Simmons v. Reiner, Unpublished Decision (12-3-1999)
Simmons v. Reiner, Unpublished Decision (12-3-1999)
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
Appellants Richard Simmons, M.D. and Rita Case appeal the decision of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas that granted summary judgment on behalf of Appellee Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company ("Commonwealth"). The following facts give rise to this appeal. On October 13, 1983, Appellant Simmons entered into a real estate purchase agreement with John Reiner for the purchase of land located in Delaware County. The parcel consists of two lots, totaling 3.59 acres, on the northern shore of the Hoover Reservoir. The property is a peninsula that juts into the reservoir. Prior to finalizing the deal, Appellant Simmons hired Solar Design Group, Inc. to test the soil conditions on the property to determine whether or not they were sufficient for building purposes. Relying on information provided by Solar Design Group, Inc., Appellant Simmons purchased the property on December 29, 1983. In conjunction with the purchase of the property, Appellant Simmons purchased an owners title insurance policy from Appellee Commonwealth. Appellant Simmons was the named insured on the policy issued by Appellee Commonwealth. In 1984, Appellant Simmons obtained a loan, in the amount of $325,000, to finance the construction of a new home. The loan was refinanced in August 1986 for $500,000. The home was completed in 1986. Prior to the completion of the home, in December 1984, Appellant Simmons married Appellant Rita Case. Appellant Simmons transferred ownership to Appellant Case, by quitclaim deed, in September 1986. In late 1987, while walking their property, appellants noticed soil was eroding around the base of the trees. The erosion was particularly noticeable around the shoreline. Appellant Simmons contacted the City of Columbus Water Department and learned of the existence of an erosion line running through his property. The house was built on the front of the erosion line. Appellant Simmons also discovered that in March 1974, the owners of the property executed a Release of Liability in favor of the City of Columbus for any damage which they, their successors and assigns may have suffered as a result of the erosion or flooding occurring up to the point of the erosion line. The release was recorded in the Miscellaneous Volume at the Delaware County Recorder's Office on April 30, 1974. After discovering the existence of this erosion line, Appellant Simmons contacted Appellee Commonwealth because Commonwealth did not except from its policy coverage for any loss or damage caused to Appellant Simmons by the release and the erosion line. Appellee Commonwealth refused to pay the loss. Thereafter, on February 2, 1989, appellants commenced this action against Walter Reiner, Walter Reiner Consultants, Inc., John and Sheila Reiner, Appellee Commonwealth, Discovery Title, Inc., Title Insurance Company of Minnesota, Solar Design Group, Inc. Delaware County, Ohio, and City of Columbus. Appellants filed amended complaints on February 14, 1989 and July 18, 1990. On September 29, 1989, the trial court granted Title Insurance Company of Minnesota's motion for summary judgment. Appellants voluntarily dismissed John and Sheila Reiner, Discovery Title, Inc., Delaware County, Ohio, and the City of Columbus. In July 1990, Commonwealth filed a motion for summary judgment. The trial court conducted a hearing on Commonwealth's motion on September 18, 1990. At the hearing, the trial court granted Commonwealth's motion finding Appellant Simmons could not maintain an action against Commonwealth since he no longer retained an interest or estate in the property. The trial court also found Appellant Case could not maintain an action because she was not an insured under the policy. The trial court journalized its decision on October 5, 1990. Appellants timely filed a notice of appeal on November 2, 1990. In an opinion and judgment entry issued on June 27, 1991, we determined the trial court's decision was not a final appealable order and dismissed the appeal for want of jurisdiction. On January 19, 1999, appellants filed an agreed judgment entry dismissing, with prejudice, Solar Design Group, Inc., Walter Reiner and Reiner Realty Consultants, Inc. Likewise, Solar Design Group, Inc. dismissed, with prejudice, its third-party complaint against third-party defendant S.H. Heinlen, Inc. Thereafter, appellants filed a notice of appeal on February 17, 1999, and set forth the following assignment of error for our consideration:I. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN FAVOR OF APPELLEE COMMONWEALTH LAND TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR THE REASON THAT THERE EXIST GENUINE ISSUES OF MATERIAL FACT AS TO WHETHER APPELLANTS ARE ENTITLED TO INSURANCE COVERAGE UNDER THE COMMONWEALTH LAND TITLE INSURANCE POLICY AS A MATTER OF LAW.
Pursuant to the above rule, a trial court may not enter summary judgment if it appears a material fact is genuinely disputed. The party moving for summary judgment bears the initial burden of informing the trial court of the basis for its motion and identifying those portions of the record that demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. The moving party may not make a conclusory assertion that the non-moving party has no evidence to prove its case. The moving party must specifically point to some evidence which demonstrates the non-moving party cannot support its claim. If the moving party satisfies this requirement, the burden shifts to the non-moving party to set forth specific facts demonstrating there is a genuine issue of material fact for trial. Vahila v. Hall (1997),
Appellant Simmons argues his inchoate dower interest that was created after he quitclaim deeded the property to Appellant Case created an estate or interest in the property therefore entitling him to coverage under Commonwealth's policy. Appellant Simmons further relies on two well-established principles of contract law in support of this argument. First, that a contract of insurance is to be construed liberally in favor of the insured and strictly against the insurer. Faruque v. Provident Life Acc. Ins. Co. (1987),
Ohio case law recognizes the contingent nature of inchoate dower. In the case of Weaver v. Gregg (1856),
Based on the above case law, we find an inchoate right of dower is not a marketable estate or interest in land. Rather, we find a dower right, as defined in the Ohio Revised Code, is more properly characterized as a statutory right to elect against the will. This conclusion is supported by the fact that dower is addressed in the probate section of the Ohio Revised Code. Accordingly, we conclude the trial court properly determined that Appellant Simmons' interest in the property, as it pertains to Commonwealth's insurance policy, terminated upon the filing of the quitclaim deed. The inchoate dower interest Appellant Simmons retains in the property is not an estate or interest that would entitle him to coverage under Commonwealth's policy of insurance. B. Resulting Trust In their second argument, appellants maintain questions of material fact remain as to whether Appellant Simmons retained an equitable interest in the property through a resulting trust. We disagree. The record in this matter indicates appellants did not raise this issue at the trial court level. Appellants first raise this issue on appeal. Failure to raise an issue at the trial court level acts as a waiver of the issue on appeal. Stores Realty Co. v. Cleveland (1975),
Dissenting Opinion
I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion. Unlike the majority, I believe appellant's inchoate dower right under R.C.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.