Keeton v. Lexington Truck Sales, Inc.

275 S.W.3d 723, 2008 Ky. App. LEXIS 226, 2008 WL 2780271
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedJuly 18, 2008
Docket2007-CA-001576-MR
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 275 S.W.3d 723 (Keeton v. Lexington Truck Sales, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Keeton v. Lexington Truck Sales, Inc., 275 S.W.3d 723, 2008 Ky. App. LEXIS 226, 2008 WL 2780271 (Ky. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

OPINION

ACREE, Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment entered against the buyer of a used commercial truck in his action against the auto dealership alleging fraud, violation of the Kentucky Consumer Protection statute, vi *725 olation of the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and violation of Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 186A.540. Because the Fayette Circuit Court misinterpreted KRS 186A.540, we reverse for further proceedings. With regard to the remaining issues, we find no error and affirm.

John Keeton purchased a used commercial Volvo truck with over 800,000 miles on it from Lexington Truck Sales, Inc. (LTS), on May 28, 2002. At the time, Keeton was in the commercial trucking business. Kee-ton later experienced some problems with the truck and its engine and sought damages against LTS.

The original complaint claimed that Kee-ton sought damages pursuant to a “Generation II Warranty” 1 because of problems with the truck involving its alternator and a “blown engine” and also alleged violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Discovery showed that the “Generation II Warranty” was in fact a warranty with National Truck Protection, Inc., but not LTS. Additional discovery demonstrated that an engine warranty was issued by Detroit Diesel, the manufacturer of the engine, but not LTS. Keeton filed an amended complaint asserting the fraud, Kentucky Consumer Protection Act, and KRS 186A.540 claims.

The trial court concluded Keeton could not establish a viable claim or cause of action against LTS based upon the statutes and theories asserted and on July 19, 2007, granted LTS summary judgment. This appeal followed.

The standard of review on appeal when a trial court grants a motion for summary judgment is “whether the trial court correctly found that there were no genuine issues as to any material fact and that the moving party was entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Scifres v. Kraft, 916 S.W.2d 779, 781 (Ky.App.1996); Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (CR) 56.03. “The trial court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, and summary judgment should be granted only if it appears impossible that the nonmoving party will be able to produce evidence at trial warranting a judgment in his favor.” Lewis v. B & R Corp., 56 S.W.3d 432, 436 (Ky.App.2001), citing Steelvest, Inc. v. Scansteel Serv. Ctr., Inc., 807 S.W.2d 476, 480-82 (Ky.1991). “Impossible,” as set forth in the standard for summary judgment, is meant to be “used in a practical sense, not in an absolute sense.” Lewis at 436.

The trial court “must examine the evidence, not to decide any issue of fact, but to discover if a real issue exists.” Steel-vest at 480. “The moving party bears the initial burden of showing that no genuine issue of material fact exists, and then the burden shifts to the party opposing summary judgment to present ‘at least some affirmative evidence showing that there is a genuine issue of material fact for trial.’ ” Lewis at 436, citing Steelvest at 482. Because summary judgment involves only legal questions and the existence of any disputed material issues of fact, an appellate court need not defer to the trial court’s decision and will review the issue de novo. Scifres at 781.

Keeton first contends that the trial court committed reversible error by entering summary judgment upon his claim of fraud. We disagree.

Keeton attempted to assert a fraud claim in his amended complaint. He broadly asserted that the “actions of inaction’s [sic] of the Defendant constitute fraud, both common law and statutory.” *726 In his response to LTS’s summary judgment motion, Keeton made unsubstantiated claims of misrepresentations by LTS concerning the vehicle. CR 9.02 requires that all allegations of fraud must be “stated with particularity.” Under our law, an allegation of fraud in a pleading must set forth the time, place, and substance of the allegedly fraudulent statements. Scott v. Farmers State Bank, 410 S.W.2d 717, 722 (Ky.1966). Keeton’s claim does not meet that requirement. Thus, his fraud claim is not cognizable.

One of the misrepresentations Kee-ton attempted to allege in his original fraud claim involved the alleged rollback of the odometer in the Volvo truck. On appeal he raises for the first time a claim under KRS 190.270. We have long held in Kentucky that an issue not raised in the circuit court may not be presented for the first time on appeal. Gabow v. Commonwealth, 34 S.W.3d 63, 75 (Ky.2000), habeas granted on other grounds, Gabow v. Deuth, 302 F.Supp.2d 687 (W.D.Ky.2004); Shelton v. Commonwealth, 992 S.W.2d 849, 852 (Ky.App.1998); Ruppee v. Commonwealth, 821 S.W.2d 484 (Ky.1991), overruled on other grounds by Lovett v. Commonwealth, 103 S.W.3d 72 (Ky.2003); Tamme v. Commonwealth, 973 S.W.2d 13, 33 (Ky.1998). This issue is not properly before this Court and -will not be addressed.

Keeton next contends his claims under the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act, KRS 367.120 et seq., and the federal Mag-nuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq., should not have been dismissed because as a consumer he falls under the protection of both of these Acts. Again, we disagree.

Nothing in the evidence suggests Keeton purchased the vehicle for anything but commercial purposes. KRS 367.220(1) sets forth the class of individuals who may bring actions for recovery of money or property under the Consumer Protection Act. In order “[t]o maintain an action alleging a violation of the Act, however, an individual must fit within the protected class of persons defined in KRS 367.220.”

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

Related

Troy Gardner v. Detective Jason Wallace
Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2025
Gregory Gibson v. Anderson Properties, LLC
Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2024
William Helm, mb.bchir v. Allison Ratterman, Phd
Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2022
Suhail v. University of the Cumberlands
107 F. Supp. 3d 748 (E.D. Kentucky, 2015)
N.L. v. W.F.
368 S.W.3d 136 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2012)
Jenkins v. Jenkins
325 S.W.3d 924 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2010)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
275 S.W.3d 723, 2008 Ky. App. LEXIS 226, 2008 WL 2780271, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/keeton-v-lexington-truck-sales-inc-kyctapp-2008.