Sosnoswsky v. Koscianski

110 N.E.3d 849, 2018 Ohio 1409
CourtCourt of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth District, Cuyahoga County
DecidedApril 12, 2018
DocketNo. 106147
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 110 N.E.3d 849 (Sosnoswsky v. Koscianski) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth District, Cuyahoga County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sosnoswsky v. Koscianski, 110 N.E.3d 849, 2018 Ohio 1409 (Ohio Super. Ct. 2018).

Opinion

LARRY A. JONES, SR., J.:

*851{¶ 1} This matter involves the issue of whether the probate division of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court had jurisdiction over a complaint alleging breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, fraud, conversion with regard to an estate, and that sought a constructive trust and an accounting. For the reasons that follow, we answer in the affirmative.

{¶ 2} Plaintiff-appellant, Sami Sosnoswsky, was gifted money to be placed into a trust until she turned 18 years old. Judith Lieber, Sosnoswsky's mother, was custodian of the account. From 1973-1980, the following amounts were to be placed in the trust: $19,000 from Sosnoswsky's grandmother, $6,057.40 from her grandfather, and $50,000 from her father. Sosnoswsky has alleged that the trust is currently worth about $2,000,000.

{¶ 3} In February 2016, defendant-appellee John Koscianski was appointed the guardian of the estate and person of Judith Lieber. On December 12, 2016, Sosnoswsky filed a complaint in the probate division of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. She filed a second complaint in the court's general division on December 29, 2016. The complaints were virtually identical in that they named the same defendants and alleged that, due to Lieber's fraudulent conveyance of the funds, Sosnoswsky never received any of her trust money.

{¶ 4} Koscianski filed a motion to dismiss the complaint in the general division pursuant to Civ.R. 12(B)(1). The court stayed the case pending decision by the probate division on the complaint Sosnoswsky had filed with that court. On April 28, 2017, Sosnoswsky voluntarily dismissed her complaint without prejudice in the probate court and moved to reinstate her general division case to the active docket. The general division trial court granted her motion to reinstate the case to the active docket.

{¶ 5} Koscianski moved to renew the original motion to dismiss in the general division. The general division trial court granted Koscianski's motion, holding:

Pursuant to R.C. 2101.24, it is well settled that the probate court has exclusive jurisdiction, unless otherwise provided by law, as to all matters set forth in R.C. 2101.24 and as to all matters pertaining directly to the administration of estates.
[T]his instant matter involves a ward [Lieber] that is currently under guardianship in the Cuyahoga County Probate Court. The Court finds that Plaintiff's claims are controlled by Ohio Rev. Code 2109.50 through Ohio Rev. Code 2109.56 and the Probate Court has exclusive jurisdiction of this matter. As such, Defendant's Motion to Dismiss is granted for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Civ. R. 12(B)(1).

{¶ 6} Sosnoswsky filed a notice of appeal, raising one assignment of error for our review:

The trial court erred in granting the defendant's motion to dismiss complaint on the ground that the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas lacked subject matter jurisdiction in accordance with Civ.R. 12(B)(1).

{¶ 7} In her sole assignment of error, Sosnoswsky claims that the trial court erred in dismissing her complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under Civ.R. 12(B)(1). The standard of review for a Civ.R. 12(B)(1) dismissal is whether any cause of action cognizable by the forum has been raised in the complaint.

*852Prosen v. Dimora , 79 Ohio App.3d 120, 123, 606 N.E.2d 1050 (9th Dist.1992) citing Avco Fin. Servs. Loan, Inc. v. Hale , 36 Ohio App.3d 65, 67, 520 N.E.2d 1378 (10th Dist.1987) ; State ex rel. Bush v. Spurlock , 42 Ohio St.3d 77, 537 N.E.2d 641 (1989). This determination involves a question of law that we review de novo. Phillips v. Deskin , 5th Dist. Richland No. 12CA119, 2013-Ohio-3025, 2013 WL 3776322, ¶ 8, citing Shockey v. Fouty , 106 Ohio App.3d 420, 666 N.E.2d 304 (4th Dist.1995). In doing so, we accept all factual allegations of the complaint as true and all reasonable inferences must be drawn in favor of the nonmoving party. Phillips at id. , citing Byrd v. Faber , 57 Ohio St.3d 56, 565 N.E.2d 584 (1991).

{¶ 8} R.C. 2101.24, which governs the jurisdiction of probate court, provides, in pertinent part:

(A)(1) Except as otherwise provided by law, the probate court has exclusive jurisdiction:
* * *
(e) To appoint and remove guardians, conservators, and testamentary trustees, direct and control their conduct, and settle their accounts;
* * *
(m) To direct and control the conduct of fiduciaries and settle their accounts;
* * *
(C) The probate court has plenary power at law and in equity to dispose fully of any matter that is properly before the court, unless the power is expressly otherwise limited or denied by a section of the Revised Code.

{¶ 9} Pursuant to this R.C. 2101.24, a probate court has continuing and exclusive jurisdiction of all matters pertaining to a guardian and his or her ward. Goff v. Ameritrust Co., N.A. , 8th Dist. Cuyahoga Nos. 65196 and 66016, 1994 WL 173544, 4, 1994 Ohio App. LEXIS 1916, 12-13 (May 5, 1994), citing In re Clendenning , 145 Ohio St. 82

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Related

Sosnoswsky v. Koscianski
2018 Ohio 3045 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2018)

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Bluebook (online)
110 N.E.3d 849, 2018 Ohio 1409, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sosnoswsky-v-koscianski-ohctapp8cuyahog-2018.