Ward v. Geiger, Unpublished Decision (12-26-2006)

2006 Ohio 6853
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 26, 2006
DocketNo. 14-05-14.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 2006 Ohio 6853 (Ward v. Geiger, Unpublished Decision (12-26-2006)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law.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
Ward v. Geiger, Unpublished Decision (12-26-2006), 2006 Ohio 6853 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION {¶ 1} Defendants-appellants Pete and Chris Geiger appeal the judgment of the Union County Court of Common Pleas awarding plaintiff-appellee Greg Ward, d.b.a. Ward Construction, $46,187.14.

{¶ 2} Ward and the Geigers entered a written construction contract. Ward agreed to provide the materials and labor necessary to build the Geigers' home. In exchange, the Geigers agreed to pay Ward $387,024.

{¶ 3} During the building process, the Geigers asked Ward to make additions to the original work drawings and specifications. For instance, the Geigers asked Ward to add "limestone caps" on a retaining wall, a heat pump to the home, and "window boxes" on seven different windows. Ward made the additions and many others. However, neither party placed the agreements for any of the additions in writing.

{¶ 4} Ward later asked the Geigers to pay for the additions. The Geigers refused to do so. Ward's expenditures and the Geigers' payments at that time totaled $446,358.71 and $382,897.49, respectively. Since the Geigers refused to pay for the additions, Ward stopped building the home.

{¶ 5} Ward filed a complaint in the Union County Court of Common Pleas against the Geigers that alleged breach of contract and unjust enrichment. The Geigers denied Ward's claims and filed counterclaims alleging, among other things, breach of contract and violations of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (OCSPA).

{¶ 6} The case proceeded to a jury trial. During trial, the trial court granted a directed verdict against Ward on his breach-of-contract claim. However, the jury found in favor of Ward on his unjust-enrichment claim in the amount of $46,187.14. The jury also found against the Geigers on their respective counterclaims. The trial court entered judgment on the verdicts.

{¶ 7} It is from this decision that the Geigers appeal and set forth seven assignments of error for our review. For purposes of clarity, we address the Geigers' second and third assignments of error out of the order they presented them to us in their brief.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. I
The trial court erred when it failed to grant Appellant's Motion for Directed Verdict pursuant to Ohio Rule [of] Civil Procedure 50 on Appellee's claim of unjust enrichment.

{¶ 8} In their first assignment of error, the Geigers argue that the price in the written contract covered the construction of the homeand the additions. Thus, the Geigers conclude that the written contract bars Ward from bringing an unjust-enrichment claim, and the trial court erred in refusing to grant a directed verdict on that basis. For the reasons that follow, we find the Geigers' first assignment of error lacks merit.

{¶ 9} Civ. R. 50(A)(4) provides that a trial court shall grant a party's motion for directed verdict if, after construing the evidence most strongly in favor of the party against whom the motion is directed, reasonable minds could come to but one conclusion upon the evidence submitted and that conclusion is adverse to the party against whom the motion is directed.

{¶ 10} A motion for a directed verdict presents a question of law.Good Year Tire Rubber Co. v. Aetna Cas. Sur. Co., 95 Ohio St.3d 512,2002-Ohio-2842, 769 N.E.2d 835 at ¶ 4, citing 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. As such, we review a trial court's decision to grant or deny the motion de novo. Cleveland Elec. Ilium. Co. v. Pub. Util. Comm. (1996), 76 Ohio St.3d 521, 523, 668 N.E.2d 889.

{¶ 11} Absent fraud, illegality, or bad faith, a party cannot bring a claim for unjust enrichment when a contract addresses the same subject underlying the claim. Aultman Hosp. Assn. v. Cmty. Mut. Ins. Co. (1989),46 Ohio St.3d 51, 55, 544 N.E.2d 920, citing Ullmann v. May (1947),147 Ohio St. 468, 34 O.O. 384, 72 N.E.2d 63, paragraph three of the syllabus. Under those circumstances, the contract affords the appropriate relief. Ullmann, 147 Ohio St. at 477-478.

{¶ 12} As pertinent to this appeal, the written contract provides:

Article I. The Contractor agrees to provide all the materials as specified and to perform all the labor shown on the Working Drawings and described in the Specifications for the erection of a dwelling for the owner at 17277 Robinson Road[,] City of Marysville[,] County of Union[,] State of Ohio, 43040[.]

* * *

Article III. The Owner agrees to pay the Contractor in current funds for the performance of the contract $387,024, subject to any additions or deductions to the General Conditions of the Contract agreed upon in writing, and to make payments on account hereof upon presentation of proper lien waivers, as the work progresses * * *.

(Emphasis added.)

{¶ 13} Given this language, we find that the price in the written contract covers the construction of the home but not any additions thereto. We also find the subject of the contract is distinct from that of Ward's unjust-enrichment claim. Therefore, we conclude the contract does not bar Ward from bringing an unjust-enrichment claim to recover the cost of the additions, and the trial court did not err when it denied the Geigers' motion for directed verdict on that basis.

{¶ 14} The Geigers' first assignment of error is overruled.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. III
The trial court erred by admitting improper evidence related to the total amount expended in the construction of Appellant's residence.

{¶ 15} In their third assignment of error, the Geigers argue the trial court erred when it did not exclude hundreds of invoices documenting not just the cost of the additions, but the total cost to build the home. We find the Geigers' third assignment of error to be well taken because some of the invoices do not distinguish between the cost of the additions and the cost of any overages under the contract.

{¶ 16} A trial court maintains discretion as to whether to admit or exclude evidence. Rigby v. Lake Cty. (1991), 58 Ohio St.3d 269,

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2006 Ohio 6853, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ward-v-geiger-unpublished-decision-12-26-2006-ohioctapp-2006.