Tuffo v. Morisi

7 Mass. L. Rptr. 19
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedMay 21, 1997
DocketNo. 911980
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 7 Mass. L. Rptr. 19 (Tuffo v. Morisi) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tuffo v. Morisi, 7 Mass. L. Rptr. 19 (Mass. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

Connolly, J.

The plaintiff Thomas F. Tuffo commenced the instant action against the defendant Michael V. Morisi on July 10, 1991. In his original complaint, the plaintiff brought forth six counts which sought an accounting of various real estate transactions in which both parties participated. The plaintiff later amended his complaint withdrawing the first two counts and adding seven additional counts. The defendant filed this motion for summary judgment against the plaintiff on all counts. After a hearing on the motion and a review of the parties’ memoranda of law and accompanying exhibits, the defendant’s motion for summary judgment is denied.

BACKGROUND

The plaintiff, Thomas F. Tuffo (Tuffo) is a residential building contractor. The defendant, Michael V. Morisi (Morisi) is an attorney licensed to practice law in Massachusetts.

In or about 1984, Morisi met Edward Simpson (Simpson). Morisi represented USTrust Company in real estate transactions in which USTrust sold property to Simpson. Simpson subsequently asked Morisi to represent Simpson when he re-sold parcels of the property he had purchased from USTrust. In addition, Morisi represented Simpson individually, and various entities through which Simpson did business.

In or about 1985, Simpson answered a newspaper advertisement placed by Tuffo offering to sell a parcel of real estate. Simpson subsequently purchased the property from Tuffo as well as additional real estate from Tuffo thereafter.

In or about 1986, Tuffo was introduced to Morisi through Simpson. Before this introduction, Tuffo and Simpson began to do business in the purchase and development of real property for resale. Tuffo and Simpson divided the labor and responsibilities between them. It was agreed that the form of ownership of various real estate parcels would be a nominee trust in which Tuffo and Simpson would be equal beneficiaries. Morisi was retained to draft various real estate documents necessary for the establishment of the trusts, acquisition, and sale of the properties. Morisi would typically receive his instruction from Simpson and thereafter would provide the documentation and accountings to him.

[20]*20In or about the summer of 1987, Christopher Cummings (Cummings) and Will Pandolfo (Pandolfo) sought to acquire real property in Plymouth which was owned by a Real Estate Trust in which Tuffo and Simpson were each fifty percent beneficiaries. Cummings and Pandolfo requested help in acquiring purchase proceeds for the transaction. A first mortgage loan was discussed between Cummings and Pandolfo and Bostonian Corporation, a financing company owned by Simpson. Thereafter, Cummings and Pandolfo determined that they needed additional capital for the newly acquired properties and an arrangement was made in which Tuffo would borrow funds from Progressive Consumers Credit Union (PCCU) and place a first mortgage on the property which would subordinate the Bostonian Corporation mortgage to a secondary position. On September 11, 1987, Tuffo executed a note individually making him personally liable on a $750,000.00 loan from PCCU.

As part of their real estate transactions, Cummings and Pandolfo would sometimes establish nominee trusts to acquire and hold title to property. One of these trusts was the C&W II Realty Trust. The C&W II Realty Trust acquired Lots 8A, 9A, and 41B on Center Hill Road. At the time of these acquisitions, Cummings and Pandolfo served as the Trustees. They subsequently resigned and appointed Tuffo as Trustee in September 1987. In addition, Tuffo held a one-third beneficial interest in the trust.

In or about May 1988, the C&W II Realty Trust sold Lot 41B to Raymond and Janet Pike in which Morisi represented the trust. After the closing, Tuffo received a check for $12.02 representing the net undistributed amount due the trust from the sale. Cummings and Pandolfo questioned the limited proceeds. Morisi claimed that he had taken $10,000.00 as a legal fee for the Pike closing. Although Tuffo claims that he did not remember signing the document memorializing the legal fee agreement, it nevertheless bore his signature.

At about the same time as the Lot 41B sale, the C&W II Realty Trust deeded Lots 8A and 9A to the Bostonian Corporation in satisfaction of Bostonian Corporation’s second mortgage. Tuffo contends that under the Purchase and Sale Agreement, the C&W II Realty Trust had the right to reconvey the property in the future. Later that summer, Cummings and Pandolfo asked Morisi to reconvey the property but Morisi denied any knowledge of any repurchase agreement. While these transactions were taking place, a rift developed between Cummings and Pandolfo on one side and Simpson and Tuffo on the other.

In September of 1988, Cummings and Pandolfo sued Tuffo, Simpson, Bostonian Corporation, and Morisi seeking among other things, relief in the form of specific performance of the alleged agreement by Bostonian Corporation to reconvey Lots 8A and 9A to Cummings and Pandolfo. Morisi represented himself and all of the defendants in the action. Morisi, however, was disqualified on the ground that he would be a witness in the case. This suit was subsequently settled.

In September 1989, Tuffo filed a complaint against Simpson, Joan Beard, and several of Simpson’s entities seeking accountings for various real estate transactions. This lawsuit was also settled after Simpson transferred certain properties to Tuffo which they jointly owned.

The present lawsuit was filed against Morisi in July 1991. The original complaint contained six counts, each of which sought an accounting with respect to real estate transactions involving a particular trust. In July 1993, Tuffo amended his complaint by dismissing four of the original six counts and adding an additional six counts. The eight remaining counts which are the subject of this motion include (1) an accounting on two separate properties (Counts V and VI), (2) conversion (Count VII); (3) malpractice as a result of the conversion (Count VIII); (4) breach of contract (Count IX): (5) malpractice on the breach of contract (Count X); (6) an accounting on a second mortgage (Count XI [First]); and (7) aiding in transferring trust properties without consent of a beneficiary (Count XI [second]).

DISCUSSION

I.

Summary judgment shall be granted where there are no genuine issues as to any material fact and where the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Cassesso v. Commissioner of Correction, 390 Mass. 419, 422 (1983); Community Nat’l Bank v. Dawes, 369 Mass. 550, 553 (1976): Mass.R.Civ.P. 56(c). The moving party bears the burden of affirmatively demonstrating the absence of a triable issue, “and [further] that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Pederson v. Time, Inc., 404 Mass. 14, 16-17 (1989).

A party moving for summary judgment who does not have the burden of proof at trial may demonstrate the absence of a triable issue either by submitting affirmative evidence that negates an essential element of the opponent’s case or “by demonstrating that proof of that element is unlikely to be forthcoming at trial." Flesner v. Technical Communications Corp., 410 Mass, 805, 809 (1991). “If the moving party establishes the absence of a triable issue the party opposing the motion must respond and allege specific facts which would establish the existence of a genuine issue of material fact in order to defeat [the] motion.” Pederson, 404 Mass. at 17.

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Bluebook (online)
7 Mass. L. Rptr. 19, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tuffo-v-morisi-masssuperct-1997.