Campco Distributors, Inc. v. Fries

• Decision Date: 30 July 1987
• Docket Number: No. 10348,10348
• Citation: 537 N.E.2d 661,42 Ohio App.3d 200
• Parties: CAMPCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC., Appellee, v. FRIES et al.; Trell et al., Appellants.
• Court: Ohio Court of Appeals

Page 200

42 Ohio App.3d 200

537 N.E.2d 661

CAMPCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC., Appellee, v. FRIES et al.; Trell et al., Appellants.

No. 10348.

Court of Appeals of Ohio, Second District, Montgomery County.

July 30, 1987.

Syllabus by the Court

1. In order for fraud in procuring the signature of a guarantor to void his obligation to the creditor, the creditor must have participated in or had knowledge of the fraud.

2. A unilateral mistake by a guarantor as to the nature of his obligation may not relieve him from his guaranty contract.

Lawrence T. Burick, Dayton, for appellee.

Dwight D. Brannon, Dayton, for appellants.

BROGAN, Judge.

On August 27, 1984, Campco Distributors, Inc. ("Campco") entered into a written lease agreement with W.D. Enterprises ("WDE") for property at 5899 North Main Street in Dayton, Ohio. WDE obligated itself to pay rent and other charges listed in the lease.

On February 11, 1986, WDE filed a Chapter 11 petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court. The automatic stay provision of the Bankruptcy Code precluded Campco from maintaining any collection action against WDE for delinquent rent payments under the lease.

However, on March 7, 1986, Campco filed a complaint in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas naming six persons who allegedly executed a guaranty at the time of the execution of the lease. Campco asserted that the guarantors were jointly and severally liable for the rental payment obligation, as a consequence of WDE's default.

On October 8, 1986, Campco moved for summary judgment against the defendants. Partial summary judgment was entered against defendants Thomas and Mary Fries and Timothy and Linda Dunlevy on December 6, 1986. The summary judgment proceedings against defendants Eugene and Roberta Trell were continued. On February 20, 1987, summary judgment was also granted against the Trells.

The present appeal stems from the trial court's February 20 ruling which granted judgment for Campco against the Trells. The Trells assert one assignment of error on appeal, claiming the trial court erred in granting summary judgment for appellee Campco because there remained a genuine issue of material fact.

Civ.R. 56 provides in part that summary judgment shall be rendered where there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, and reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion and that conclusion is adverse to the party against whom the motion is made. Harless v. Willis Day Warehousing Co. (1978), 54 Ohio St.2d 64, 8 O.O.3d 73, 375 N.E.2d 46. The moving party has the burden of demonstrating that the requirements of Civ.R. 56(C) are satisfied. Id. at 66, 8 O.O.3d at 74, 375 N.E.2d at 47. However, the nonmoving party has a burden of rebuttal to supply evidentiary materials supporting his position, when the moving party presents evidentiary materials which deny that claim. Whiteleather v. Yosowitz (1983), 10 Ohio App.3d 272, 275, 10 OBR 386, 390, 461 N.E.2d 1331, 1335.

In reviewing a summary judgment, an appellate court must view the evidence and inferences drawn from underlying facts in a light most favorable to the party opposing a summary judgment motion. Engel v. Corrigan (1983), 12 Ohio App.3d 34, 12 OBR 121, 465 N.E.2d 932; Viock v. Stowe-Woodward Co. (1983), 13 Ohio App.3d 7, 13 OBR 8, 467 N.E.2d 1378.

The guaranty involved in the present action provided that the guarantors jointly and severally, and absolutely and unconditionally, guaranteed the prompt payment of all rental fees. Furthermore, they agreed to faithfully perform all other agreements and obligations provided for in the lease. The "absolute guarantee" language created an unconditional undertaking on the part of the guarantors that they would perform the obligation immediately upon the principal debtor's default. The creditor need not pursue and exhaust the principal before proceeding against the guarantor. Ohio Savings Assn. v. Cortell (1985), 24 Ohio App.3d 234, 24 OBR 444, 495 N.E.2d 33; Eden Realty Co. v. Weather-Seal, Inc. (1957), 102 Ohio App. 219, 2 O.O.2d 238, 142 N.E.2d 541; Galloway v. Barnesville Loan, Inc. (1943), 74 Ohio App. 23, 29 O.O. 214, 57 N.E.2d 337.

Appellants contend, however, that material facts remain on the question of whether the guaranty is void. They put forth several arguments in support of their assertion. We will consider each separately, in light of the evidence before the trial court.

"I. The guaranty is void because Campco knew that Thomas Fries, president of WDE and co-guarantor, fraudulently procured appellants' signatures on the guaranty agreement."

Appellants explain that Fries was involved in an elaborate scheme of organizing legal entities to defraud investors. Fries established several corporations, including WDE and TF Enterprises. Fries induced appellants to become thirty-percent shareholders in WDE. Appellants claim when Fries had them sign the guaranty, he misrepresented that it was only the Campco-WDE lease agreement and that their signatures did not financially obligate them. Appellants argue that Campco had knowledge of Fries' activities and that he was acting as Campco's agent in obtaining their signatures.

Generally, "[w]hile the guarantor may successfully defend the creditor's action by showing that his execution of the contract of guaranty was procured by imposition which was practiced by the creditor [Campco], he cannot defeat a recovery by proof that he executed the instrument as a result of misconduct on the part of the principal debtor [WDE]." (Footnotes omitted.) 38 American Jurisprudence 2d (1968) 1061, Guaranty, Section 58. The creditor must have participated in or had knowledge of the fraud or misrepresentations for his recovery to be defeated. Kingsland, Hook & Co. v. Pryor (1877), 33 Ohio St. 19; Bigelow v. Comegys (1855), 5 Ohio St. 256; 52 Ohio Jurisprudence 3d (1984) 578, Guaranty and Suretyship, Section 131.

In support of summary judgment, Campco filed the affidavit of Thomas Davis, president of the company. Davis stated that Campco did not commit fraud or make any representations to induce the guarantors to execute the guaranty. He also denied that Campco had any knowledge of any wrongful conduct on the part of WDE. A copy of the lease agreement and the guaranty were incorporated by reference into the affidavit. The lease agreement clearly provided that Campco was the lessor and WDE was the lessee. Campco required the execution of a guaranty as a prerequisite to leasing the premises to WDE.

In response to Campco's motion, appellants filed a memorandum in opposition with supporting affidavits by Eugene and Roberta Trell. The affidavits essentially stated that they were "duped" into signing the guaranty by Thomas Fries. However, the affidavits did not set forth any specific facts which supported their claim regarding Campco's participation in or knowledge of any fraudulent practices by Fries or WDE. Although appellants' memorandum contains broad allegations of Campco's knowledge, they fail to support their claim with any competent and probative evidentiary materials. Such facts must be in the form of sworn affidavits, deposition testimony, interrogatory responses, admission responses, stipulations or other admissible, competent and probative evidence. Civ.R. 56(C). Merely presenting unsupported allegations in a memorandum opposing the motion for summary judgment or relying on denials set forth in pleadings will not be sufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact to defeat such a motion. Harless v. Willis Day Warehousing Co. (1978), 54 Ohio St.2d 64, 66, 8 O.O.3d 73, 74, 375 N.E.2d 46, 47; State, ex rel. Garfield Hts., v. Nadratowski (1976), 46 Ohio St.2d 441, 75 O.O.2d 497, 349 N.E.2d 298; Savransky v. Cleveland (1983), 4 Ohio St.3d 118, 4 OBR 364, 447 N.E.2d 98; Reynoldsburg Motor Sales, Inc. v. Columbus (1972), 32 Ohio App.2d 271, 61 O.O.2d 310, 289 N.E.2d 909; cf. Rodger v. McDonald's Restaurants of Ohio, Inc. (1982), 8 Ohio App.3d 256, 8 OBR 347, 456 N.E.2d 1262.

Furthermore, there is nothing in the affidavits which substantiates the claim that Fries had the authority to act or was acting on behalf of Campco when he procured the appellants' signature. In fact, the documents before the trial court suggest that Fries was acting solely for the benefit of WDE because without the guaranty, WDE could not have arranged to lease the premises and Campco presumably would have found another lessee.

The trial court properly disregarded appellants' arguments in light of the fact that the allegations were not supported in the manner required by Civ.R. 56(E) to overcome the motion.

"II. The guaranty is void because appellants were not aware at the time of signing the agreement that the document was a guaranty."

Appellants claim that by virtue of Fries' misrepresentations, they mistakenly signed the guaranty thinking it was only a formality which imposed no liability. They state they had no idea that the document was a personal guaranty of the entire lease agreement. They argue because there was fraud in the execution of the agreement the transaction...