Kotyk v. Rebovich

621 N.E.2d 897, 87 Ohio App. 3d 116, 1993 Ohio App. LEXIS 2900
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 21, 1993
DocketNo. 62807.
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 621 N.E.2d 897 (Kotyk v. Rebovich) 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
Kotyk v. Rebovich, 621 N.E.2d 897, 87 Ohio App. 3d 116, 1993 Ohio App. LEXIS 2900 (Ohio Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

Pryatel, Judge.

Plaintiff-appellant, James Kotyk, appeals from the judgment of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas which granted a Civ.R. 12(B)(6) motion to dismiss on behalf of defendant-appellee, Father John Rebovich. On review of the record and based upon the reasons adduced below, we affirm the trial court.

Appellant Kotyk alleges that at age fifteen and while an altar boy at St. Eugene Byzantine Catholic Church, he was sodomized by the appellee. Appellant alleges that two incidents occurred in April and August 1980.

In 1983, appellant contends that during counseling at college, his counselor attributed his psychological difficulties to the alleged sexual abuse. His counselor also suggested that part of his treatment should include speaking to church officials and making them aware of the claimed abuse.

Thus, in the spring of 1984, appellant and his brother met with Monsignor Andrew Vaida, the administrator of the Byzantine Catholic Diocese of Parma, and discussed the incidents with him. From that meeting an agreement was reached whereby the Diocese agreed to remove the appellee as pastor of St. Eugene and to ensure that appellee received counseling in regards to the alleged incidents. Shortly thereafter, the appellee was removed as pastor of St. Eugene Church. Parishioners were told he would be assisting mission parishes throughout Ohio, Indiana and Missouri.

In December 1989, the appellant received notice from Father Petyo that the appellee had been reinstated as pastor of St. Eugene Church in July 1984. Further, the appellant learned that the appellee had not received counseling as agreed.

*119 On July 2, 1990, the appellant filed his complaint against the appellee, the Byzantine Catholic Diocese of Parma, Bishop Andrew Pataki and St. Eugene Byzantine Catholic Church. The appellant asserted seventeen claims, among which were claims for sexual battery and breach of contract.

On July 19, 1990, the appellant filed an amended complaint against the same parties with two additional claims, a constitutional claim and a claim for punitive damages. The amended complaint also contained sworn affidavits. These affidavits attested to the agreement between the Diocese and appellant.

On September 10, 1990, the appellee filed a Civ.R. 12(B)(6) motion to dismiss based entirely upon the various statutes of limitations on claims brought by the appellant. On September 24, 1990, defendant Bishop Andrew Pataki also filed a motion to dismiss himself, as an individual, from the action. On February 12, 1991, the court granted both of the motions to dismiss.

On October 23, 1991, the trial court dismissed the case with prejudice as the remaining parties, Byzantine Catholic Diocese of Parma and St. Eugene Byzantine Catholic Church, per a stipulated settlement.

On November 20, 1991, appellant timely filed this appeal regarding the Civ.R. 12(B)(6) dismissal of the appellee.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

“The trial court erred when it granted defendant Fr. John Rebovich’s Civil Rule 12(B)(6) motion to dismiss.”

The appellant, through his sole assignment of error, argues that the trial court erred as a result of granting a Civ.R. 12(B)(6) on behalf of the appellee. The appellant specifically argues that his claims, as brought against the appellee, were not barred by applicable statute of limitations since a mental disability prevented discovery of the claimed injuries and thus all applicable statutes of limitations were tolled. In addition the appellant argues that he possessed a claim of breach of contract against the appellee which was not barred since the applicable statute of limitations had not run regardless of the existence of any claim of disability.

The appellant’s sole assignment of error is not well taken.

A motion to dismiss a complaint per Civ.R. 12(B)(6), which is based upon a failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, should be granted by a trial court when a complaint on its face indicates that a claim is barred by an applicable statute of limitations. Mills v. Whitehouse Trucking Co. (1974), 40 Ohio St.2d 55, 69 O.O.2d 350, 320 N.E.2d 668; Goad v. Cuyahoga Cty. Bd. of Commrs. (1992), 79 Ohio App.3d 521, 607 N.E.2d 878. The appellant, through his original complaint and two amended complaints, raised ten causes of *120 action: (1) sexual battery; (2) breach of fiduciary duty; (3) fraud and misrepresentation; (4) clergy malpractice; (5) negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress; (6) negligence; (7) vicarious liability; (8) breach of contract; (9) conspiracy; and (10) state constitutional violations. With the exception of the claim of breach of contract, it is apparent from the face of the appellant’s complaint and two amended complaints, that nine of the ten causes of action were time-barred since the appellant discovered his injuries no later than 1983, the year counseling was sought while attending college: (1) sexual battery — two-year statute of limitations per R.C. 2305.10; (2) breach of fiduciary duty — four-year statute of limitations per R.C. 2305.09(D); (3) fraud and misrepresentation — four-year statute of limitations per R.C. 2305.09(C); (4) clergy malpractice — one-year statute of limitations per R.C. 2305.11(A); (5) negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress — four-year statute of limitations per R.C. 2305.09(D); (6) negligence — four-year statute of limitations per R.C. 2305.09; (7) vicarious liability — four-year statute of limitations per R.C. 2305.09; (8) conspiracy — a criminal charge not applicable to civil suits; and (9) state constitutional violation — two-year statute of limitations per R.C. 2305.10. Hull v. Cuyahoga Valley Bd. of Edn. (C.A.6, 1991), 926 F.2d 505; Bojac Corp. v. Kutevac (1990), 64 Ohio App.3d 368, 581 N.E.2d 625.

Further review of the record also indicates that the appellant’s claim of a mental disability did not toll the statute of limitations which were applicable to the aforesaid nine claims. A general claim of disability, absent specific details, will not toll the time for the running of an applicable statute of limitations. McKay v. Cutlip (1992), 80 Ohio App.3d 487, 609 N.E.2d 1272; In re Lattanzi (1990), 61 Ohio Misc.2d 546, 580 N.E.2d 541. In the case sub judice, the appellant stated in his complaint that he exhibited a form of mental deficiency or derangement which resulted from the alleged sexual molestation. There is no allegation in the record, however, which supports the claim that the appellant was prevented from timely prosecuting his lawsuit. McKay v. Cutlip, supra. The appellant did receive psychological counseling, but without additional support of the existence of a disabling condition which meets the requirements of R.C.

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Bluebook (online)
621 N.E.2d 897, 87 Ohio App. 3d 116, 1993 Ohio App. LEXIS 2900, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kotyk-v-rebovich-ohioctapp-1993.