Lexford Prop. v. Schiltz, Unpublished Decision (9-8-2003)
Lexford Prop. v. Schiltz, Unpublished Decision (9-8-2003)
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
{¶ 1} In 1986, appellant, Joyce Schiltz, because a tenant of appellee, Lexford Properties, Inc. On May 17, 2001, appellee filed a complaint in the Canton Municipal Court for forcible entry and detainer against appellant. By report filed June 25, 2001, a magistrate recommended restitution of the premises to appellee.{¶ 2} On June 26, 2001, appellant filed an answer and counterclaim for constructive eviction, negligent supervision and training, defamation, assault, invasion of privacy and inflamed tenants. Thereafter, the Canton Municipal Court approved and confirmed the magistrate's recommendation. A writ of restitution was filed on July 2, 2001. Appellee filed an answer to the counterclaim on July 24, 2001.
{¶ 3} On June 17, 2002, the matter was transferred to the Court of Common Pleas per appellant's request. On June 20, 2002, appellant filed a motion to bring in Steven Mikstay, a former neighbor, as a third party defendant.
{¶ 4} On September 6, 2002, appellee filed a Civ.R. 12(B)(6) motion to dismiss appellant's counterclaim. By judgment entry filed December 11, 2002, the trial court granted said motion and dismissed the counterclaim. By judgment entries filed next date, the trial court denied appellant's request to include Mr. Mikstay and dismissed any and all third party complaints.
{¶ 5} Appellant filed an appeal and this matter is now before this court for consideration. Assignments of error are as follows:
{¶ 9} "A. IN PLAINTIFF'S COMPLAINT, ADDITIONAL CLAIMS WERE MADE FOR MONEY BESIDES FOR EVICTION.
{¶ 10} "B. IN THE COUNTERCLAIM AND PROFFERS FOR AMENDMENT:
{¶ 11} "(1) AN ACCOUNTING FOR THE REFUND OF DEFENDANT-APPELLANT'S DEPOSITS FROM 1986 TO 2001, PLUS INTEREST.
{¶ 12} "(2) OTHER BREACHES OF AGREEMENT AS FOR RIGHT TO PEACEABLE ENJOYMENT OF PROPERTY."
{¶ 17} Pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 18} In this case, the trial court dismissed appellant's counterclaim and concluded "because the Plaintiff's original cause of action for forcible entry and detainer has been adjudicated at the Canton Municipal Court, I find there are no current actionable claims to be litigated." We agree with this analysis.
{¶ 19} Upon review, we find the dismissal of the counterclaim is a final appealable order pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 20} Assignment of Error I is denied.
{¶ 22} Pursuant to Civ.R. 12(H)(2), a motion brought under Civ.R. 12(B)(6) for failure to state a claim "may be made in any pleading permitted or ordered under Rule 7(A), or by motion for judgment on the pleadings, or at the trial on the merits."
{¶ 23} Appellee had been granted leave to file the motion to dismiss. See, Order filed July 11, 2002.
{¶ 24} Upon review, we find the motion to dismiss was timely.
{¶ 25} Assignment of Error II is denied.
{¶ 27} Appellant argues unlitigated claims remain i.e., the return of the security deposit plus interest, harassment, invasion of privacy and defamation. We disagree the claims for harassment, invasion of privacy and defamation remain viable. Those claims were dismissed by the trial court's judgment entry of December 11, 2002. As for the claim for the return of the security deposit plus interest, the counterclaim filed June 26, 2001 did not request any return of security deposit or interest therefore, the issue was not properly before the trial court.
{¶ 28} Upon review, we find the trial court did not err in finding "there are no current actionable claims to be litigated."
{¶ 29} Assignment of Error III is denied.
{¶ 31} Our standard of review on a Civ.R. 12(B)(6) motion to dismiss is de novo. Greely v. Miami Valley Maintenance Contrs. Inc. (1990),
{¶ 33} As the file clearly illustrates, appellant remained on the premises until the Canton Municipal Court granted a judicial eviction of appellant from the premises pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 34} Upon review, we find the trial court did not err in dismissing the claim for constructive eviction.
{¶ 36} Upon review, we find the trial court did not err in dismissing the claim for negligent supervision.
{¶ 38} Upon review, we find the trial court did not err in dismissing the claim for defamation.
{¶ 40} "A pleading that sets forth a claim for relief, whether an original claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party claim, shall contain (1) a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the party is entitled to relief, and (2) a demand for judgment for the relief to which the party claims to be entitled.
{¶ 41} "Each averment of a pleading shall be simple, concise, and direct. No technical forms of pleading or motions are required." Civ.R. 8(A) and (E)(1), respectively.
{¶ 42} The assault claim does not reference a date or venue, and is predicated on the constructive eviction claim. The claim is too vague and does not set forth sufficient allegations to support the claim for assault.
{¶ 43} Upon review, we find the trial court did not err in dismissing the claim for assault.
{¶ 45} Upon review, we find the trial court did not err in dismissing the claim for invasion of privacy.
{¶ 47} The facts enumerated in the counterclaim in no way reflect on such a claim and the averments of Count 6 do not put appellees "on notice" of any claim against them.
{¶ 48} Upon review, we find the trial court did not err in dismissing the claim for inflamed tenants.
{¶ 49} Interwoven throughout these assignments is the argument that the trial court erred in staying "[a]ll other motions regarding the counterclaim and the two defendants***pending the Court's ruling on the amended counterclaim." See, Order filed July 11, 2002.
{¶ 50} This matter had been pending in the Canton Municipal Court since May 17, 2001. It was transferred to the Court of Common Pleas on June 17, 2002. The staying of further motions and filings is within the sound discretion of the trial court. Clearly, the date for responsive pleadings to the initial eviction and counterclaim had passed. We fail to find any error in so ordering the cessation of filings. The matter had already taken up two filing jackets plus separately bound briefs.
{¶ 51} Assignments of Error IV, V and VI are denied.
{¶ 52} Although not specifically assigned as error in appellant's second amended brief, appellant appealed the trial court's December 12, 2002 judgment entry denying her request to bring in Steven Mikstay as a third party defendant. We note the case was dismissed on December 11, 2002 "without prejudice" and was resolved other than on the merits. Civ.R. 41(B)(4).
{¶ 53} Upon review, we fail to find any prejudice to appellant in the denial of her request to bring in Mr. Mikstay as a third party defendant to a dismissed action.
{¶ 54} The judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Stark County, Ohio is hereby affirmed.
By Farmer, J., Hoffman, P.J., and Wise, J. concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.