Perel v. Brannan

58 Va. Cir. 274, 2002 Va. Cir. LEXIS 147
CourtVirginia Circuit Court
DecidedFebruary 27, 2002
DocketCase No. HQ-1833-3
StatusPublished

This text of 58 Va. Cir. 274 (Perel v. Brannan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Virginia Circuit Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Perel v. Brannan, 58 Va. Cir. 274, 2002 Va. Cir. LEXIS 147 (Va. Super. Ct. 2002).

Opinion

BY JUDGE T. J. MARKOW

This case is before the court on a Special Plea and Demurrer filed by Defendants Scott Brannan and Melissa Brannan and a Demurrer filed by Defendants Locke Lane, L.C., River Locke Homeowners’ Association, Inc., Stuart C. Siegel, Fernand Baruch, Jr., and Sidney J. Gunst, Jr. The parties appeared, and arguments were heard. The court previously announced that the Demurrer filed by Locke Lane, L.C., River Locke Homeowners’ Association, Inc., Stuart C. Siegel, Fernand Baruch, Jr., and Sidney J. Gunst, Jr., was sustained as to Counts HI and IV of the Bill of Complaint. For the reasons stated below, the court overrules Scott and Melissa Brannan’s Special Plea and Demurrer, sustains the Demurrer to Count II as to the River Locke [275]*275Homeowners’ Association, Inc., and overrules the Demurrer to Count II as to Locke Lane, L.C., Stuart C. Siegel, Fernand Baruch, Jr., and Sidney J. Gunst, Jr. The facts recited here are those alleged in or inferred from the Bill of Complaint and properly pleaded documents.

Perel is trustee of the Ballyshannon Trust, owner of approximately eighteen acres of real property adjacent to the subdivision known as the River Locke subdivision. River Locke Lot, L.L.C., is the owner of Lot 4 in the River Locke subdivision. Locke Lane is a Virginia limited liability company that developed the River Locke subdivision. Scott and Melissa Brannan are the owners of Lot 1 in the River Locke Subdivision. River Locke Homeowners’ Association, Inc., is a Virginia corporation that acts as the homeowners’ association for the River Locke Subdivision. Defendant Siegel is the Manager of Locke Lane and the President of the Association. Defendants Siegel, Baruch, and Gunst are the current directors of the Association.

In the fall of 1998, the Science Museum Foundation Real Estate, L.L.C., and The Science Museum of Virginia, Inc., the former owners of the real property now known as the River Locke subdivision, applied for a Special Use Permit and requested that the Planning Commission of the City of Richmond approve a plan for the River Locke subdivision. Perel objected to the proposal and plan. On November 23, 1998, the Science Museum, Locke Lane, and Perel entered into a Settlement Agreement by which Perel withdrew his objections to the proposed plan and the Science Museum and Locke Lane agreed to attach building and use restrictions to the real property that is now known as the River Locke subdivision for the benefit of the Ballyshannon Trust property. The Settlement Agreement was recorded in the Clerk’s Office ofthis court on December 22,1998. On July 15,1999, Locke Lane filed in the Clerk’s Office an Amended and Restated Declaration of Rights, Restrictions, Affirmative Obligations, and Conditions Applicable to All Property in River Locke. The Amended Declaration imposes restrictions on building and usage of the property in the River Locke subdivision.

Locke Lane sold Lot 1 of the River Locke Subdivision to Scott and Melissa Brannan. On September 14, 2001, Plaintiffs filed this Bill of Complaint. On October 9, 2001, the Brannans filed an Answer and Special Plea and Demurrer to the Bill of Complaint. On October 9,2001, Locke Lane, L.C., River Locke Homeowners’ Association, Inc., Siegel, Baruch, and Giinst filed a Demurrer to the Bill of Complaint.

Count I of the Bill of Complaint alleges that the Brannans breached the restrictive covenants contained in the Amended Declaration by excavating, removing vegetation, installing a retaining wall, and constructing a fear porch on Lot 1 of the River Locke subdivision.

[276]*276Count II alleges that Locke Lane and the Homeowners’ Association breached their contract obligations by allowing the Brannans to violate the Amended Declaration.

Count III alleges that Locke Lane and Siegel engaged in fraud by inducing Perel to withdraw his objections to proposed the Special Use Permit and subdivision plan by entering into the Settlement Agreement and Amended Declaration.

Count IV alleges that the River Locke Homeowners’ Association and the Directors of the Association violated their fiduciary duties to the residents of the River Locke subdivision, including River Locke Lot, by failing to enforce the covenants and restrictions in the Amended Declaration.

The Brannans, in their Special Plea and Demurrer, allege only that Perel lacks standing to bring a claim for violation of the restrictive covenants. The Brannans do not generally demur to the Bill of Complaint or Count I. Moreover, the Brannans do not demur as to River Locke Lot or allege the Special Plea applies to River Locke Lot. As such, this Court will only address that which the Defendants allege in their Special Plea and Demurrer, the standing of Perel.

Locke Lane, River Locke Homeowners’ Association, Siegel, Baruch, and Gunst demur generally to the Bill of Complaint on the grounds that Plaintiffs fail to state a claim and fail to allege sufficient facts in support and demur specifically to Counts II, III, and IV.

Locke Lane, River Locke Homeowners’ Association, Siegel, Baruch, and Gunst demur to Count II on the grounds that there is no contractual duty to enforce either the Settlement Agreement or the Amended Declaration. As well, Defendants state that Perel lacks standing to sue under the Amended Declaration and River Locke Lot lacks standing to sue under the Settlement Agreement.

Locke Lane, River Locke Homeowners’ Association, Siegel, Baruch, and Gunst further demur to Count II on the grounds that Plaintiffs fail to allege facts sufficient to support the request for injunctive relief and fail to state a valid cause of action for declaratory relief.

As to Count III, Locke Lane, River Locke Homeowners’ Association, Siegel, Baruch, and Gunst demur on the grounds that Plaintiffs fail to allege sufficient facts to support the claim for fraud in the inducement. Defendants further demur stating River Locke Lot lacks standing to bring a claim for fraud as River Locke Lot was not a party to the Settlement Agreement.

Locke Lane, River Locke Homeowners’ Association, Siegel, Baruch, and Gunst demur to Count IV on the grounds that River Locke Lot fails to state a [277]*277cause of action upon which relief can be granted and failed to allege facts necessary to support an award of punitive damages.

Discussion

A demurrer admits the truth of all material facts properly pleaded, and the facts admitted are those expressly alleged, those which fairly can be viewed as impliedly alleged, and those which may be fairly and justly inferred from the facts alleged. See CaterCorp, Inc. v. Catering Concepts, Inc., 246 Va. 22 (1993). Only grounds stated in the demurrer should be considered. Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, § 8.01-273; see Klein v. National Toddle House Corp., 210 Va. 641, 172 S.E.2d 782 (1970). However, documents properly pleaded in the Bill of Complaint may be examined by the court as a part of the allegations. See Flippo v. F &L Land Co., 241 Va. 15, 17, 400 S.E.2d 156 (1991). Further, while the factual allegations in the Bill of Complaint should be assumed true, where such allegations conflict with clear language in properly pleaded documents, the court may ignore those allegations. See Ward’s Equipment v. New Holland North America, 254 Va.

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Related

Ward's Equipment, Inc. v. New Holland North America, Inc.
493 S.E.2d 516 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 1997)
Flippo v. F & L LAND CO.
400 S.E.2d 156 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 1991)
Cupp v. BOARD OF SUP'RS OF FAIRFAX COUNTY
318 S.E.2d 407 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 1984)
Klein v. National Toddle House Corp.
172 S.E.2d 782 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 1970)
CaterCorp, Inc. v. Catering Concepts, Inc.
431 S.E.2d 277 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 1993)
Cheatham v. Taylor
138 S.E. 545 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 1927)
Shenandoah Milling Co. v. Phosphate Products Corp.
171 S.E. 681 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 1933)
Cupp v. Board of Supervisors
227 Va. 580 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 1984)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
58 Va. Cir. 274, 2002 Va. Cir. LEXIS 147, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perel-v-brannan-vacc-2002.