Mummau, O. v. Mohler, J.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 9, 2014
Docket161 MDA 2014
StatusUnpublished

This text of Mummau, O. v. Mohler, J. (Mummau, O. v. Mohler, J.) 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
Mummau, O. v. Mohler, J., (Pa. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

J-S48032-14

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

O. HOWARD MUMMAU, RAE W. IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF MUMMAU, GERALDINE M. ZIMMERMAN, PENNSYLVANIA AND ELI ZIMMERMAN,

Appellants

v.

JEFFREY D. MOHLER AND CLYMER & MUSSER, P.C. CLAIR S. MUMMAU, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN HIS CAPACITY AS ATTORNEY IN FACT FOR IVA K. MUMMAU, LAWRENCE N. MUMMAU, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF IVA K. MUMMAU, I. BERNICE TAMKIN AND GALEN S. SPICKLER,

Appellees No. 161 MDA 2014

Appeal from the Order December 30, 2013 in the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County Civil Division at No.: CI-06-04412

BEFORE: DONOHUE, J., JENKINS, J., and PLATT, J.*

MEMORANDUM BY PLATT, J.: FILED SEPTEMBER 09, 2014

Appellants, O. Howard Mummau, Rae W. Mummau, Geraldine M.

Zimmerman, and Eli Zimmerman, appeal from the order of December 30,

second amended complaint with prejudice. After careful review, we affirm.

____________________________________________

* Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court. J-S48032-14

December 30, 2013, supplemented as necessary for our review by the

family farm and the estate of Iva K. Mummau. Owen and Iva Mummau,

husband and wife, had eight children and owned a broiler chicken farm in

Mount Joy Township, Pennsylvania. Each of their children owned a 3.8%

their children re-conveyed their interests back to Owen and Iva. (See

Complaint, 12/19/06, at 6 ¶ 26, 7-8 ¶¶ 41-43). The other two siblings, O.

Howard Mummau and Geraldine M. Zimmerman, refused to re-convey their

interests. (See id. at 9-10 ¶ 52).

. Howard Mummau,

subdividing a portion of the farm zoned for residential use.1 (See id. at 6 ¶¶

30-32). On February 11, 1997, he received a notice letter terminating his

power to act as See id. at 16-17 ¶ 95).

fact, executed an agreement between him and his wife and Owen and Iva to

record, O. Howard Mummau is also an attorney-at-law, who represents himself and the other Appellants in this appeal.

-2- J-S48032-14

purchase the farm, with advice from attorney Jeffrey D. Mohler of the law

firm Clymer and Musser, P.C. (See id. at 4 ¶ 13-14). In January 1999,

Owen and Iva executed new wills which eliminated a marital bypass trust

from their previous wills. (See id. at 3 ¶ 17; see also Petition to Extend

Time in Which to File Complaint, 9/21/06, at 2-3 ¶ 10-11). In his new will,

estate to Iva, whom he appointed executor.

Owen died on March 13, 1999. The subdivision of the residential lots

was completed shortly thereafter. On May 23, 2000, Iva executed a codicil

to her will, assisted by Clair Mummau as attorney in fact and Jeffrey D.

Mohler. On February 22, 2000, Mohler filed a Petition for Partition of Real

a resolution to the fractional interests

in the farm and lots[ and to] reunit[e] the farm and lots into a single

partition action was filed in order to remove O. Howard Mummau and

Geraldine Zimmerman as record owners of the farm and residential lots due

to their respective 3.8% interests that they did not re-convey back to Owen

in 1985. (See Complaint, 12/19/06, at 26-27 ¶¶ 159-61). Appellants

demanded consideration for their interests in the farm, claiming that the

was to achieve the ultimate objective to effect a disinheritance of

[Appellants] by Iva Mummau and the acquisition of the farm by Clair at a

price he ha

-3- J-S48032-14

Complaint, 7/14/08, at 31 ¶ 179). Appellants did not attend a settlement

conference scheduled in February 2004. (See Complaint, 12/19/06, at 37 ¶

167(z)).

Eventually, Mohler, as representative for Iva K. Mummau, Clair

Mummau, family friend Galen Spickler, O. Howard Mummau, and Geraldine

in the farm and residential lots, and provided that Clair would buy the farm

for $402,000.00, thus settling their respective interests in the lots and the

farm. (See id. at 38-39 ¶ 168(j)). As a result, the partition action was

withdrawn, and in 2004, the farm was conveyed to Clair and Jean Mummau,

and then to their son, Kevin and his wife Stacey. (See id. at 39 ¶ 168(o)).

Appellants claim the sale price was well below fair market value. (See id. at

38-39 ¶ 168(j)).

Iva died on August 8, 2006. (See id. at 3 ¶ 7). Her sons Lawrence

Mummau and Clair Mummau were appointed executors of the estate. (See

id.

on September 16, 2006. (See Petition to Extend Time in Which to File

Complaint, 9/21/06, at Exhibit I).

pellants continued to

litigate this action. Eventually, on May 29, 2010, all eight children and six

grandchildren of Owen and Iva entered into a settlement agreement which

resolved all the objections and caveats raised by Appellants in their

challenges to See

-4- J-S48032-14

In re Estate of Iva K. Mummau, No. 1382 MDA 2013, unpublished

memorandum at Exhibit B, page 7 (Pa. Super. filed May 12, 2014)). The

settlement included a tortfeasor release and provided that

estates did not include the farm. (See id. at *2).

writ of summons in the instant case on May 4, 2006. (See Trial Ct. Op.,

12/30/13, at 1). As stated by Appellant O. Howard Mummau:

The gravamen of this case arises from . . . an underlying

Court brought by [Appellees Jeffrey D. Mohler and Clymer & Musser, P.C.] as counsel in the name of Iva [K]. Mummau, but initiated by Clair Mummau as her attorney in fact, against [Appellants] in connection with the purported settlement of the estate [of] Owen E. Mummau, Deceased, who was the father of [Appellant], O. Howard Mummau.

(Petition to Extend Time in Which to File Complaint, 9/21/06, at 2 ¶ 6).

malicious use of process, abuse of process, tortious interference with

contractual relations, intentional infliction of emotional distress by

outrageous conduct, and unjust enrichment/constructive trust, and

requested compensatory and punitive damages. (See generally Complaint,

12/19/06). Appellees filed preliminary objections. On January 26, 2007,

im for

another set of preliminary objections, and on June 25, 2008, the trial court

-5- J-S48032-14

dismissed with prejudice the intentional infliction of emotional distress count

in the amended complaint, granting Appellants leave to amend this claim

within twenty days. (See Order, 6/25/08, at unnumbered pages 1-3). On

July 14, 2008, Appellants filed a second amended complaint claiming fraud,

Appellees filed preliminary objections, and Appellants responded with

preliminary objections of their own. (See Second Amended Complaint,

7/14/08, at 35). Appellants then filed a motion to discontinue against all

defendants except Jeffery Mohler and Clymer & Mussler, PC, which the court

denied on November 4, 2009. (See Order, 11/04/09). Eventually, on

and sustained those of Appellees, dismissing the complaint. (See Order,

12/30/13). Appellants timely appealed.2

Appellants raise three questions for our review:

I. second amended complaints when it granted, then revoked, a complaint where damages to be claimed are dependent upon an underlying case now on appeal to this Court, where it made no finding in disposing of preliminary objections that [Appellants] failed to state a cause or causes of action, and failed to dispose of preliminary objections for more than five years, without explanation, claiming that [Appellants] were required to appeal interlocutory orders within thirty days of entry?

statement on February 18, 2014.

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