Hill v. Ofalt

85 A.3d 540, 2014 Pa. Super. 17, 2014 WL 464212, 2014 Pa. Super. LEXIS 26
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedFebruary 5, 2014
StatusPublished
Cited by117 cases

This text of 85 A.3d 540 (Hill v. Ofalt) 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
Hill v. Ofalt, 85 A.3d 540, 2014 Pa. Super. 17, 2014 WL 464212, 2014 Pa. Super. LEXIS 26 (Pa. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

OPINION BY

OLSON, J.:

Appellant, Thomas Hill, appeals from the order entered on July 13, 2012 that sustained preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer, which were filed by Ronald J. Ofalt, Sr. and Ronald J. Ofalt, Jr. (hereinafter collectively “Appellees” or “the Ofalts”). The order also dismissed Appellant’s complaint. We vacate in part and remand.

Since the current lawsuit was dismissed in response to preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer, we base the following factual recitation upon the well-pleaded facts contained within Appellant’s complaint. See Burgoyne v. Pinecrest Cmty. Ass’n, 924 A.2d 675, 679 (Pa.Super.2007) (“[w]hen reviewing the dismissal of a complaint based upon preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer, we treat as true all well-pleaded- material, factual averments and all inferences fairly deducible therefrom”).

In late 2006 or early 2007, Appellant and Appellee Ronald J. Ofalt, Jr. (hereinafter “Appellee Ofalt, Jr.”) entered into an oral agreement to form a Pennsylvania corporation named Milestone Restaurant Company,' Inc. (hereinafter “Milestone”).1 “Milestone’s [principal] purpose was the creation and operation of [a new Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania] restaurant/bar known as ‘Milestone Ranch.’ ” Appellant’s Complaint, 1/4/12, at ¶¶ 6-7. Appellant and Appellee Ofalt, Jr. further agreed: that they would be “equal 50/50 partners [544]*544in Milestone;” that Appellant would “provide some of the start-up capital to open Milestone Ranch and [Appellant] would use his restaurant expertise and the good trade credit he established through [his ownership and operation of the] State Street Grill to get Milestone Ranch up and running;” and, that after Milestone Ranch was “up and running,” Appellee Ofalt, Jr. “would run the day-to-day operations of the business.” Id. at ¶¶ 9-10. In accordance with their agreement, Milestone was incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania and, following incorporation, Appellant and Appellee Ofalt, Jr. became “the sole officers, directors!,] and shareholders of Milestone.” Id. at ¶¶ 4 and 9.

In early 2007, Appellant and Appellee Ofalt, Jr. “jointly procured!,] on behalf of Milestone!,] a [$250,000.00] loan from Peoples National Bank as well as a [$50,000.00 Small Business Association] loan.” Id. at ¶ 11. Appellant and Appellee Ofalt, Jr. personally guaranteed both loans. Id. Milestone then used the money to “purchase the necessary equipment, furnishings, computer system and[,] supplies needed for the restaurant” and to lease and renovate certain property located at 200 Johnson Road in Clarks Summit. Id. The 200 Johnson Road property was intended to serve both as the space for the Milestone Ranch restaurant and as “guest rooms!,] located on the second floor of the premises[,] that were to be rented out to provide additional income to Milestone, and thereby, to [Appellant and Appellee Ofalt, Jr.].” Id. at ¶ 12.

Milestone Ranch opened in August 2007 and, for the next four months, Appellant “worked on almost a full time basis at Milestone to help set up the restaurant and bar, train the staff[,] and provide [Ap-pellee] Ofalt, Jr. with the necessary assistance, guidance!,] and tools needed to launch” the venture. Id. at ¶ 18. In January 2008, Appellant “turned over the helm of the Milestone Ranch to [Appellee] Ofalt, Jr. and [Appellant] went back to running State Street Grill, as the parties originally contemplated and agreed.” Id. at ¶ 14.

However, after Appellee Ofalt, Jr. assumed control over Milestone Ranch, Ap-pellee Ofalt, Jr. “began unlawfully using [the] business as a ‘cash cow* to benefit himself, his family!,] and frieiids.” Id. at ¶ 17. Appellee Ofalt, Jr.’s improper actions included: “frequently providing his friends, family ... [,] and acquaintances with free alcoholic beverages and food;” attempting to conceal the free beverages and food by “voiding” the transactions on the computer system; “pocket[ing]” money from Milestone Ranch’s outside bar; withdrawing funds from Milestone and “diverting them to either himself or others, including his father, [Appellee Ronald J.] Ofalt, Sr.” [(hereinafter “Appellee Ofalt, Sr.”) ]; frequently staying in the apartments above the restaurant “rent free” and “allowing others to [] stay in [the] apartments for either no charge or by paying [Appellee Ofalt, Jr.] directly without accounting to Milestone for said rents;” and, “deducting from Milestone’s employees’ bi-weekly paychecks what he portrayed as the required federal, state!,] and local tax withholdings” — but then failing to remit the withholdings to the appropriate taxing authorities. Id. at ¶¶ 17-22.

The above actions and omissions: forced Milestone Ranch to close in March 2010; caused Milestone to “fall in arrears to [the] taxing authorities [in] an amount in excess of [$250,000.00];” caused the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue to impose a lien against both Appellant and Milestone in the amount of $79,000.00; caused Milestone to default on both the Peoples National Bank and Small Business Association loans — both of which Appellant personally guaranteed; and, exposed Mile[545]*545stone and Appellant to debts in excess of $500,000.00. Id. at ¶¶ 22-26.

On January 4, 2012, Appellant filed a complaint — on his individual behalf — and named Appellee Ofalt, Jr., Appellee Ofalt, Sr., and Milestone as defendants.2 The six-count complaint asserted the following direct claims:

1) a claim for declaratory relief (against Appellee Ofalt, Jr.), requesting that the trial court declare: a) that Appellee Ofalt, Jr. is “solely and exclusively responsible for any and all unsatisfied debts and obligations incurred by” Milestone and b) that Appellee Ofalt, Jr. is “liable over to [Appellant] for any and all sums paid by [Appellant] in satisfaction or partial satisfaction of any such debts or obligations associated with Milestone Ranch;”
2) breach of contract (against Appellee Ofalt, Jr.), based upon the allegation that Appellee Ofalt, Jr. “wrongfully detained, misappropriated, ... and/or diverted” funds from Milestone, Milestone Ranch, and Appellant;
3) breach of fiduciary duty (against Ap-pellee Ofalt, Jr.), based upon the allegation that Appellee Ofalt, Jr. failed to: a) faithfully and loyally conduct the business of Milestone; b) conserve and protect the assets of Milestone; c) avoid self-dealing and the misappropriation and waste of assets belonging to Milestone; and, d) “act toward the deal with [Appellant] with the utmost fidelity, loyalty, diligence, prudence, honesty, care[,] and good faith;”
4) unjust enrichment (against the Ofalts and Milestone), based upon the averment that the three defendants all “received significant economic benefits from Milestone/Milestone Ranch for which [they] have not provided any corresponding compensation or other benefits to” Appellant and that the three defendants would be unjustly enriched if they were allowed to retain the benefits without providing adequate compensation to Appellant;

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Miller, L. v. Daly, J.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2025
Egan, R. v. Allstate Property
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2025
McCarthy and Company v. Pollen, C.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2025
O'Brien, J. v. Beatty, K.
2024 Pa. Super. 307 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2024)
BMM North America v. Pace-O-Matic, Inc.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2024
Harris, H. v. Sullivan, W.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2024
Schriver, E. v. Schriver, L.
2024 Pa. Super. 84 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2024)
Katz, B. v. Scamordella, V.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2024
Feingold, A. v. Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2024
Pencoyd Iron Works v. Jones, S.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2024
Poteat, A. v. Asteak, G.
2024 Pa. Super. 52 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2024)
Larikov v. Cao, S.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2024
Ritz, J. v. Ramsay, M.
2023 Pa. Super. 237 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2023)
Linde, S. v. Linde Enterprises
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2023
Waverly Custom Homes v. Smith, M.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2023
Godlove, J., Sr. v. Humes, J.
2023 Pa. Super. 184 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2023)
The Scranton Club v. Tuscarora Wayne Mutual Group
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2023
Murphy, R. v. Frank, M.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2023
Banonis, J. v. Roney, T
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2023
Semsick, S. v. Good, J. v. Don Huey Custom Bldg
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2023

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
85 A.3d 540, 2014 Pa. Super. 17, 2014 WL 464212, 2014 Pa. Super. LEXIS 26, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hill-v-ofalt-pasuperct-2014.