Innovative Construction, Inc. v. Jet Express, Inc.

37 Pa. D. & C.5th 475
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lawrence County
DecidedMarch 17, 2014
DocketNo. 10767 of 2013
StatusPublished

This text of 37 Pa. D. & C.5th 475 (Innovative Construction, Inc. v. Jet Express, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lawrence County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Innovative Construction, Inc. v. Jet Express, Inc., 37 Pa. D. & C.5th 475 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2014).

Opinion

COX, J.,

Before the court for disposition are the preliminary objections to plaintiffs’ complaint filed on behalf of the defendants Jet Express, Inc. and Kevin Parsley contending that the plaintiffs’ complaint is legally insufficient as Kevin Parsley was not a trespasser as is required for the claim of civil trespass and he had no duty to avoid the power line as it was not in compliance with the applicable code. The defendants also assert a demurrer claiming that the plaintiffs utilized [477]*477an improper method of calculating damages as the proper measure of damages is the cost of repairs necessary to restore the property to its former condition.

The complaint avers the following facts: The plaintiff Innovative Construction, Inc. (hereinafter “Innovative Construction”) is a Pennsylvania Corporation that owns a motel and restaurant, which is leased by plaintiff Caravan II Albergo, LLC, defendant Kevin Parsley is employed as a driver for defendant Jet Express, Inc. On December 13, 2012, defendant Parsley was operating a 2004 Blue International tractor-trailer, which was owned by defendant Jet Express. He was traveling to a Lowe’s Home Improvement store when he mistakenly began driving on State Route 422, instead of State Route 224. He turned into the parking lot, owned by plaintiff Innovative Construction and utilized by the patrons and guests of the motel and restaurant in an attempt to rest. At that time, the vehicle owned by defendant Parsley collided with an electrical service line causing the same to be detached from the southwestern comer of a cement block building that was constructed between buildings owned by plaintiff Innovative Construction and Innovative Associates, Inc. Defendant Parsley infonned Andrew Menichino, manager for the plaintiffs, concerning these events. Mr. Menichino then explained the same to Lieutenant Michael Mrozek of the Union Township Police Department. The police officer also spoke with defendant Parsley, who admitted to striking the electrical service line. Due to the collision, the electrical service line was pulled down and the bricks on the building were separated. The plaintiffs claim that due to that incident they sustained monetary damages to [478]*478the building and they are requesting the reasonable cost of repairs in the amount of $38,840.00 as stated in an estimate by James Hooks Property Management, which is attached to the plaintiffs’ complaint.

As a result of this incident, the plaintiffs filed a complaint seeking damages for claims of civil trespass and negligence. In response, the defendants filed preliminary objections to plaintiffs’ complaint asserting that the plaintiffs’ complaint is legally insufficient as defendant Parsley was not a trespasser as is required by the claim of civil trespass and the plaintiff failed to plead a cause of action for negligence as defendant Parsley did not have a duty to avoid the electrical service line because it was not up to code. The defendants also claim that the complaint is legally insufficient as the plaintiffs utilized an improper measure of damages. The plaintiffs stipulated that there is no claim for civil trespass as the parking lot was to be utilized by the general public in accordance with their business. Therefore, the court grants the defendants’ first preliminary objection and paragraph 13(f) of the plaintiffs’ complaint is dismissed.

“A preliminary objection in the nature of a demurrer is properly granted where the contested pleading is legally insufficient.” Cooper v. Frankford Health Care System, Inc., 960 A.2d 134, 143 (Pa. Super. 2008) (citing Cardenas v. Schober, 783 A.2d 317,321 (Pa. Super. 2001)). A demurrer must be resolved based solely on the pleadings, no testimony or evidence outside of the complaint may be considered to dispose of the legal issue presented. Id. “All material facts set forth in the pleading and all inferences [479]*479reasonably deducible therefrom must be admitted as true.” Hess v. Fox Rothschild, LLP, 925 A.2d 798, 805 (Pa. Super. 2007) (citing Cardenas, supra.). A demurrer will only be sustained in cases where the complaint fails to set forth a valid cause of action. Lerner v. Lerner, 954 A.2d 1229, 1235 (Pa. Super. 2008) (citing McArdle v. Tronetti, 426 Pa. Super. 607, 627 A.2d 1219, 1221 (1993)). If a doubt exists regarding whether a demurrer should be sustained, the doubt must be resolved in favor of overruling the demurrer. R.W. v. Manzek, 585 Pa. 335, 351, 888 A.2d 740, 749 (2005) (citations omitted). Fact-based defenses are irrelevant when ruling on a preliminary objection in the nature of a demurrer. Werner v. Plater-Zyberk, 799 A.2d 776, 783 (Pa. Super. 2002) (citing Orner v. Mallick, 515 Pa. 132, 135, 527 A.2d 521, 523 (1987)). “A ‘speaking demurrer’ is defined as ‘one which, in order to sustain itself, requires the aid of a fact not appearing on the face of the pleading objected, or in other words, which alleges or assumes the existence of a fact not already pleaded, and which constitutes the ground of objection and is condemned both by the common law and the code system of the pleading.’” Regal Indus. Corp. v. Crum and Forster, Inc., 890 A.2d 395, 398 (Pa. Super. 2005) (quoting Black’s Law Dictionary 299 (6th ed. 1991)). The court is not permitted to consider a speaking demurrer in rendering its decision on preliminary objections. Id.

In order to establish a claim for negligence, a plaintiff must prove the following elements: “(1) the defendant owed a duty to the plaintiff; (2) the defendant breached that duty; (3) a causal relationship between the breach and the resulting injury suffered by the plaintiff; and (4) actual [480]*480loss suffered by the plaintiff.” Reeves v. Middletown Athletic Ass’n, 866 A.2d 1115, 1126 (Pa. Super. 2004) (citing Burman v. Golay & Co., Inc., 420 Pa. Super. 209, 616 A.2d 657 (1992)). In a negligence action, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care and that duty was breached. Gutteridge v. A.P. Green Services, Inc., 804 A.2d 643, 655 (Pa. Super. 2002) (citing Ney v. Axelrod, 723 A.2d 719, 721 (Pa. Super. 1999)). The court must examine whether the defendant has an obligation for the benefit of that particular plaintiff and if that does not exist or had not been breached, there can be no cause of action for negligence. Minnich v. Yost, 817 A.2d 538, 541 (Pa. Super. 2003) (quoting J.E.J. v. Tri-County Big Brothers/Big Sisters, 692 A.2d 582, 584 (Pa. Super.

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Related

Cardenas v. Schober
783 A.2d 317 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2001)
Werner v. Plater-Zyberk
799 A.2d 776 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2002)
Regal Industrial Corp. v. Crum & Forster, Inc.
890 A.2d 395 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2005)
Campo v. St. Luke's Hospital
755 A.2d 20 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2000)
Wade v. S. J. Groves & Sons Co.
424 A.2d 902 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1981)
Bumbarger v. Walker
164 A.2d 144 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1960)
Minnich v. Yost
817 A.2d 538 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2003)
Hess v. Fox Rothschild, LLP
925 A.2d 798 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2007)
Yania v. Bigan
155 A.2d 343 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1959)
Kirkbride v. Lisbon Contractors, Inc.
560 A.2d 809 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1989)
Lerner v. Lerner
954 A.2d 1229 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2008)
Orner v. Mallick
527 A.2d 521 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1987)
Ney v. Axelrod
723 A.2d 719 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1999)
R.W. v. Manzek
888 A.2d 740 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2005)
Gutteridge v. A.P. Green Services, Inc.
804 A.2d 643 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2002)
Burman v. Golay and Co., Inc.
616 A.2d 657 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1992)
McArdle v. Tronetti
627 A.2d 1219 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1993)
Brandjord v. Hopper
688 A.2d 721 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1997)
Neyman v. Soutter
205 A.2d 685 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1964)
J.E.J. v. Tri-County Big Bros./Big Sisters, Inc.
692 A.2d 582 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1997)

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Bluebook (online)
37 Pa. D. & C.5th 475, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/innovative-construction-inc-v-jet-express-inc-pactcompllawren-2014.