Wickham v. Wickham

2015 Ohio 4136
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 2, 2015
Docket15CAE070057
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 2015 Ohio 4136 (Wickham v. Wickham) 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
Wickham v. Wickham, 2015 Ohio 4136 (Ohio Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

[Cite as Wickham v. Wickham, 2015-Ohio-4136.]

COURT OF APPEALS DELAWARE COUNTY, OHIO FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

JUDGES: JOHN WICKHAM AND : Hon. W. Scott Gwin, P.J. LISA F. WICKHAM : Hon. William B. Hoffman, J. AS TRUSTEES OF THE : Hon. Sheila G. Farmer, J. WICKHAM FAMILY TRUST, ET AL : : Plaintiffs-Appellees : Case No. 15 CAE 07 0057 : -vs- : : OPINION ROBIN LESLIE WICKHAM, AS TRUSTEE, OR HER SUCCESSORS IN TRUST, UNDER THE ROBIN LESLIE WICKHAM TRUST, ET AL

Defendants-Appellees And

JAMES D. HARGREAVES

Defendant-Appellant

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Civil appeal from the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 13CVH12 1035

JUDGMENT: Affirmed

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: October 2, 2015

APPEARANCES: For: Delaware County Treasurer For: Plaintiffs-Appellees CAROL HAMILTON O'BRIEN DAVID C. BARRETT, JR. Delaware Prosecuting Attorney AMANDA J. STACY MARK J. FOWLER 7259 Sawmill Road 140 North Sandusky Street Dublin, OH 43016-6342 Delaware, OH 43015-8006 For: Robin Leslie Wickham, Trustee For: James D. Hargreaves SCOTT M. GORDON STEPHEN MARTIN 82 North Franklin Street 50 North Sandusky Street Delaware, OH 43015-1932 Delaware, OH 43015-1926 Delaware County, Case No. 15 CAE 07 0057 2

Gwin, P.J.

{¶1} Appellant James D. Hargreaves ["Hargreaves"] appeals from the Delaware

County Court of Common Pleas June 24, 2015 Judgment Entry granting of Plaintiffs-

Appellee John M. Wickham and Lisa F. Wickham, as Trustees of the Wickham

family Trust and Deborah S. Shipley and Robert G. Shipley, Jr., as Trustees Under the

Shipley Family Revocable Trust ["Appellees"] motion for summary judgment and

ordering partition and the Amended Judgment Entry filed July 1, 2015, granting

appellees' motion for summary judgment and ordering partition.

Facts and Procedural History

{¶2} Appellees filed a Complaint for Partition and Quiet Title against

Hargreaves and Defendants Robin Leslie Wickham, as Trustee, or her Successors in

Trust, Under the Robin Leslie Wickham Trust; James D. Wickham, Debra Wickham,

Thomas C. Hargreaves, James D. Hargreaves, Diane Hargreaves, the Delaware

County Treasurer, and the Unknown Heirs of Wilmer Siegfried on December 18, 2013,

and an Amended Complaint for Partition and Quiet Title Action on January 10, 2014.

{¶3} The parties are siblings and their spouses who are the grandchildren to

the former owners, J.C. and Ruth Wickham. (Case Summary of Defendants Robin

Leslie Wickham, Trustee for purposes the Initial Status Conference, filed Oct. 9, 2014).

{¶4} Hargreaves filed his Answer, Counterclaim and Cross-Claim on March 26,

2014. The Counterclaim and Cross-Claim demanded,

(A) That the Property be appraised and sold and the proceeds paid

to Plaintiffs and Defendants as their interests may appear; and Delaware County, Case No. 15 CAE 07 0057 3

(B) That the Court direct a new survey of the premises should the

same be determined to be necessary for transfer purposes, and order that

the costs of the survey be taxed as a cost of this actions; and

(C) That Defendant James D. Hargreaves, be awarded such other

legal and equitable relief to which Defendant, James D. Hargreaves , may

be entitled, including an allowance of his attorney fees herein and the cost

of this action; and

(D) That each Plaintiff and Defendant be required to set forth their

interest in the premises.

Answer of Defendant James D. Hargreaves, filed Mar. 26, 2014 at 6-7.

{¶5} Appellees filed a Motion for Entry of Summary and Declaratory Judgment

with Respect to the Quiet Title Action on March 25, 2014, in regard to the Unknown

Heirs of Wilmer Siegfried. (First Motion for Summary Judgment.) No oppositions to this

motion were filed and the court entered a Judgment Entry Quieting Title to Real

Property on May 9, 2014. (May 9, 2014, Judgment Entry.)

{¶6} On October 8, 2014, Appellees filed a Motion for Partition and Appointment

of Commissioners. On October 16, 2014, Appellees filed an Affidavit in Support of

Motion for partition and Appointment of Commissioners. The co-tenant Defendants did

not file responses or objections to the motion. The Court scheduled a bench trial for

January 8, 2015, to address this motion, which was subsequently continued by

Judgment Entries to January 29, 2015; March 5, 2015; and June 4, 2015.

{¶7} On January 2, 2015, Defendant Thomas C. Hargreaves filed a Motion to

Modify Plaintiff's Action, Order for Partition and Subsequently Alter the Schedule of the Delaware County, Case No. 15 CAE 07 0057 4

Court. Appellees filed a memorandum in response on January 8, 2015. Thomas C.

Hargreaves sought dismissal of the action or a stay until a survey of the property is

conducted, arguing that the value and disposition of the property will be adversely

affected by a lack of a survey and corrected deed prior to any order of partition. The trial

court denied the motion by Judgment Entry filed March 2, 2015. The trial court held that

there is no statutory requirement that a survey be conducted prior to an order of partition.

The court noted R.C. 5307.06 and R.C. 5703.07 provide for a survey if the

commissioners "set the estate apart in lots" or divide any tract when partition of more

than one tract is demanded. This is done after partition is ordered. The trial court further

observed that a revised deed if needed will be determined at that time.

{¶8} Appellees filed a Motion for Summary Judgment on Issues of Partition and

Appointment of Commissioners on March 20, 2015. Attached to the motion for

summary judgment were two affidavits. The first was from the Chief Executive Officer

of Northwest Title, the company that prepared the title insurance, who explained that

all of the co-tenants own a one-sixth interest in the property. The second affidavit was

from an attorney verifying that true and accurate copies of the co-tenants completed

Stipulations executed by Defendants James D. Wickham, Debra Kay Wickham,

Thomas C. Hargreaves, and Robin Leslie Wickham, as Trustee, or her successor in

trust, under the Robin Leslie Wickham Trust dated February 29, 2012.

{¶9} Hargreaves is the only party not to execute the stipulations provided by

the trial court. Instead, on April 6, 2015 he and his wife, Diane L. Hargreaves filed a

"Request — Court Reject Plaintiff[s] Motion for Summary Judgment on Issues of

Partition and Appointment of Commissioners" with the trial court. Hargreaves affirmed the Delaware County, Case No. 15 CAE 07 0057 5

need for a partition but questioned, "whether the Plaintiff has properly and completely

prepared for and filed the Partition action." Id. at 3.

{¶10} Hargreaves filed his Response to appellees' Motion for Summary

Judgment on April 9, 2015. In his response, Hargreaves again stressed his belief that

a survey was necessary prior to partition. Affidavits or other materials did not

accompany the response.

{¶11} By Judgment Entry filed May 18, 2015, the trial court denied appellees

motion for summary judgment stating that appellees did not seek leave to file their

motion for summary judgment and that they had missed the deadline established by

the court for dispositive motions.

{¶12} On May 19, 2015, appellees filed a Motion for Nunc Pro Tune Order

Correcting the May 18, 2015, Judgment Entry Denying Plaintiffs' Motion for

Summary Judgment and Motion for Reconsideration of Plaintiffs' Motion for

Summary Judgment.

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2015 Ohio 4136, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wickham-v-wickham-ohioctapp-2015.