Varavvas v. Mullet Cabinets, Inc.

923 N.E.2d 1221, 185 Ohio App. 3d 321
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 28, 2009
DocketNo. 2008CA00240
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 923 N.E.2d 1221 (Varavvas v. Mullet Cabinets, Inc.) 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
Varavvas v. Mullet Cabinets, Inc., 923 N.E.2d 1221, 185 Ohio App. 3d 321 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

Delaney, Judge.

{¶ 1} Appellants and cross-appellees, Dianne and Anthony Varawas, appeal the Stark County Court of Common Pleas judgment in favor of appellee and cross-appellant, Mullet Cabinets.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND THE CASE

2} When appellants purchased their home in 1998, they wanted to update the kitchen and bathrooms. Appellants hired Doug Prestier as their general contractor during the renovations. Prestier recommended to appellants that they work with appellee for the kitchen and bathroom cabinetry.

{¶ 8} Dianne Varawas met with a representative of appellee at appellee’s store located in Millersburg, Ohio. Dianne Varawas asked whether appellee could construct glazed cabinets similar to those she found in a magazine. Glazing is a method of painting cabinetry. Appellee’s representative stated that appellee could do glazed cabinets and recommended birch wood for the cabinets because the grain would not show through the glazing.

{¶ 4} Appellants contracted with appellee to build custom cabinets for the kitchen, the master bath, the second-floor bath, and the powder room. Because appellants requested custom cabinets, appellee and appellants exchanged multiple plans and proposals for the project before developing a completed plan. Dianne Varawas testified that she reviewed the proposals and plans. The project estimates issued by appellee to appellants on January 5, 1999, and January 7, 1999, read, “birch wood.” The project proposals issued by appellee to appellant on February 3, 1999, and the final pricing proposal issued on February 18, 1999 read, “birch wood.” On plans showing the layout of the cabinetry dated February 10, 1999, appellee described the cabinets in the master bath as “birch” for wood, but also described them as “Solidor,” a type of manufactured wood that lacks the joints that a hardwood does. Appellee installed the cabinets and issued an invoice to appellants on March 31, 1999. The invoice price was $27,894.

{¶ 5} In 1999, shortly after the cabinets were installed, appellants noticed that the cabinets easily chipped and cracked and began to discolor. Appellee made minor repairs to the cabinets to address the paint-related issues. Sometime in late 2006 or early 2007, appellants notified appellee about discoloration in the cabinets. Appellee’s president, Vince Mullet, examined the cabinets and deter-

[324]*324mined that the paint used to glaze the cabinets was defective and had been taken off the market. Appellee, with cooperation from the paint manufacturer, agreed to refinish the cabinets at no cost to appellants.

{¶ 6} In February 2007, while one of appellee’s representatives was at appellants’ home making the repairs to the cabinets based on the defective paint, Dianne Varawas heard him say that particle board painted better than wood. Dianne Varawas asked Prestier to come to the home to determine what the cabinets were made of because it was her understanding that appellee had constructed the cabinets entirely with birch hardwood. In the master bath, it was determined that the doors to the cabinets were made of Solidor. In the kitchen, Prestier determined that the cabinet drawers and faces were made of birch hardwood. The cabinet boxes were birch plywood with a birch veneer.

{¶ 7} On September 17, 2007, appellants filed their complaint against appellee, alleging breach of contract, violation of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (“CSPA”), and fraud. Appellants’ complaint referred only to the lack of birch hardwood in the cabinets, not the discoloration of the cabinets due to the defective paint.

{¶ 8} Appellee moved for summary judgment on appellants’ claim under the CSPA, arguing that it was barred by the statute of limitations. The trial court denied the motion. The case proceeded to trial before a jury.

{¶ 9} At trial, Diane Varawas testified that she believed “birch wood” cabinets meant that every part of the cabinet would be constructed out of solid birch hardwood. She could not recall any representative from appellee telling her otherwise; nor did she recall asking appellee to clarify. Over appellants’ objection, Prestier, as appellants’ witness, and Vince Mullet, appellee’s witness, testified that as an industry standard, cabinets are not constructed out of 100 percent hardwood. The industry standard for birch cabinets is to provide cabinets with solid birch exterior door fronts, drawer fronts, and frames. The interior cabinet boxes are usually made with plywood or medium density fiber (“MDF”) board with a birch veneer. Appellants’ cabinets were constructed pursuant to the industry standards.

{¶ 10} At the close of appellants’ case, appellee moved for a directed verdict on each of appellants’ claims. Appellants did not oppose appellee’s motion for directed verdict on their cause of action for fraud. The trial court granted a directed verdict on appellants’ claim under the Consumer Sales Practices Act and denied the motion for directed verdict on the breach of contract. The matter went to the jury, and the jury returned a verdict for appellee. The trial court filed its judgment on October 2, 2008.

{¶ 11} It is from this decision the parties now appeal.

[325]*325ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

{¶ 12} Appellants raise three assignments of error:

{¶ 13} “I. The trial court erred as a matter of law when it dismissed the Varawases’ CSPA claim based on the statute of limitations.
{¶ 14} “II. The trial court erred in allowing Mullet to introduce evidence of industry standard when the terms of the contract were clear and unambiguous.
{¶ 15} “III. The trial court abused its discretion in excluding an exhibit that contained an admission of fault by Mullet.” ■

{¶ 16} Appellee raises one assignment of error on cross-appeal:

{¶ 17} “I. The trial court erred in denying defendant/cross-appellant’s motion for directed verdict on plaintiff/cross-appellee’s breach of contract claim at the close of plaintiffs case in chief.”

I

{¶ 18} Appellants argue in their first assignment of error that the trial court erred in granting appellee’s motion for directed verdict as to appellants’ cause of action under the CSPA. We disagree.

{¶ 19} Civ.R. 50 states: “When a motion for a directed verdict has been properly made, and the trial court, after construing the evidence most strongly in favor of the party against whom the motion is directed, finds that upon any determinative issue reasonable minds could come to but one conclusion upon the evidence submitted and that conclusion is adverse to such party, the court shall sustain the motion and direct a verdict for the moving party as to that issue.”

{¶ 20} A motion for directed verdict presents a question of law, not fact, even though we review and consider the evidence. O’Day v. Webb (1972), 29 Ohio St.2d 215, 58 O.O.2d 424, 280 N.E.2d 896, paragraph three of the syllabus. Thus, we review a motion for directed verdict using the de novo standard of review. Cleveland Elec. Illum. Co. v. Pub. Util. Comm. (1996), 76 Ohio St.3d 521, 523, 668 N.E.2d 889.

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Bluebook (online)
923 N.E.2d 1221, 185 Ohio App. 3d 321, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/varavvas-v-mullet-cabinets-inc-ohioctapp-2009.