Sylvester v. User Friendly Phone Book

2011 Ohio 6610
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided December 19, 2011·No. 2010CA00327·Published

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS

STARK COUNTY, OHIO

FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

: JUDGES:

TONY SYLVESTER : W. Scott Gwin, P.J.

: Julie A. Edwards, J.

Plaintiff-Appellee : Patricia A. Delaney, J.

:

-vs- : Case No. 2010CA00327 :

:

USER FRIENDLY PHONE BOOK : OPINION

Defendant-Appellant

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Civil Appeal from Stark County Court of Common Pleas Case No.

2008CV04721

JUDGMENT: Affirmed In Part and Reversed and Remanded In Part

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: December 19, 2011 APPEARANCES: For Plaintiff-Appellee For Defendant-Appellant

DOUGLAS C. BOND CHARLES D. HALL, III Morello & Bond, Ltd. Hall Law Firm 700 Courtyard Centre 610 Market Avenue North 116 Cleveland Avenue, N.W. Canton, Ohio 44702 Canton, Ohio 44702

Edwards, J.

{¶1} Defendant-appellant, David Mayfield, Jr., appeals from the November 2, 2010, Judgment Entry of the Stark County Court of Common Pleas.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE

{¶2} Appellant David Mayfield, Jr. and appellee Tony Sylvester are both bail bondsmen. Appellant’s agency is BDM Bail Bonds while appellee’s is Sly Bail Bonds. As bail bondmen, they are licensed through the Ohio Department of Insurance and post bonds, through a surety company, for individuals who are being held in jail to ensure that such individuals appear in court for future hearings. As a general rule, a bail bondsman receives 10% of the surety amount as a fee. A bail bondsman, as a general agent, will typically have other bail bondsmen working for him or her as subagents. The subagents actually write or execute the bonds on the agent’s behalf by writing the bond and filing it with the court.

{¶3} Appellee Tony Sylvester was a subagent who worked for appellant as an independent contractor. In September of 2008, appellee told appellant that he was terminating his subagent relationship with appellant. On November 7, 2008, appellee filed a complaint against appellant and User-Friendly Phone Book, LLC. Appellee, in his complaint, alleged, in part, that appellant had used appellee’s image in appellant’s telephone directory advertisement. On January 15, 2009, User-Friendly Phone Book, LLC filed an answer and a cross-claim against appellant.

{¶4} Thereafter, on August 20, 2009, User-Friendly Phone Book, LLC dismissed its cross-claim against appellant without prejudice. On the same date, appellee dismissed his claim against User-Friendly Phone Book, LLC with prejudice.

Stark County App. Case No. 2010CA00327 3

{¶5} Subsequently, the parties to this appeal entered into a settlement and an Agreed Entry dismissing the case with prejudice was filed on October 22, 2009. The Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release signed by the parties states, in relevant part, as follows:

{¶6} “3. Although Mayfield and Sylvester will still compete with each other in the bail bond market place, each shall do so in the spirit of professionalism, fairplay, and adherence to applicable law.

{¶7} “4. Subject to all of the provisions in this paragraph, and except in any situation in which it would present a conflict of interest, Sylvester shall be the exclusive real bond subagent for BDM Bail Bonds in the following counties in the State of Ohio: Stark, Portage, and Summit. The exclusive agency provided for in this paragraph shall be limited to an initial term of thirty-six (36) months starting on the date this agreement is entered into. Subsequent terms of thirty-six (36) months each shall be at the exclusive option of Mayfield.

{¶8} “5. Mayfield is permitted to write a (sic) bonds as the general agent in the following counties in the State of Ohio: Stark, Portage, and Summit so long as Sylvester is the exclusive subagent for Mayfield in said counties.

{¶9} “6. In the event that Mayfield contacts Sylvester to write a bond in Stark, Portage or Summit counties, and Sylvester is unable or unwilling to write said bond then Mayfield is permitted to contact another subagent to write said bond.

{¶10} “7. In the event that Mayfield and Sylvester receive a call regarding the writing of bail on the same person, such contract shall be by Mayfield acting as the underwriter/general agent….

{¶11} “22. No breach of any provision of this Agreement shall be deemed waived unless it is waived in writing. Waiver of any one breach shall not be deemed a waiver of any breach of the same or any other provision of this Agreement.”

{¶12} The Settlement Agreement further provides that if either party brought an action to enforce the Agreement or obtain damages for breach of the same, the prevailing party would be entitled to an award of attorney’s fees and costs.

{¶13} Appellee signed the Settlement Agreement on October 19, 2009 and appellant on October 27, 2009.

{¶14} Appellee, on March 12, 2010, filed a Motion for Contempt against appellant. Appellee, in his motion, alleged that appellant had breached the terms of the Settlement Agreement because either appellant or his subagent had posted bonds in cases in Stark County without offering appellee the opportunity to do so. Appellee argued that, pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, he was to be the exclusive subagent for all bonds posted by appellant in Stark, Summit and Portage Counties. A summons was issued and appellant was ordered to appear on April 19, 2010. After appellant failed to appear, a capias was issued for his arrest. Pursuant to a Judgment Entry filed on June 3, 2010, the trial court cancelled the capias warrant and ordered appellant to appear on June 14, 2010 to show cause why he should not be found in contempt.

{¶15} On June 14, 2010, appellant filed a Motion for Relief from Judgment pursuant to Civ.R. 60(B)(3) and (5). As memorialized in an Order filed on June 15, 2010, the trial court cancelled the June 14, 2010 hearing.

{¶16} On August 4, 2010, appellant filed a motion, in the alternative, seeking specific performance of the Settlement Agreement. On August 25, 2010, appellant filed a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings pursuant to Civ.R.12(C).

{¶17} Thereafter, the matter was tried to the court on September 10, 2010. At the hearing, appellee testified that appellant had violated the terms of the Settlement Agreement by using other people besides appellee, as subagents to execute various bonds in Stark, Summit and Portage counties. Appellee admitted into evidence Exhibit 3 which was a list of bonding powers that were issued to appellant by Allegheny Insurance Company and that were executed in Ohio by appellant. Appellee testified that he received such list from the insurance company. Appellee also introduced Exhibit 4 which was a list of bonds that were issued to appellant and returned by appellant that were written in Portage, Stark and Summit counties which were not disclosed by appellant. Appellee testified that Exhibit 4 was produced by crosschecking the names on Exhibit 3 with online court dockets in such counties. Appellee testified that he went online and looked at court dockets in the counties to determine what bonds were written by appellant.

{¶18} Exhibit 5 also was introduced at the hearing. Testimony was adduced that Exhibit 5 was a list that appellant provided as part of discovery. Such list represents a listing of the bond powers issued to appellant by Allegheny Insurance and returned by appellant as executed or written in Stark, Summit and Portage counties. The following testimony was adduced when appellee was asked about the exhibits:

{¶19} “A. Exhibit 5 is a list that was sent from Mr. Mayfield to us in response to discovery requests. This is a list of powers that he compiled along with, I believe, what looks to be a copy of the original bail - - actual bonding powers, I’m sorry.

{¶20} “Q. What he was ordered to provide?

{¶21} “A. Correct.

{¶22} “Q. Now, the relationship of Exhibit 5 to Exhibit 3, can you explain that to the Court?

{¶23} “A. Exhibit 3 is every power that was executed in the State of Ohio.

Exhibit 3 - - or Exhibit 5 was supposed to be a more specific breakdown of the powers written in the specific three counties in question; Stark, Summit, Portage.

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Sylvester v. User Friendly Phone Book, 2011 Ohio 6610 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011).

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