Long v. Tokai Bank of California

682 N.E.2d 1052, 114 Ohio App. 3d 116, 1996 Ohio App. LEXIS 4051
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 20, 1996
DocketNo. 15748.
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 682 N.E.2d 1052 (Long v. Tokai Bank of California) 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
Long v. Tokai Bank of California, 682 N.E.2d 1052, 114 Ohio App. 3d 116, 1996 Ohio App. LEXIS 4051 (Ohio Ct. App. 1996).

Opinions

Brogan, Presiding Judge.

This matter is before the court on the appeal of plaintiffs/appellants from the summary judgment granted to Tokai Bank of California (“Tokai”). The undisputed facts pertinent to resolution of this case are as follows. Tokai is a banking corporation and is not in the business of commercial leasing. Tokai provides a number of banking services, including, on occasion, the purchase and lease of machinery and equipment. The purpose of the lease agreements is to provide a method of financing so that customers can facilitate their acquisition of equipment. Accordingly, on May 6,1988, Tokai entered into a master lease agreement with Green Tokai, Ltd. (“Green”), so that Green could purchase a flocking machine from Nissho Iwai American Corporation (“Nissho”).

The flocking machine had been selected by Green before the lease was signed, and Tokai did not participate in the selection or negotiation of terms between Green and Nissho. Tokai also never had possession, custody, or control over the machine, nor did Tokai ever participate in its possession, maintenance, or operation.

*118 The original lease term was from May 17, 1988 through May 17, 1995, and during that time, Green was to pay rental fees for the flocking machine. Under Section 16 of the agreement, Green was allowed to purchase the flocking machine at the end of the original lease term or at the end of any renewal term, for the machine’s fair market value. Moreover, Section 9 stated as follows:

“Lessee agrees that the equipment will be used solely in the conduct of the business of Lessee and will at all times be and remain in the possession and control of Lessee at the place of installation set forth in the relevant Lease Supplement. Lessee warrants that each item of equipment will at all times be used and operated under and in compliance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which such item may be operated, and in compliance with all lawful acts, rules, regulations, and orders of any commissions, boards or other legislative, executive or judicial bodies of officers having power to regulate or supervise the use of such property and, in any event, in compliance with the manufacturer’s schedule of preventive maintenance.”

Finally, in Section 17, Tokai also disclaimed any express and implied warranties and assigned right to the warranties to Green.

On September 23, 1991, during the original lease term, the flocking machine exploded and injured Ralph Long, who was an employee of Green. Long then filed the present action on September 22, 1993 against Tokai, Nissho (the seller), and Sankyo-Kasei (the manufacturer of the machine), based on negligence and products liability claims. Another entity, Tokai Bank, Ltd., was sued, but was voluntarily dismissed by appellants. On November 27, 1995, the trial court filed a decision granting summary judgment to Tokai on the negligence and products liability claims, based on three findings: (1) Tokai was not subject to products liability claims because it was neither a manufacturer nor a supplier as defined by R.C. 2307.71; (2) claims for breach of warranty were not appropriate, since Tokai disclaimed warranties in the lease; and (3) the negligent leasing claims failed because Tokai owed no duty of care to Long with regard to the flocking machine. The trial court also entered a Civ.R. 54(B) finding on January 17,1996.

On appeal, the Longs assert the following assignments of error:

“I. The trial court erred in finding, as a matter of law, that reasonable jurors could not find that appellee satisfied the definition of “supplier” under R.C. § 2307.71.
“II. The trial court erred in failing to consider the evidence presented by appellant concerning the application of R.C. § 2307.78.
“III. The trial court erred in finding as a matter of law that the appellee owed no duty to plaintiff where the product at issue could not have been placed into the stream of commerce but for the involvement of appellee.”

*119 With the above facts in mind, we now turn to consideration of appellants’ assignments of error.

I

In support of the first assignment of error, appellants contend that Tokai should be held responsible as a “supplier” because it acted in more than a financial capacity with regard to the flocking machine. Although appellants concede that Tokai’s involvement in the selection of the machine was not active, they argue that Tokai exerted sufficient control to be held liable in view of lease provisions requiring that the lessee maintain the machine in accordance with the manufacturer’s schedule for preventive maintenance. Further, as satisfaction of the element of possession, appellants refer to the fact that Tokai retained legal title to the machine.

As a starting point for analysis, we note that the pertinent standards for assessing the propriety of summary judgment are well established. As this court previously observed in Doner v. Snapp (1994), 98 Ohio App.3d 597, 649 N.E.2d 42:

“The Ohio Supreme Court has interpreted [Civ.R. 56] to say:
“ ‘The appositeness 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.’ ” Id. at 600, 649 N.E.2d at 43-44, quoting from Harless v. Willis Day Warehousing Co. (1978), 54 Ohio St.2d 64, 66, 8 O.O.3d 73, 74, 375 N.E.2d 46, 47.

In Doner, this court also commented:

“In a summary judgment motion, the nonmoving party shoulders the burden to ‘produce evidence on any issue for which that party bears the burden of production at trial.’ Wing v. Anchor Media, Ltd. of Texas (1991), 59 Ohio St.3d 108, 570 N.E.2d 1095, paragraph three of the syllabus. ‘[S]ince the propriety of summary judgment is a question of law,’ Children’s Med. Ctr. v. Ward (1993), 87 Ohio App.3d 504, 508, 622 N.E.2d 692, 695, we apply the same standard as the trial court in our review of the court’s disposition of the motion; in other words, our review is de novo. Id. However, we do not weigh the evidence; we ‘accept the evidence properly before [us] and, with respect to the merit issues involved, construe the evidence most strongly in favor of the claims of the party against whom the motion is made.’ Buckingham v. Middlestetter (Mar. 22, 1993), Montgomery App. No. 13575, unreported, 1993 WL 81827.” Id.

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Bluebook (online)
682 N.E.2d 1052, 114 Ohio App. 3d 116, 1996 Ohio App. LEXIS 4051, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/long-v-tokai-bank-of-california-ohioctapp-1996.