Mansfield F. R. v. Cgs Worldwide, Unpublished Decision (12-28-2000)
Mansfield F. R. v. Cgs Worldwide, Unpublished Decision (12-28-2000)
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
Defendant-appellant CGS Worldwide, Inc. [hereinafter CGS] appeals the December 6, 1999 Judgment Entry of the Richland County Court of Common Pleas which denied CGS' Motion for Change of Venue, or in the alternative, Motion to Dismiss, pursuant to Civ.R. 3(D). Plaintiff-appellee is Mansfield Restaurant, Inc. [hereinafter Mansfield Restaurant].THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO CHANGE VENUE AND ALTERNATIVE MOTION TO DISMISS WHEN THE PARTIES FREELY BARGAINED FOR A FORUM SELECTION CLAUSE AND PLAINTIFF FAILED TO ADDUCE ANY EVIDENCE THAT ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE UNREASONABLE OR UNJUST.
Appellant's Motion to Change Venue, or in the alternative, Dismiss was brought pursuant to a choice of forum clause in the contract between the parties and Civ.R. 3(D). Appellant appeals the trial court's denial of that Motion. However, to be appealable, an order must be a final order, within the meaning of R.C.
(1) An order that affects a substantial right in an action that in effect determines the action and prevents a judgment;
(2) An order that affects a substantial right made in a special proceeding or upon a summary application in an action after judgment;
(3) An order that vacates or sets aside a judgment or grants a new trial;
(4) An order that grants or denies a provisional remedy and to which both of the following apply:
(a) The order in effect determines the action with respect to the provisional remedy and prevents a judgment in the action in favor of the appealing party with respect to the provisional remedy.
(b) The appealing party would not be afforded a meaningful or effective remedy by an appeal following final judgment as to all proceedings, issues, claims, and parties in the action.
(5) An order that determines that an action may or may not be maintained as a class action. R.C.
2505.02 (B) We find that R.C.2505.02 (B)(1) does not apply because the trial court's judgment in the case sub judice does not determine the action or prevent a judgment. The question of venue or choice of forum is procedural and does not decide a party's claims. See Duryee, et al v. Rogers (Dec. 16, 1999), Cuyahoga App. No. 74963, unreported, 1999 WL 1204875. Likewise, this was not an order in a special proceeding or upon a summary application in an action after judgment nor was it an order that vacated or set aside a judgment or granted a new trial. See Id; R.C.2505.02 (B)(2)(3). The order does not involve a determination as to whether a class action may be maintained. R.C.2505.02 (B)(5). The only possible applicable paragraph is paragraph 4, regarding provisional remedies. "`Provisional remedy' means a proceeding ancillary to an action, including, but not limited to, a proceeding for a preliminary injunction, attachment, discovery of privileged matter, or suppression of evidence." R.C.2505.02 (A)(3). The statutory definition does not specifically refer to proceedings to transfer venue nor are any of the listed proceedings akin to a transfer of venue. See Duryee, supra. The basic purpose of R.C.2505.02 (A)(3) in categorizing certain types of preliminary decisions of a trial court as final, appealable orders is the protection of one party against irreparable harm by another party during the pendency of the litigation. Id. We find that a decision by a trial court to deny a request for change of venue does not involve the same degree of risk of irreparable harm to a party as the decisions made in the types of actions listed under 2505.02(A)(3). The types of provisional remedies listed under 2505.02(A)(3) include decisions that, made preliminarily, could decide all or part of an action or make an ultimate decision on the merits meaningless or cause other irreparable harm. For instance, a preliminary injunction could be issued against a high school football player preventing him from playing football his senior year based on recruiting violations. The trial court could grant the attachment of property for which the owner has a ready buyer. Discovery of privileged material could force a person to divulge highly personal and sensitive information. If evidence critical to the prosecution of a criminal case is suppressed, the state could lose any meaningful chance at successful prosecution of a criminal. The decision to deny a change of venue does not result in any of the types of irreparable harm just listed. There is an adequate legal remedy from a decision denying a change of venue, after final judgment. In other words, it may be expensive to get the cat back in the bag, if a trial court errs when it denies a change of venue, but it can be done. Whereas, when the types of decisions listed in 2505.02(A)(3) are made, the cat is let out of the bag and can never be put back in. Therefore, denial of a request to change venue is not a final, appealable order. In Daccord, Wilson v. Kemp (Nov. 24, 1999), Scioto App. No. 99CA2667, unreported, 1999 WL 1125111. The Second District Court of Appeals has also considered whether venue questions are final, appealable orders. While the Second District Court found that a venue order can qualify as a provisional remedy because it prevents a judgment in favor of the appealing party with respect to the venue question, it found that venue decisions were not final, appealable orders since the party is afforded an effective remedy by way of appeal after final judgment. Jetter v. Abbott (July 31, 2000), Montgomery App. No. 17888, unreported (citing State ex rel. Banc One Corp. v. Walker (1999),86 Ohio St.3d 169 ,173 ,712 N.E.2d 742 , venue orders do not normally affect a substantial right, because appeal after judgment is an adequate legal remedy). Accordingly, we find that the December 6, 1999, Judgment Entry is not a final, appealable order.
This appeal is dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
Edwards, J. Wise, P.J. and Milligan, V.J. concur
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.