Ruscitti v. Sackheim

817 P.2d 1046, 15 Brief Times Rptr. 1180, 1991 Colo. App. LEXIS 260, 1991 WL 166223
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 29, 1991
DocketNo. 90CA0846
StatusPublished
Cited by165 cases

This text of 817 P.2d 1046 (Ruscitti v. Sackheim) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ruscitti v. Sackheim, 817 P.2d 1046, 15 Brief Times Rptr. 1180, 1991 Colo. App. LEXIS 260, 1991 WL 166223 (Colo. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

Opinion by

Judge ROTHENBERG.

Plaintiff, Maria Ruscitti, appeals the summary judgment entered in favor of defendants, Gilbert M. Sackheim and Day and Sackheim (a law partnership), upon Ruscit-ti’s claims for conversion, outrageous conduct, and deprivation of property in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (1988). We affirm.

The relevant facts are undisputed. Sack-heim, an attorney and a principal of the law firm of Day and Sackheim, represented Carl Nukols in a civil action against Emili-ano and Linda Ruscitti, the husband and daughter of plaintiff Maria Ruscitti. In September 1987, Sackheim obtained a $35,-156 default judgment for Nukols against Emiliano and Linda Ruscitti. Thereafter, Sackheim began execution proceedings on Nukol’s behalf.

Sackheim then discovered the following: (1) Emiliano Ruscitti operated a grocery store known as the Sunrise Market; (2) since 1985, Emiliano Ruscitti has been listed on a Colorado Department of Revenue trade name registration as sole owner of this business; and (3) as sole owner, Emili-ano Ruscitti applied for and received a sales tax license and alcoholic beverage license for the Sunrise Market which license was current in 1988.

In reliance upon this information, Sack-heim caused a writ of execution to be issued, and on November 12, 1988, approximately $3,300 was seized by the sheriff from the Sunrise Market’s cash registers.

Following the seizure, Maria Ruscitti filed this action for conversion, outrageous conduct, and violation of her property rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. She claims that she has a co-ownership interest in the Sunrise market and also claims damages caused by seizure of her share of the property from the cash registers.

Defendants moved for summary judgment, contending that Maria Ruscitti had no demonstrable ownership rights in the property and, therefore, could not be a victim of conversion. In response to defendants’ motion for summary judgment, Rus-citti filed documentation which, the trial court found, did raise a genuine issue of fact as to whether she indeed was a co-owner of the Sunrise Market.

Nevertheless, despite the existence of that factual issue, the court determined that summary judgment for defendants was proper since the seizure was conducted pursuant to a valid judgment and execu[1048]*1048tion. The trial court also entered summary judgment against Ruscitti on her claims of outrageous conduct and violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

I.

Ruscitti’s main contention on appeal is that since the trial court found a genuine issue of fact as to her co-ownership of the Sunrise Market, entry of summary judgment was improper. We disagree.

The purpose of summary judgment is to permit parties to pierce the formal allegations of the pleadings and to save the time and expense connected with the trial. Summary judgment is a drastic remedy and may properly be entered only when there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Pueblo West Metropolitan District v. Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, 689 P.2d 594 (Colo.1984).

In determining whether summary judgment is proper, the trial court must resolve all doubts against the moving party. Jones v. Dressel, 623 P.2d 370 (Colo.1981).

Once the party moving for summary judgment has met the initial burden, the burden shifts to the non-moving party to establish that there is a triable issue of fact. Continental Air Lines v. Keenan, 731 P.2d 708 (Colo.1987). Further, the non-moving party must demonstrate that a real controversy exists.

Here, the trial court found that even if Ruscitti was a co-own'er of the market, she could not recover because defendants’ conduct did not constitute conversion as a matter of law. Thus, the issue of fact was immaterial.

II.

Section 13-52-102(1), C.R.S. (1987 Repl. Vol. 6A) states that:

“all goods and chattels ... of every person against whom any judgment is obtained ... are liable to be sold on execution. ...”

Personal property not owned by the judgment debtor is not subject to execution to satisfy the judgment. See Brink v. McNeil, 761 P.2d 271 (Colo.App.1988).

Section 13-55-102, C.R.S. (1987 Repl.Vol. 6A) gives a judgment debtor the right to a prompt hearing after execution to determine the validity and effect of any claimed exemptions. A person who claims to be the owner of seized property but who is not the judgment debtor may intervene in the proceeding and have his or her exemption claims determined promptly by the court. Cf. Brink v. McNeil, supra.

In sum, the statutory scheme which allows levy or seizure of personal property under a writ of execution also prevents undue interference with personal property by making available a prompt judicial hearing to determine claimed exemptions. Rus-citti did not avail herself of the remedy afforded by § 13-55-102.

The essence of Ruscitti’s argument is that since her interest in the Sunrise Market could not be used to satisfy her husband’s judgment creditor absent a statute creating liability, Sackheim’s actions constituted conversion. In response, Sackheim contends that since all of his actions were lawful, they could not constitute conversion.

Although no reported Colorado case has faced this exact issue, other states have held that the seizure of jointly held personal property to secure the debt of one joint owner pursuant to a lawful writ of execution does not in itself constitute conversion.

In Woodring v. Jennings State Bank, 603 F.Supp. 1060 (D.Neb.1985), a federal district court, interpreting Nebraska law, noted that conversion lies only for serious interference with possessory interests in personal property; thus, it held that the attachment of one owner’s interest was not conversion as to the other owner’s interest. Rather, as an Oregon court stated, it “is merely one of the disagreeable incidents of their joint ownership.” Sharp v. Johnson, 38 Or. 246, 249, 63 P. 485 (1901). Accord Conolley v. Power, 70 Cal.App. 70, 232 P. 744 (1924); Quaranto v. Silverman, 345 Mass. 423, 187 N.E.2d 859 (1963); Commercial Credit Equipment Corp. v. Peo-[1049]*1049pie’s Loan Service, Inc., 351 So.2d 852 (La.App.1977). See generally W. Prosser, Law of Torts § 15 (4th Ed.1972).

We are persuaded by the reasoning of these jurisdictions and adopt the same rule.

We, therefore, hold that the seizure of jointly held personal property to secure the debt of one joint owner pursuant to a writ of attachment or execution, without more,

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Bluebook (online)
817 P.2d 1046, 15 Brief Times Rptr. 1180, 1991 Colo. App. LEXIS 260, 1991 WL 166223, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ruscitti-v-sackheim-coloctapp-1991.