Tammy Webber v. Kenneth Kuebler Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. (mem. dec.) ( 2019 )

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
FILED
this Memorandum Decision shall not be
regarded as precedent or cited before any Oct 24 2019, 7:43 am
court except for the purpose of establishing CLERK
Indiana Supreme Court
the defense of res judicata, collateral Court of Appeals
and Tax Court
estoppel, or the law of the case.
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Darin Higgs Scott L. Tyler
Evansville, Indiana Natalie Short
Waters, Tyler, Hofmann & Scott,
LLC
New Albany, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
Tammy Webber, October 24, 2019
Appellant-Plaintiff, Court of Appeals Case No.
19A-CT-274
v. Appeal from the Posey Superior
Court
Kenneth Kuebler Heating & Air The Honorable Keith A. Meier,
Conditioning, Inc., Senior Judge
Appellee-Defendant. Trial Court Cause No.
65D01-1707-CT-267
Mathias, Judge.
[1] Tammy Webber (“Webber”) appeals the judgment of the Posey Superior Court
in favor of Kenneth Kuebler Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. (“Kuebler”) in
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Webber’s negligence action against Kuebler. On appeal, Webber claims that the
trial court clearly erred by concluding that Kuebler was not negligent per se.
[2] We affirm.
Statement of Facts
[3] In 2014, Webber hired Kuebler to install a new air-conditioning unit in her
home in Posey County, Indiana. Kuebler installed the unit on July 8, 2014,
replacing an aging unit that had been in the house for decades.
[4] Three years later, in April 2017, Webber replaced the vinyl flooring in the
utility room where the air-conditioning unit was located alongside her washing
machine, water heater, and freezer. When she removed the flooring, she
noticed that the subfloor had water damage. Webber believed that some of this
water damage was caused by a clog in the drain for her washing machine. This
clog apparently occurred in July 2014, when Webber did some laundry for a
neighbor who had a fire in her house. The neighbor’s laundry contained cinders
which clogged the washing machine drain. Webber did not discover this clog
until she removed the vinyl flooring. Webber replaced the damaged subflooring
around the washing machine. Webber also found additional water damage to
the subflooring, which she attributed to the air-conditioning unit installed by
Kuebler.
[5] On July 25, 2017, Webber filed her complaint against Kuebler, alleging breach
of contract, negligence, unjust enrichment, and fraudulent inducement. A
bench trial was held on August 1, 2018. The trial court entered findings of fact
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and conclusions of law on December 6, 2018, finding in favor of Kuebler on all
counts. The trial court’s extensive findings and conclusions provide in pertinent
part:
8. Kuebler is a small company in the business of maintaining
and installing heating and air systems since 1980. It is owned and
operated by Kenneth, who had installed his first furnace in 1960
and who had installed as many as 150 units in one year.
9. [Webber] had known Kenneth for several years prior to the
events alleged in her Complaint and Kuebler had serviced
[Webber]’s old air handling system which came with the house—
which [Webber] believed to be original to the house.
10. In early to mid-2014, [Webber] called Kuebler regarding a
problem with the original air handler unit, which was located in
the utility room.
ACQUISITION OF THE UNIT:
11. Kenneth suggested [Webber] replace the old air handling unit
to save on energy bills and avoid increasingly frequent servicing
of the old unit. [Webber] agreed to purchase a new unit from
Kuebler for $6,418.00
***
15. The unit installed by Kuebler is a “down flow” configuration
and consists of several basic components which, starting towards
the top of the unit and going down are: the A-coil (also called an
evaporator, is used to transfer heat from inside the home to the
outside of the home) is toward the top of the unit; a condensate
drip pan is located below the A-coil and above the blower and
plenum and is used to catch condensation from the A-coil; a
blower is located below the A-coil; the plenum (also referred to in
the evidence as the transition or supply plenum) is located at the
base of the unit at the floor and is used to connect the unit to the
duct work below it in the crawl space. There is also a plastic
drain line connected to the drip pan which drains water from the
pan to outside the house.
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16. Kenneth and two of Kuebler’s employees installed the unit
on or about July 8, 2014 in the same location in the utility room
as the original unit. The installation included a modification
made by Kuebler which included fabricating a short plenum to
adapt to the existing plenum in the floor to support the coil and
the unit. The plenum was screwed to the floor to secure the unit
rather than being connected directly to the metal ductwork,
leaving the subfloor protruding into the ductwork. Silicone was
placed under the plenum to stop air leaks which could cause
condensation if air leaked. When he was initially installing this
unit, he saw the subfloor but did not remember what it looked
like, yet he also testified that he saw no damage to the edge of the
sub-flooring when the new plenum was installed and testified he
would probably see damage if it were there but did not know if
the floor looked like the damage shown in Exh. 19.
17. The laundry room floor was not level, but the evidence did
not support a finding as to what caused the floor to be unlevel
nor the extent and effects of that condition (except as specifically
set forth herein).
18. Kenneth did not review the manufacturer installation
instructions prior to this job because he felt he was familiar with
them. The evidence appeared to be in conflict. The [e]vidence did
not specifically disclose whether he had previously installed this
particular model and, if he had, the date he last reviewed the
instructions. Because the floor was not level, Kenneth installed the unit
tilting to the front although the manufacturer specified the unit was to be
level. He did not normally install an air handler which was not level
because of possible water leakage from the drip pan. He was not
concerned, however, because the tilt was to the front, where the pan is
located, but admitted this style could cause condensation.
19. The original plenum was located under the home. Kenneth
never checked the temperature of the unconditioned plenum to
make sure it would not cause condensation. He did not insulate
the plenum which he had added to the unit because it was in a
conditioned area although the crawl space under the unit was
unconditioned space. He estimated the cost to insulate the
plenum would be $5.00 to $10.00.
20. [Webber] was pleased with the new unit unit’s energy
efficiency and its ability to heat and cool her home. She did not
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experience any malfunctions with the unit and had no complaints
about how it worked. It lowered her utility bills, as Kenneth had
predicted.
21. The utility room shares walls with the kitchen, guest
bedroom, and living room and has one exterior wall. Since
Kuebler’s installation of the unit, [Webber]’s utility room has
housed the unit and deep freeze next to each other on one wall,
which separated it from the kitchen where the stove and
refrigerator were located behind the unit and the washing
machine, dryer and water heater on the opposite wall. All
appliances in the utility room were removed to perform the work
but the evidence did not disclose where they were stored (except
the unit was stored on the porch) during the floor replacement
nor whether any repairs or modifications were made to them.
22. In July 2014 [Webber]’s neighbor had a fire and [Webber]
laundered 32 to 35 loads of their clothing using her washing
machine in her utility room. Unbeknownst to [Webber] at that
time, the cinders from the clothing accumulated in the overflow
drain from the washing machine and solidified over time,
clogging the drain. The evidence did not clearly disclose whether
this was before or after the installation of the unit by Kuebler[.]
FUNKS CARPET:
23. The utility room floor had been covered with vinyl flooring
since the purchase of the house. Generally, there were two
flooring layers below the vinyl floor—a particle board as the
upper layer and plywood beneath. In the corner, where the deep
freeze was located, there was plywood but no particle board,
although the evidence did not support the reason for that
condition. The floor joists were under the plywood.
24. Although the evidence did not state why, in April of 2017,
[Webber] hired a local flooring company, Funks Carpet and
Warehouse (“Funks”), to replace all of the vinyl flooring in the
utility room. The evidence was not clear as to whether or not the
entire floor area was covered with vinyl and, if not, exactly which
areas were covered with vinyl. There was not sufficient evidence
to determine the condition of the existing vinyl floor such as
whether or not it had any tears, holes, significant wear or
scuffing, etc. where water could have flowed on top of the vinyl
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and then seeped through the holes or tears to the subfloor and
then to other areas of the room.
25. When the Funks’ employees began removing the old vinyl
flooring, they discovered water damaged subflooring and black
mold. It was only then that [Webber] realized water had been
leaking into the utility room subfloor from the clogged washing
machine drain and the subfloor under and around the washing
machine had been damaged from the water leakage. [Webber]
did not know how long the water stains had been on the subfloor
because they were covered by the vinyl flooring.
26. The evidence was not clear as to when, but [Webber] had
seen water on the linoleum twice and removed it but did not
investigate the floor for damage and she did not know how many
times the washing machine had overflowed onto the floor.
MIKE MORROW:
27. [Webber] hired [a] contractor, Mike Morrow, to remediate
the water damage caused by the clogged washing machine drain
and to replace the damaged subfloor. Morrow inspected the
damage and noted that “the subfloor” was saturated with water
from the washing machine.” Morrow also discovered water-
damaged subflooring around the unit which was also previously
hidden by the vinyl flooring. Photographs of the subfloor show
what appears to be a few inches of space between the watermark
in the subflooring around the washing machine and the
watermark in the subflooring near the unit. The floor crumbled
when it was being removed.
BAYLOR/GRESHAM:
28. [Webber] hired Baylor Heating & Air, a company similar to
Kuebler, to remove and reinstall the unit. Baylor then re-installed
the unit. When Baylor removed the unit, they placed it on
[Webber]’s front porch for one to two weeks while Morrow
removed, replaced and attempted to level the utility room floor
and Funks laid a new vinyl floor.
29. Ethan Gresham[] (“Gresham”), a Baylor employee,
performed the reinstallation work. During the reinstallation, he
took additional measures to decrease the likelihood of leaking
and condensation from the unit, including insulating the plenum
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in the floor because it would be more likely to lessen any
condensation in the duct work. He testified that it is his practice
to insulate the supply plenum transition unless the air handling
unit is in a conditioned space, but he was not aware of any
building code or installation instruction requiring such insulation.
There was no evidence suggesting that the utility room was an
unconditioned space.
30. While he was there, [Webber] asked Gresham to attempt to
locate the cause of the water damage. Although Gresham did not
investigate to determine if the unit had been installed by Kuebler
with a slight tilt toward the front side, he felt a tilt of the unit
would be proper because the drip pan is located in the front and
one wants any condensation water to flow to that location;
however, he made sure the unit was level to prevent water
drainage issues. He did not know whether the manufacturer
required the unit be level but, to his knowledge, the building
codes required [it].
31. Gresham gave possible causes for the water damage in
[Webber]’s home:
A.) Water coming from the unit. He did not, however, run
the unit to view any condensation which may be occurring
because he was simply reinstalling it, but he would have if he
were attempting to rule out water damage from the unit. He
noted the unit, with this style of air flow and with the A-coil
above the blower, is highly prone to getting so cold that the
metal will sweat with condensation. He opined that, based
solely on a visual inspection of the damage around the unit,
the unit’s A-coil caused the water damage, although he was
not sure how this occurred, or alternatively, the water
damage could have been caused by a failure to insulate the
plenum at the base of the unit and/or a failure to insulate the
ductwork underneath the house.
B.) Water penetrating the foundation and then seeping
through the crawl space and then rising up to damage the
floor because the subfloor was less than four cinder blocks off
the ground. Gresham did not recall if he inspected
[Webber]’s crawl space or how it looked but he would have
done so if he were conducting an investigation to determine
the cause of the water damage;
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C.) A roof leak; and
D.) Other appliances, such as refrigerators, washing
machines, freezers, and water heaters, or other causes, such
as leaks from plumbing.
32. Gresham made no effort to investigate these or alternate sources of the
leak and was unaware of the clogged washing machine drain nor did he
conduct any investigation to determine whether there had been other
appliances located in the utility room. When he performed the
reinstallation work, the other appliances —which were
previously located in the utility room—had been removed. Thus,
Gresham had no opportunity to inspect those possible alternative
causes of the water damage, including the leak from the washing
machine drain.
33. Gresham’s opinions on the causes of the water damage lack an
adequate factual foundation. He had never been specially retained to
render an opinion on water damage. He testified that in fewer
than six instances during the course of repairing or replacing a
unit, the customer asked him to opine as to the cause of a
potentially leaky unit. In these instances he did not follow any
scientific method for investigating water damage prior to
rendering his opinion. He was able to ascertain the cause by
turning on the unit and actually observing and identifying the
water leaking or dripping from a part of that air handling unit,
often the A-coil. He acknowledged that, if the A-coil was the cause of
the leak, he would have been able to observe the leak had he only turned
on the unit prior to removal. Contrary to his prior practice, he admitted
he did not turn on this unit before it was removed. As such, he could not
determine whether, in fact, water leaked from this unit due to
condensation or otherwise. Moreover, he failed to inquire into
pertinent facts, such as the age of the unit, when the unit was
installed, or the condition of the previously-replaced air handling
unit when it was removed. He admitted he lacked the
qualifications to conduct a forensic investigation to determine the
cause of the water damage, and he failed to attempt to rule out
potential causes of the water damage he had identified through his
previous work experience. Although there was no evidence
suggesting he was not competent to perform the regular duties of
his job, he has no education beyond high school and no training
in forensics, property damage losses, or investigations of water
intrusion issues. He had never testified as an expert in HVAC or
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a related matter. He admitted he would defer to the opinion of a
forensic investigator as to the cause of water damage on a floor.
34. In his experience, Gresham had seen A-coils dripping water
and had seen calcium buildup in drip parts which was an
indicator of water buildup from the A-coil.
35. Gresham was unable to verify his theory that the water problem was
caused by the supply plenum not being insulated. He admitted he was
not in court to testify that the way the unit was installed by
Kuebler was in violation of any code or installation instruction
nor that any water problem in [Webber]’s home resulted from the
unit not being level.
36. The floor work and reinstallation of the unit took 44 days to
complete. During that time, the home was in disarray and the
living conditions were difficult.
KENNETH:
37. Kenneth has had to replace some flooring when replacing old
air handling units. Although he recognized that drain issues are
possible when an air handling unit is installed with a tilt and he
did not usually install them with a tilt because water could
possibly leak from the drip pan and the manufacturer had
instructed the unit should be level, in this case, the floor was not
level so he installed it with a tilt to the front where the drip pan is located
so it would drain better.
38. Kenneth had never seen any air handler, similar to this unit,
installed inside a house where the lack of insulation on a plenum
located in a conditioned area caused moisture to escape resulting
in a problem. He was aware there are different temperatures
interacting in an area where conditioned and unconditioned
spaces meet, which can cause condensation. He was also aware
down flow air handling units, like the unit in this case, are prone
to getting cold enough to create condensation around an un-
[insulated] supply plenum and there is a lot of condensation
running from it in the summer. In this case, he did not check the
temperature of the plenum in the unconditioned area to ensure
the temperature differential was not high enough to create
condensation. He did not insulate the supply plenum mainly
because it was located in a conditioned space.
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39. After [Webber] discovered the water problems and filed a
complaint, Kenneth came to her home and looked inside the
unit, which was prior to Rimkus and Cammack being involved in
this case. He could not see inside the plenum modification he
had added to the unit to determine if there was any discoloration.
He saw no sign of moisture and the drip pan showed no evidence of
overflow and he found the water mark in the pan to be way below [the]
top edge of the pan. He also operated the unit for approximately 30 to 60
minutes and found no condensation in the unit nor any water running
on the floor.
40. Kenneth testified that Posey County adopted the
International Residential Code, but the evidence did not indicate
whether it was adopted prior to or after Kuebler installed
[Webber]’s unit. It provides, in pertinent part:
Section M1401.1 Installation. Heating and cooling
equipment and appliances shall be installed in accordance
with the manufacturer’s installation instructions and the
requirements of this code.
Section M1411.3 Condensate Disposal. Condensate from
all cooling coils and evaporators shall be conveyed from the
drip pan outlet to an approved place of disposal. . . .
Section M1411.3.1 Auxiliary and secondary drain systems.
In addition to the requirements of Section M1411.3, a
secondary drain or auxiliary drip pan shall be required for
each cooling or evaporator coil where damage to any
building components will occur as a result of overflow from
the equipment drip pan or stoppage in the condensate drain
piping. . . .
***
41. The “Installation Instructions” for the unit provide, in
pertinent part:
Plenums & Air Ducts
• Plenums and air ducts should be installed in accordance
with . . . all applicable local codes . . . .
Unconditioned Spaces
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• All duct work passing through unconditioned space must be
properly insulated to minimize duct losses and prevent
condensation . . . . .
CAUTION:
The air handler must be level to ensure proper
condensation drainage. An unlevel installation may
result in structural damage, premature equipment
failure, or possible personal injury.
• To ensure proper condensate drainage, the unit must be
installed in a level position. . . .
• If the air handler is located in . . . a living space where
damage may result from condensate overflow, an auxiliary
drain line should extend from the pan to a conspicuous
point and serve as an alarm indicating that the primary
drain is restricted.
42. The equipment warranty on the unit provides, in pertinent
part:
Warranty effective for equipment manufactured after
January 1, 2013.
This NORDYNE equipment and/or NORDYNE
accessories must be installed by a licensed or otherwise
qualified dealer or contractor and must be installed in
accordance with NORDYNE’S installation instructions and
in compliance with local codes. Improper installation may
endanger the occupants of the dwelling.
43. The evidence did not support a finding as to whether or not
the unit was manufactured after January 1, 2013 such that the
unit is covered under this warranty.
44. There would be no way to install an auxiliary drip pan under
this unit because air would be flowing through that space and the
pan would block the air flow.
CAMMACK:
45. On April 26, 2017, shortly after the discovery of the damaged
subflooring, Marc Cammack (“Cammack”), a Senior Consultant
with Rimkus Consulting Group, personally inspected [Webber]’s
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house and the damage, and conducted an investigation in an
attempt to determine the cause or causes of the water damage.
He was accompanied by Steve Weber, a licensed civil engineer
with Rimkus and a graduate of the Rose Hulman Institute of
Technology with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. Weber is registered
as a Professional Engineer in 16 states, including Indiana and has
extensive experience in water and flood damage. He was not
called to testif[y] but he and Cammack consulted and formed a
consensus opinion.
46. Cammack has a degree in Agricultural Engineering with a
focus on machinery. As a registered professional mechanical
engineer in five states, including Indiana, Cammack has
conducted over 1000 forensic investigations in his career, with
100 or more concerning the cause of a water leak; although not
necessarily related to leaks related to HVAC. He testified as an
expert without objection as to his qualifications.
47. The vinyl flooring in the utility room had been removed prior
to Cammack’s investigation, except for under the water heater.
48. Cammack observed the water staining with black fungal
growth on the subfloor where the washer had sat and noted
“[t]he wood floor was severely stained where the door of the
freezer would have overlain.” It was across the room from where
the unit had been located. Although there was a gap between that
water staining and the water staining located towards the unit, he
opined that the water from the washer could have migrated on
the vinyl flooring towards the unit, especially if the vinyl floor
ran towards the unit. There were no single photos in evidence
which clearly showed the extent and exact location of the larger
water stain in the area where the unit sat—either in the utility
room or from underneath it in the crawlspace. Cammack also
opined that the missing particle board in the corner where the
deep freeze was located was consistent with a possible, prior floor
problem and repair.
49. Cammack was aware there had been a deep freeze in the
room but he did not investigate it for a leak because it was not in
the room. The evidence did not disclose where the deep freeze
was located at the time of this inspection.
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50. Although Cammack noted some degradation of the particle
board, with more degradation where the drain line is located than
around the plenum which had been added by Kuebler, he would
have expected to see more degradation if there were a water issue.
Although there were stains in the wood floor under the unit, . . .
“there was no evidence of fresh moisture intrusion.[”]
51. During Cammack’s inspection, he ran the unit for
approximately 30 minutes. He noted a Delta T (difference of
temperature between 2 measuring points) of approximately 18
degrees but did not explain the significance of that finding to his
conclusions. He observed the condensate drip pan in the unit did not
leak and that the condensate lines carried the condensate to outside the
house. Cammack’s forensic investigation also included an internal
inspection of the unit while it was in operation. The A-coil was in
good condition. Examination of the unit’s condensate drip pan
did not show signs of overflowing. It showed white stains left
behind by water, but, the white line created by those water stains
is near the bottom of the drip pan. He concluded the level of water in
the drip pan had never gotten very high and that the “water stains within
the pan revealed typical condensate levels well below the upper-edge of the
pan.” He also concluded that the absence of an auxiliary drip pan did not
cause water on the floor. He inspected the blower and although
there was some light speckling on it, it did not line up to the drip
pan nor was there significant corrosion suggesting ongoing water
leakage. He inspected the breakers and supply wires below the blower
housing and concluded that if the drip pan had overflowed, he would
have had expected to see evidence thereof, but they were in good
condition, very clean, had no corrosion and no water staining. He also
inspected the wiring and control board, which were also below
the A-coil and drip pan. He concluded that if there were
overflow, he would have expected to see some evidence of
overflow, but there was none. He also looked inside the plenum
and looked where the plenum was fastened to the subfloor. He
observed minimal degradation of the particle board, no water
staining, and no evidence of water damage. He would have expected
to see much darker coloration on the subfloor than he did if there had
been a leak. He saw no condensation from the plenum while he
was conducting his inspection. He also observed some
discoloration of the duct work under the house but it did not
change his opinion.
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52. The underside of the utility room floor, as seen from the
crawl space, in the area where the washer drain and supply lines
were located, showed a large amount of stain and “significant”
degradation of the plywood, which was more than the
degradation in other areas of the utility room. . . . Beneath the unit
there was no significant degradation of the plywood or floor joists and no
evidence of old moisture damage. He noted that if the plenum had
experienced significant condensation, he would have expected to
have seen some damage to the subfloor, but there was no
damage. He concluded there was no significant water intrusion in that
area.
53. Cammack found that the inside of the exterior wall of the
crawl space showed water intrusion from outside the house
including wet mortar joints and soil against the wall and multiple
wet locations, the significance of which was that water can
migrate up to the floor which can contribute to damage to the
subfloor. There was also no vapor barrier below the house. He
also observed erosion around the foundation.
54. Cammack noted that the original vinyl floor affected the
ability to determine the cause of the water problem because the
staining of the floor would not have been visible and because the
degradation was not to the point where there was rot nor was the
floor unsafe to the point where one would put their foot through
it.
55. Cammack did not have a specific opinion as to the cause of
[Webber]’s floor damage, due in part to the fact that the damaged
subfloor had been covered by vinyl flooring until the Spring of
2017, coupled with the fact that other appliances were located in
the utility room. He determined the unit was not the cause of any of the
water-damaged subflooring in [Webber]’s utility room.
56. Cammack identified the following possible causes of the
damage, with none of these more or less likely than another:
A. The old unit which was replaced by Kuebler.
B. Defrost of the deep freeze adjacent to the unit.
C. Long time condensation from the crawl space conditions,
although the evidence did not disclose whether there was
water damage to the flooring in other areas of the house.
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D. He could not say the washer drain leak did not cause the
floor damage around the unit since the water from the
clogged washing machine drain could have migrated to the
subflooring around the unit.
57. Cammack’s investigation specifically ruled out the uninsulated
supply plenum transition as a cause of the water damage. His
inspection of the unit revealed no evidence of leaking or
condensation from the unit as installed by Kuebler. As depicted
in the photograph of the supply plenum and adjacent subflooring,
there was no evidence of significant condensation at the site of
the plenum.
58. Cammack’s “Moisture Damage Evaluation” stated:
1. The stains on the floor of the Webber utility room were unrelated
to the current air handler or its installation.
2. The floor conditions were possibly the result of one or
more of the following: leaks from the previous unit, defrost of
the adjacent freezer, long-term condensation from improper
crawlspace conditions, or some other unknown source.
3. Previously existing moisture stains would not have been
visible until the vinyl floor covering was removed.
59. In reference to Section M1411.3.1 Auxiliary and secondary
drain systems he noted:
The air unit installation manual recommended the same
instructions for condensate drainage. The installation of the
unit did not conform to the excerpts above; however, the
condensate line was observed to be draining at the exterior of
the building. The unit lacked the shut off noted . . . above,
but there was no evidence that water ever rose to the level
that it would have been activated.
60. With respect to condensation, he found and concluded:
No condensation was observed on the supply duct. No
condensate drain leaks were observed. The supply ductwork
was not water-stained and/or corroded as would be expected
if duct sweating were the source of the floor water stains. We
concluded that the stains on the flooring were unrelated to the air
handling unit or its installation.
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61. With respect to moisture in the crawlspace, he found and
concluded:
All modern building codes require the proper installation of
methods to remove excess moisture vapor from the
crawlspace. Vapor barriers are to be installed on the dirt floor
to prevent evaporation. Properly placed and sized openings
in the foundation walls are required to ventilate the
crawlspace air and remove moisture vapor. External soils are
required to slope away from the building and be properly
drained. None of those requirement was [sic] met in the Webber
house.
Water drained towards the house and flowed into
penetrations and cracks in the foundation walls. That water
flowed at velocities and quantities to erode crawlspace soils.
There were no vapor barrier or ventilation openings. Such
conditions created high levels of moisture vapor in the
crawlspace. The duct work and the floor framing in the
crawlspace had no insulation. The lack of insulation resulted
in a semi-conditioned space that would have been generally
heated and cooled with operation of the house air system.
Though the moisture-laden air had the potential for
condensation, it likely would only in severe exterior
temperature differential.
62. Cammack did not uncover any evidence that the installation of the
unit by Kuebler caused or contributed to the water problems in the
subfloor.
DAMAGES:
63. [Webber] alleges that Kuebler’s breach of contract and/or
negligence led to various expenses, including:
$111.78 for developing photographs used as trial exhibits
$234.00 for photo enlargements . . .
$1,689.00 for Baylor’s inspection and reinstallation of the
unit
$1,536.00 for water removal and installation of new flooring
$74.89 for a wet/dry vacuum. The evidence was not clear
whether this was a rental or purchase.
$180.00 for laundry expenses at laundromat while repairs
were made to utility room
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$180.00 for mileage expenses to and from the laundromat
$191.01 Court Costs
$15,324.48 for attorneys fees
$29,521.16 TOTAL
64. [Webber] testified that Morrow had rendered two bills for the
floor replacement—one related to the area around the washing
machine and one for the area around the air handler. Neither of
the bills were offered into evidence.
65. [Webber] and Kuebler did not discuss payment of legal fees if
a dispute arose and they were not addressed in Exhibits A and B.
MISC:
66. The evidence also did not support a finding as to the
following:
A. How long water had penetrated into the floor.
B. Whether or not [Webber] had ever checked the
condensate drain on the unit for blockage or spill-over or
other maintenance items on the unit that may have disclosed
developing or existing issues.
C. Whether or not liquid was found in the duct work or the
returns on the unit.
D. Whether or not the prior unit was level.
E. The dimensions of the utility room.
F. Whether or not the floor was actually wet when it was
being removed.
PART IV: CONCLUSIONS THEREON
1. [Webber] has the burden of proof on her claims.
Breach of Contract:
2. The evidence did not support a conclusion that Kuebler
breached any of its contractual obligations or that, if it did breach
its contractual obligations, that the breach caused the water
damage to the floor in the utility room and [Webber]’s other
claimed damages.
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Negligence:
3. Although the unit was not installed precisely according the
manufacturer’s installation instructions and the residential
building code, the evidence did not support the conclusion that the
water damage to the floor in the utility room and [Webber]’s other
claimed damages resulted from installation of the unit.
4. The evidence was sufficient to support the conclusion that
[Webber] suffered losses an[d] expenses—but they were not the
result of Kuebler’s negligence.
Misc:
5. The evidence does not support a conclusion that [Webber] met
her burden of proof on her claims nor that she should recover
from Kuebler under either cause of action for negligence or
breach of contract.
6. Kuebler is not responsible for [Webber]’s damages and losses.
Damages and Attorney Fees:
7. Because the evidence does not support the conclusion that
Kuebler’s installation of the unit was the responsible cause of the
water damage to [Webber]’s floor, under either breach of
contract or negligence, the court cannot award damages or
attorney fees.
PART V: JUDGMENT
IT IS THEREFORE CONSIDERED, ORDERED,
ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the above Findings of Fact
and Conclusions Thereon are incorporated herein as the Order
and Judgment of this court without further enumeration.
IT IS FURTHER CONSIDERED, ORDERED, ADJUDGED,
AND DECREED that based on the above Findings of Fact and
Conclusions Thereon, the Court finds in favor of the Defendant,
Kenneth Kuebler Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc, on Counts 1
and 2 and against Plaintiff.
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Appellant’s App. pp. 18–30 (record citations and footnotes omitted) (bold and
underline in original, italic emphasis added). Webber now appeals.
I. Timeliness of Webber’s Appeal
[6] The first issue we address is Kuebler’s argument that Webber’s appeal is
untimely. As stated above, the trial court entered its final judgment on
December 6, 2018. Webber therefore had until January 7, 20191 to file a notice
of appeal or file a motion to correct error. See Ind. Appellate Rule 9(A) (“A
party initiates an appeal by filing a Notice of Appeal with the Clerk (as defined
in Rule 2(D)) within thirty (30) days after the entry of a Final Judgment is noted
in the Chronological Case Summary.”); Ind. Trial Rule 59 (“The motion to
correct error, if any, shall be filed not later than thirty (30) days after the entry
of a final judgment is noted in the Chronological Case Summary.”).
[7] On December 28, 2018, Webber filed a motion with the trial court seeking a
thirty-day extension of the time limit to file a notice of appeal. The trial court
denied this motion on January 1, 2019, correctly explaining that Appellate Rule
9 does not permit a trial court to extend the time limits to file a notice of
appeal.2 See Tarrance v. State, 947 N.E.2d 494, 496 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011) (noting
that “‘no provision of the appellate rules permits trial courts to expand the time
1
Thirty days from December 6 is January 5. But in 2019, January 5 was a Saturday. Thus, the notice of
appeal was not due until the following Monday, January 7.
2
Indiana Trial Rule 72(E) does provide that, if service of a copy of a court’s entry is not evidenced in the
CCS, the court, “upon application for good cause shown, may grant an extension of any time limitation
within which to contest such ruling, order or judgment to any party who was without actual knowledge, or
who relied upon incorrect representations by Court personnel.”). Here, the trial court’s final judgment was
evidenced by a note in the CCS. See Appellant’s App. pp. 11–12. Trial Rule 72(E) is therefore inapplicable.
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limit prescribed by Appellate Rule 9.’”) (quoting Sewell v. State, 939 N.E.2d 686,
687 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010)).3
[8] Instead of filing a notice of appeal by January 7, 2019, Webber filed, on
January 3, 2019, what she styled as a “Motion for Relief From Judgment to
Correct Error Pursuant to Trial Rule 60(B).” Appellee’s App. p. 5
(capitalization altered).4 In this motion, Webber sought to “correct errors
regarding the judgment entered on December 6, 2018, pursuant to Ind. Trial
Rule 60(B)(1), due to a mistake having a prejudicial impact on the Plaintiff . . .
.” Id. at 5. Kuebler filed a response to Webber’s motion on January 8, 2019,
and, on January 18, 2019, the trial court denied Webber’s motion. The trial
court’s order stated, “Plaintiff's Motion should be denied—both as a motion for
relief from judgment under Trial Rule 60 and as a motion to correct error under
Trial Rule 59.” Appellant’s App. p. 36. Webber filed a notice of appeal on
February 6, 2019, sixty-two days after the trial court entered its final judgment
but only nineteen days after the trial court denied Webber’s post-judgment
motion.
[9] The timeliness of Webber’s appeal depends upon whether her post-judgment
motion was a motion for relief from judgment under Trial Rule 60(B) or a
motion to correct error under Trial Rule 59. If a party timely files a motion to
3
We note that Sewell was subsequently abrogated on other grounds by our supreme court in In re Adoption of
O.R., 16 N.E.3d 965, 971 (Ind. 2014), which held that the failure to timely file a notice of appeal results in
forfeiture of the right to appeal but does not deprive the court on appeal of jurisdiction.
4
The following day, Webber filed an identical motion that had also been signed personally by Webber.
Appellee’s App. pp. 8–10.
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correct error under Trial Rule 59, then “a Notice of Appeal must be filed within
thirty (30) days after the court’s ruling on such motion is noted in the
Chronological Case Summary or thirty (30) days after the motion is deemed
denied under Trial Rule 53.3, whichever occurs first.” Ind. Appellate Rule 9(A).
[10] However, there is no similar provision for extending the time in which a party
must file a notice of appeal following a motion for relief from judgment under
Trial Rule 60(B). See In re Paternity of P.S.S., 934 N.E.2d 737, 740 (Ind. 2010)
(holding that the propriety of a trial court’s order can only be challenged by way
of a timely notice of appeal or a timely motion to correct error) (citing App. R.
9(A)(1)). Indeed, it is well settled that “a motion for relief from judgment under
Indiana Trial Rule 60(B) is not a substitute for a direct appeal.” Id. (citing Gertz
v. Estes, 922 N.E.2d 135, 138 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010)). “‘Trial Rule 60(B) motions
address only the procedural, equitable grounds justifying relief from the legal
finality of a final judgment, not the legal merits of the judgment.’” Id. (quoting
Mid-West Fed. Sav. Bank v. Epperson, 579 N.E.2d 124, 129 (Ind. Ct. App. 1991)).
[11] Here, Kuebler argues that Webber’s post-judgment motion should be
considered a motion for relief from judgment, not as a motion to correct error.
Kuebler notes that Webber cited Trial Rule 60(B)(1) as the basis for her motion
and made no mention of Trial Rule 59.
[12] But Webber also ambiguously titled her motion a “motion for relief from
judgment to correct error.” Appellee’s App. p. 5 (emphasis added). Moreover, the
grounds for relief listed in the motion were:
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1. Defendant’s acts and/or omissions by Defendant were the
proximate cause of damages to Plaintiff’s home, in that Kenneth
Keubler stated in his deposition (among other statements) to the
effect that he, in fact, did make a mistake when installing
Plaintiff’s air unit.
2. Kenneth Keubler agreed in his testimony that the damage to
Plaintiff s floor could have been caused by Defendant’s
acts/omissions, as follows: a. condensation which rotted out
Plaintiff’s floor was caused by Defendant’s failure to insulate the
supply plenum; b. the unit was not level when it was installed,
which caused the A-coil to drain out onto Plaintiff’s floor.
3. Kenneth Keubler stated that the air unit was not level (and/or
that he did not check whether it was level) after the installation,
which is against applicable building codes that Defendant must
follow.
4. Petitioner’s witness, Ethan Gresham, was not viewed by the
Court as an expert witness, although the Court should have due
to Mr. Gresham’s years of experience and also a certification in
HVAC, and therefore, Mr. Gresham is an expert witness, due to
his expert knowledge in HVAC that an ordinary lay witness
would not have.
5. Kenneth Keubler testified that he did not read the installation
instructions prior to the unit’s installation.
6. Plaintiff s witness, Mike Morrow, had an illness, which kept
him from being deposed or being a witness at the trial.
Appellee’s App. pp. 5–6.
[13] None of these claims for relief allege any mistake, surprise, or excusable neglect
as set forth in Trial Rule 60(B)(1) as grounds for relief from judgment. Instead,
they simply allege error in the trial court’s judgment. Therefore, despite the fact
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that Webber’s post-judgment motion refers to Trial Rule 60(B), the substance of
her motion was to correct alleged error in the trial court’s judgment. We
therefore consider Webber’s post-judgment motion to be, in substance, a
motion to correct error, which acted to extend the time within which Webber
had to file her notice of appeal. See Hubbard v. Hubbard, 690 N.E.2d 1219, 1221
(Ind. Ct. App. 1998) (declining to favor form over substance and treating
appellee-respondent’s motion, captioned as a motion to reconsider, as a motion
to correct error).
II. Negligence
[14] Turning to Webber’s claims, she argues that the trial court clearly erred by
failing to conclude that Kuebler was negligent per se because of his failure to
install the air-conditioning unit pursuant to the applicable Posey County
residential building codes.
A. Standard of Review
[15] The parties requested that the trial court enter findings of fact and conclusions
of law. Accordingly, on appeal we
determine whether the evidence supports the findings and
second, whether the findings support the judgment. In deference
to the trial court’s proximity to the issues, we disturb the
judgment only where there is no evidence supporting the findings
or the findings fail to support the judgment. We do not reweigh
the evidence, but consider only the evidence favorable to the trial
court’s judgment. Challengers must establish that the trial court’s
findings are clearly erroneous. Findings are clearly erroneous
when a review of the record leaves us firmly convinced a mistake
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has been made. However, while we defer substantially to findings
of fact, we do not do so to conclusions of law. Additionally, a
judgment is clearly erroneous under Indiana Trial Rule 52 if it
relies on an incorrect legal standard. We evaluate questions of
law de novo and owe no deference to a trial court’s
determination of such questions.
McCauley v. Harris, 928 N.E.2d 309, 313 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010), trans. denied.
[16] Additionally, as the party who bore the burden of proof, Webber appeals from a
negative judgment. See Smith v. Dermatology Assocs. of Fort Wayne, P.C., 977
N.E.2d 1, 4 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012). On appeal, we will reverse a negative
judgment only if it is contrary to law. Id. In determining whether a judgment is
contrary to law, we consider only the evidence in the light most favorable to the
appellee, together with all the reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom. Id.
The party appealing from a negative judgment must demonstrate that the
evidence points unerringly to a conclusion other than that reached by the trial
court. Id.
[17] Our supreme court recently explained the difference between the clearly-
erroneous standard and the negative-judgment standard as follows: “In [the
former], the inquiry is essentially whether there is any way the trial court could
have reached its decision. In the [latter], it is whether there is no way the court
could have done so.” Town of Brownsburg v. Fight Against Brownsburg Annexation,
124 N.E.3d 597, 602 (Ind. 2019) (citation and internal quotation marks
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CT-274 | October 24, 2019 Page 24 of 27
omitted) (emphasis in original).5 It is under this limited standard that we review
Webber’s claims of error.
B. Negligence Per Se
[18] “The unexcused or unjustified violation of a duty proscribed by a statute or
ordinance constitutes negligence per se if the statute or ordinance is intended to
protect the class of persons in which the plaintiff is included and to protect
against the risk of the type of harm which has occurred as a result of its
violation.” Am. United Life Ins. Co. v. Douglas, 808 N.E.2d 690, 704 (Ind. Ct.
App. 2004), trans. denied (citing Town of Montezuma v. Downs, 685 N.E.2d 108,
112 (Ind. Ct. App. 1997), trans. denied). For the violation of a statute or
ordinance to constitute negligence per se, the trier of fact must first determine
whether the statute or ordinance is applicable. Id. (citing Dawson ex rel. Dawson
v. Long, 546 N.E.2d 1265, 1268 (Ind. Ct. App. 1989), trans. denied). If the statute
or ordinance is applicable, the trier of fact must determine whether a violation
of the statute or ordinance occurred. Id. If there was such a violation, the
question then becomes whether the violation proximately caused the plaintiff’s
injury. Id. “Negligence per se supplies liability, but the plaintiff must still prove
causation and damages just as in any other negligence claim.” Id. (citing City of
Gary ex rel. King v. Smith & Wesson, Corp., 801 N.E.2d 1222, 1245 (Ind. 2003)).
5
Our supreme court observed that the distinction between the clearly-erroneous standard and the negative-
judgment standard is “[a]rguably . . . a distinction without a difference.” Id. (citation and internal quotation
marks omitted).
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[19] Here, Webber contends that there was clear evidence that the building code
applied, that Kuebler violated this ordinance, and that her damages resulted
from this violation. Kuebler contends that Webber waived any reliance upon
the doctrine of negligence per se by failing to include such a claim in her
complaint and by failing to argue such before the trial court.
[20] Even if we were to assume that negligence per se applied under these facts and
circumstances, Webber would not prevail, as there was ample evidence
supporting the trial court’s conclusion that the air-conditioning unit as installed
by Kuebler did not proximately cause the damage to Webber’s flooring.
Kenneth testified that he found no evidence of moisture in the unit, did not find
any signs of an overflow in the drain pan, and did not see any condensation
when he ran the air conditioner. Cammack’s extensive investigation also found
no evidence that the air-conditioning unit installed by Kuebler contributed to
the damage to Webber’s flooring. Webber’s appellate argument is little more
than a request that we consider the evidence favoring her claim, disregard the
evidence favoring the trial court’s judgment, and come to a conclusion opposite
that reached by the trial court. This is not within our prerogative as an appellate
court.
Conclusion
[21] Because Webber’s post-judgment motion was, in substance, a motion to correct
error, her notice of appeal was timely filed. And even assuming that Kuebler’s
installation of the air-conditioning unit in Webber’s home was contrary to the
controlling ordinance and constituted negligence per se, there was still evidence
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from which the trial court, acting as the trier of fact, could conclude that the
manner in which Kuebler installed the unit did not proximately cause the
damage to Webber’s flooring. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial
court.
[22] Affirmed.
May, J., and Brown, J., concur.
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