for all of his fringe benefits.

{¶ 6} According to Sheaffer, Bell began harassing Sheaffer because of his age shortly after Sheaffer returned to Hidy, and he continued to do so until Sheaffer resigned almost a year later on April 30, 2007. Sheaffer contends that he resigned because of the age harassment. Hidy disagrees, and argues that Sheaffer resigned solely to seek what he believed to be a better sales opportunity at Matt Castrucci’s Auto Mall.

{¶ 7} Sheaffer began working for Matt Castrucci’s Auto Mall on May 1, 2007. Sutton also accepted a job with Matt Castrucci’s Auto Mall. Joe Hidy, the dealership manager at Hidy, telephoned Matt Castrucci shortly thereafter and complained that Sheaffer and Sutton had signed noncompetition agreements with Hidy. As a result of that telephone conversation, Matt Castrucci fired both Sheaffer and Sutton.

{¶ 8} On May 7, 2007, Hidy filed a complaint for declaratory judgment, seeking a declaration that the two-year noncompetition agreements signed by Sheaffer in November 2005 and Sutton in January 2006 are enforceable and legally binding. Sheaffer filed an answer and a counterclaim alleging age harassment, negligent supervision and retention, tortious interference with his employment relationship with Matt Castrucci’s Auto Mall, promissory estoppel, implied contract, fraud and intentional misrepresentation, and wage-and-hour violations of both federal and Ohio law. Sutton filed an answer and a counterclaim alleging tortious interference with employment, negligent supervision or retention, wage-and-hour violations, and fraud and intentional misrepresentation.

{¶ 9} After depositions were taken, Sheaffer and Sutton filed motions for summary judgment on Hidy’s complaint and on their counterclaims. Hidy filed motions for summary judgment on all of the counterclaims of Sheaffer and Sutton.

{¶ 10} On March 25, 2008, the trial court granted Hidy’s summary-judgment motions in part and denied Sheaffer’s and Sutton’s motions for summary judgment in their entirety. The trial court granted summary judgment for Hidy on Sheaffer’s counterclaims for age discrimination, tortious interference with em[322]*322ployment, negligent supervision or retention, fraud and intentional misrepresentation, and wage-and-hour violations. The court also granted summary judgment for Hidy on Sutton’s counterclaims for tortious interference with employment, negligent supervision or retention, wage-and-hour violations, and fraud and intentional misrepresentation. The parties subsequently settled the counterclaims for promissory estoppel and implied contract.

{¶ 11} Sheaffer and Sutton filed a notice of appeal on April 16, 2008. While the appeal was pending, Hidy dismissed its complaint for declaratory judgment.

{¶ 12} Sheaffer and Sutton filed their appellate brief, to which three exhibits were attached. Hidy filed a motion to strike exhibits 2 and 3 because those exhibits are not included in the record of the trial court as certified by the clerk of courts under App.R. 9. We agree and sustain Hidy’s motion to strike. Exhibits 2 and 3 attached to Sheaffer and Sutton’s appellate brief will not be considered in this appeal.

FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

{¶ 13} “The trial court erred by denying Sheaffer’s motion for summary judgment and by granting Hidy’s motion for summary judgment regarding Sheaffer’s age-harassment claim.”

{¶ 14} When reviewing a trial court’s grant of summary judgment, an appellate court conducts a de novo review. Grafton v. Ohio Edison Co. (1996), 77 Ohio St.3d 102, 105, 671 N.E.2d 241. “De Novo review means that this court uses the same standard that the trial court should have used, and we examine the evidence to determine whether as a matter of law no genuine issues exist for trial.” Brewer v. Cleveland City Schools Bd. of Edn. (1997), 122 Ohio App.3d 378, 383, 701 N.E.2d 1023, citing Dupler v. Mansfield Journal Co. (1980), 64 Ohio St.2d 116, 119-120, 18 O.O.3d 354, 413 N.E.2d 1187. Therefore, the trial court’s decision is not granted any deference by the reviewing appellate court. Brown v. Scioto Cty. Bd. of Commrs. (1993), 87 Ohio App.3d 704, 711, 622 N.E.2d 1153.

{¶ 15} “The appropriateness of rendering a summary judgment hinges upon the tripartite demonstration: (1) that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact; (2) that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law; and (3) that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and that conclusion is adverse to the party against whom the motion for summary judgment is made, who is entitled to have the evidence construed most strongly in his favor.” Harless v. Willis Day Warehousing Inc. (1978), 54 Ohio St.2d 64, 66, 8 O.O.3d 73, 375 N.E.2d 46. See also Civ.R. 56(C).

{¶ 16} In Count I of his counterclaim, Sheaffer alleged that “Hidy Honda discriminated against Sheaffer on the basis of his age regarding the terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including, but not limited to, harassing [323]

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916 N.E.2d 1122, 183 Ohio App. 3d 316, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hidy-motors-inc-v-sheaffer-ohioctapp-2009.