Rupel v. General Motors Corp.

201 N.E.2d 355, 120 Ohio App. 152, 28 Ohio Op. 2d 388, 1963 Ohio App. LEXIS 842
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 2, 1963
Docket2754
StatusPublished

This text of 201 N.E.2d 355 (Rupel v. General Motors Corp.) 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
Rupel v. General Motors Corp., 201 N.E.2d 355, 120 Ohio App. 152, 28 Ohio Op. 2d 388, 1963 Ohio App. LEXIS 842 (Ohio Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

*153 Kerns, P. J.

This is an appeal on questions of law from a judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County.

On September 12, 1961, the plaintiff, James Eupel, appellant herein, filed a petition naming General Motors Corporation, Texaco, Inc., Maple Heights Investment Corporation and Normandy Heights Section One, Inc., appellees herein, as parties defendant in an action seeking the enforcement of a covenant restricting the use of a certain parcel of land formerly owned by him to residential purposes, or, in the alternative, for damages for breach of the restrictive covenant.

Defendants General Motors and Texaco filed separate motions to require plaintiff to separately state and number the causes of action. Defendants Maple Heights and Normandy Heights filed a motion to strike, make definite and certain and separately state and number the causes of action. The motions to separately state and number were sustained. The motions to strike and make definite and certain were sustained in part and overruled in part.

On November 3, 1961, plaintiff filed an amended petition setting forth three causes of action. Defendants General Motors and Texaco filed separate demurrers on the ground that the amended petition does not set forth facts which show a cause of action against them, and Maple Heights and Normandy Heights filed a joint demurrer on the same ground.

On December 13, 1962, the trial court entered judgment sustaining the demurrers and dismissing the amended petition.

The sole issue to be determined in this appeal is whether the plaintiff’s amended petition states a cause of action.

The amended petition provides as follows:

“Now comes the plaintiff in the above entitled action and for his first cause of action says that on the 17th day of January 1957 defendant General Motors Corporation entered into an agreement with plaintiff to sell certain real estate to plaintiff described as follows: * * *

“[Description of real estate containing .482 acres, more or less.]

“By said agreement defendant General Motors Corporation agreed to convey fee simple title with covenants against *154 the acts of the grantor. On or about March 13, 1957 defendant General Motors Corporation, delivered to plaintiff, for a valuable consideration a deed to the aforedescribed real estate. Contained in said deed from General Motors Corporation to plaintiff was the following covenant:

“ ‘ As part of the consideration hereof, the said James Rupel covenants and agrees to and with the said General Motors Corporation and this conveyance is made subject to the following restrictions and limitations as to the use of said premises: that the premises may be used for residential purposes only and that no building to be erected on said land shall be used otherwise than as a private dwelling house except that the land may be used as a Medical Center and that a Medical Center Building may be constructed thereon.’

“Plaintiff further states that on or about the 29th day of July 1957 for a consideration of $3,000.00, he delivered to the defendant Maple Heights Investment Corporation a duly acknowledged deed to the aforesaid real estate and that General Motors Corporation, by a quitclaim deed of date July 26, 1960 from General Motors Corporation to Maple Heights Investment Corporation, purported to relieve all restrictions on the use of the land.

“Second Cause of Action

“For his second cause of action plaintiff repeats all the facts and allegations of his first cause of action as fully as if set forth herein and in addition plaintiff also says that in dealing with the defendant Maple Heights Investment Corporation plaintiff relied on the aforesaid restriction on use in fixing the selling price of the land; and that if he, plaintiff, had been able to use the real estate for commercial purposes he would not have sold it for the consideration received from the Maple Heights Investment Corporation.

“Plaintiff further states that Maple Heights Investment conveyed the said real estate (along with other real estate) by a deed of date May 26, 1961, to Normandy Heights Section One, Incorporated and purported to convey said real estate free and clear of the aforesaid restriction; that Normandy Heights Section One, Incorporated, by a deed dated June 19, 1961, conveyed the said real estate to defendant Texaco Incorporated for a consideration of Sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars *155 ($62,500.00) and purported to convey said real estate free and clear of the aforesaid restriction on use; and that each of the parties named herein had notice of the existence of the restriction on the use of the subject real estate.

“Third Cause of Action

‘ ‘ For his third cause of action plaintiff repeats all the facts and allegations of his first and second causes of action as fully as if set forth herein and in addition plaintiff also says that defendant Texaco Incorporated, the present owner of the subject real estate has constructed a gasoline service station thereon and intends to use said premises for the purpose of operating the said gasoline service station. By reason of the facts and allegations stated in the foregoing first, second and third cause of action plaintiff says he has been irreparably damaged and has no adequate remedy at law.

“Wherefore, plaintiff prays that defendant, Texaco, Incorporated, be permanently restrained and enjoined from using the said real estate for the purpose of a gasoline service station or for any other commercial use; that the quit claim deed from General Motors Corporation to Maple Heights, Incorporated be declared to be of no effect as to release of the restrictive covenant; that defendant, General Motors Corporation be permanently restrained and enjoined from doing any act purporting to release the restrictive covenant; and for such other relief in law and equity as plaintiff may be found to be entitled to and for his costs herein.

“In the alternative, plaintiff prays for a money judgment against defendants jointly in the amount of Fifty-nine Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($59,500.00) and his costs herein.”

When a general demurrer challenges a petition, the test is whether, if proof be made only of the allegations pleaded, a legal liability would thereby be created as against the defendants. Armour & Co. v. Ott, Admx., 117 Ohio St., 252. A demurrer creates no allegations not contained in the pleadings. First National Bank of Akron v. Ohio Casualty Ins. Co., 101 Ohio App., 37. It merely denied the legal sufficiency of the facts actually alleged. Seibert, Recr., v. Herring, 121 Ohio St., 181.

What rights or liabilities are alleged by the plaintiff’s amended petition in the present case? Assuming proof of the *156

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Related

First National Bank v. Ohio Casualty Ins.
137 N.E.2d 770 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1953)
Armour & Co. v. Ott
158 N.E. 189 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1927)
Seibert v. Herring
167 N.E. 383 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1929)

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Bluebook (online)
201 N.E.2d 355, 120 Ohio App. 152, 28 Ohio Op. 2d 388, 1963 Ohio App. LEXIS 842, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rupel-v-general-motors-corp-ohioctapp-1963.