DocketNumber: No. 81612.
Judges: TIMOTHY E. McMONAGLE, J.:
Filed Date: 4/3/2003
Status: Non-Precedential
Modified Date: 4/18/2021
{¶ 2} The record reflects that appellees entered into vehicle purchase agreements with Spitzer dealerships that were memoralized in form "buyer's agreement[s]" prepared by Spitzer. The buyers' agreements both included a pre-printed $97.50 charge for "dealer overhead," a charge that appellees contend was imposed in addition to the price of the vehicle, sales tax, and license and documentation fees that were otherwise charged in conjunction with the transactions.
{¶ 3} On July 18, 2001, appellees filed their Second Amended Complaint, in which they alleged that imposing a $97.50 "dealer overhead" charge in conjunction with the sale or lease of motor vehicles to consumers violates Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act, R.C.
{¶ 4} On July 3, 2002, the trial court granted appellees' motion to certify a class consisting of:
{¶ 5} "All consumers who, between August 7, 1996 and the present, have purchased or leased new or used vehicles from Spitzer Management or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, franchisees and/or dealerships that it owns, manages, directs and/or controls and have been charged, in conjunction with such lease or purchase, a fee for "dealer overhead" in excess of the advertised price, sales tax and document and title fees, and any other fee permitted under Ohio law to be charged to a consumer in a motor vehicle sale or lease transaction." This class could include nearly 60,000 members.
{¶ 6} Subsequently, the trial court entered an order denying appellants' motion for summary judgment regarding appellees' claims for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and punitive damages.
{¶ 7} Appellants timely appealed, raising five assignments of error for our review.
{¶ 8} In assignments of error one through four, appellants contend that the trial court abused its discretion in certifying the class because: 1) the class is not identifiable or unambiguous; 2) appellees' claims are not typical of those of the class; 3) appellees do not fairly and adequately represent the interests of the class; and 4) appellees failed to satisfy the requirements of Civ.R. 23(B) regarding class certification.
{¶ 10} In its opinion and order dated July 3, 2002 granting appellees' motion for class certification, the trial court found that all seven requirements were satisfied in this case. Appellants challenge nearly every finding made by the trial court.
{¶ 12} In their first assignment of error, appellants contend that the trial court abused its discretion in certifying the class because it is neither identifiable nor unambiguous.
{¶ 13} According to appellants, the class definition is overbroad because it includes persons whose claims are barred by the two-year statute of limitations applicable to CSPA claims. Appellees' allegations, however, are not limited to CSPA violations alone. Appellees have also alleged fraud and negligent misrepresentation, both of which are subject to the four-year statute of limitations set forth in R.C.
{¶ 14} Appellants also claim that the class is not readily identifiable because identifying class members will require highly individualized determinations into such matters as the purpose behind each member's transaction (i.e., whether the person acquiring the motor vehicle intended to use it for personal or commercial purposes) and whether each class member relied on advertisements or other specific representations in connection with the transaction.
{¶ 15} The Ohio Supreme Court considered and rejected a similar argument, however, in Hamilton, supra. In Hamilton, the plaintiffs sought certification with respect to groups of bank customers who had obtained residential mortgage loans from the defendant bank and been charged interest at rates other than those set forth in the loan agreements. As is the case here, the proposed classes were defined in terms of the charges imposed on customers. The defendant-bank claimed, however, that the proposed class definition was indefinite because it would be necessary to make individual inquiries about each individual class member's subjective intent and awareness of his or her loan terms in order to determine whether the individual was part of the class. The Ohio Supreme Court rejected this argument, stating:
{¶ 16} "The focus at this stage is on how the class is defined. `The test is whether the means is specified at the time of certification to determine whether a particular individual is a member of the class.' The question as to whether there are differing factual and legal issues `does not enter into the analysis until the court begins to consider the Civ.R. 23(B)(3) requirements of predominance and superiority.'"Hamilton, supra,
{¶ 17} Likewise, in this case, as the trial court determined:
{¶ 18} "The court need only look to the actions or practices of Spitzer to determine whether an individual is a member of the proposed class. Spitzer used a form `buyer's agreement' with respect to the sale and lease of its vehicles, and this form `buyer's agreement' included a pre-printed charge for `dealer overhead' in the amount of $97.50. Spitzer has records of all individuals who previously signed such `buyer's agreement[s]' and paid the $97.50 fee. As such, it would be administratively feasible to determine whether a particular person is a member of the class. Accordingly, plaintiffs have satisfied the requirement of showing that the class is sufficiently identifiable."
{¶ 19} Appellants' first assignment of error is therefore overruled.
{¶ 21} Civ.R. 23(A) provides that "one or more members of a class may sue or be sued as representative parties on behalf of all only if * * * 3) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class."
{¶ 22} The requirement of typicality serves the purpose of protecting absent class members and promotes the economy of class action by ensuring that the interests of the named plaintiffs are substantially aligned with those of the class. Baughman v. StateFarm Mut. Auto Ins. Co.,
{¶ 23} "Typicality" does not mean, however, that the class representative's claims must be identical to those of all class members. Rather, a representative's claim "is typical if it arises from the same event or practice or course of conduct that gives rise to the claims of other class members, and if his or her claims are based on the same legal theory. When it is alleged that the same unlawful conduct was directed at or affected both the named plaintiff and the class sought to be represented, the typicality requirement is usually met irrespective of varying fact patterns which underlie individual claims." Baughman, supra,
{¶ 24} Here, it is apparent that appellees' claims arise from the same conduct, and are based on the same legal theories, that underlie the claims of other class members: Spitzer's practice of imposing a $97.50 "dealer overhead" charge in its consumer transactions through the use of a form "buyer's agreement" that includes the charge as a pre-printed entry. As the trial court noted, "[P]laintiffs' situation is exactly that of other members of the class."
{¶ 25} Spitzer argues, however, that appellees may not have been subjected to, and thus may not have relied on, the same precise representations that were made to other class members, and, therefore, their claims are not typical of those of other class members. As the Ohio Supreme Court noted in Baughman, however, "generally a defense of non-reliance is not destructive of typicality. * * * `Defenses asserted against a class representative should not make his or her claims atypical. Defenses may affect the individual's ultimate right to recover, but they do not affect the presentation of the case on the liability issues for the plaintiff class.'" Baughman, supra,
{¶ 26} In short, Spitzer has provided no basis for its argument that appellees will "advance claims that are not of interest to some class members and will not pursue issues that are pertinent to others" and we find nothing in the record to support such a claim. Appellants' second assignment of error is therefore overruled.
{¶ 28} A class representative is considered adequate as long as its interest is not antagonistic to the interest of other class members.Hamilton, supra,
{¶ 29} Appellants first claim that appellees are inadequate representatives because, since their claims are not barred by the two-year statute of limitations applicable to the CSPA, they will have no incentive to litigate this issue on behalf of other class members whose claims may be barred. This argument was rejected, however, by the Ohio Supreme Court in Hamilton:
{¶ 30} "That a statute of limitations may bar the claims of some, but not all, class members does not compel a finding that individual issues predominate over common ones. * * * Rather, as long as there is a sufficient nucleus of common issues, differences in the application of a statute of limitations to individual class members will not preclude certification under Rule 23(b)(3)." Hamilton, supra,
{¶ 31} Moreover, although a two-year statute of limitations applies to claims for actual damages under the CSPA, a four-year statute of limitations applies to appellees' fraud and negligent misrepresentation claims. Appellants have not provided any basis for their assertion that appellees will not advance the claims of all class members within the broadest applicable statute of limitations.
{¶ 32} Appellants next argue that appellees are not adequate representatives because class members would be entitled to seek treble damages and perhaps rescission in individual suits, whereas such damages are not available in class actions brought pursuant to the CSPA. The fact that the CSPA limits the damages available in class actions to actual damages, while at the same time permitting recovery of treble damages in individual actions, however, does not make appellees inadequate representatives. First, Ohio's CSPA specifically authorizes consumer class actions. R.C.
{¶ 33} Finally, appellants contend that in order for a consumer to demonstrate that a supplier has committed a deceptive consumer sales practice in violation of R.C.
{¶ 34} As alleged by appellees in their Second Amended Complaint, appellees' claims are based on Spitzer's practice of making representations through the use of form documents that are routinely used in all of Spitzer's consumer transactions. Such forms were used in Spitzer's transactions with appellees. As the Ohio Supreme Court has noted, "class action treatment is appropriate where the claims arise from standardized forms or routinized procedures, notwithstanding the need to prove reliance." Hamilton, supra,
{¶ 35} Finally, we note that even if there were a real question as to this point, any doubts about adequate representation, potential conflicts, or class affiliation should be resolved in favor of upholding the class, subject to the trial court's authority to amend or adjust its certification order as developing circumstances demand, including the augmentation or substitution of representative parties. Hamilton, supra,
{¶ 36} Appellants' third assignment of error is therefore overruled.
{¶ 38} Civ.R. 23(B)(3) provides that in order to certify a class in an action for damages, the trial court must make two findings. First, it must find that questions of law or fact common to the members of the class predominate over any questions affecting only individual members; and second, the court must find that a class action is superior to other available methods for the fair and efficient adjudication of the controversy.
{¶ 39} As the Ohio Supreme Court has stated, "It is not sufficient that common questions merely exist; rather, the common questions must represent a significant aspect of the case and they must be able to be resolved for all members of the class in a single adjudication. And, in determining whether a class action is a superior method of adjudication, the court must make a comparative evaluation of the other procedures available to determine whether a class action is sufficiently effective to justify the expenditure of judicial time and energy involved therein."Schmidt v. Avco Corp. (1984),
{¶ 40} Appellants contend that appellees failed to establish that common questions of law and fact predominate over questions affecting individual class members and, further, that a class action is not a superior method of adjudication because a separate inquiry is necessary to decide the merits of each class member's claim. We disagree.
{¶ 41} The Ohio Supreme Court has noted on several occasions that class certification is warranted in situations where the questions of law and fact arise from identical or similar form documents, such as those used by Spitzer in this case.
{¶ 42} In Cope v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. (1998),
{¶ 43} The Ohio Supreme Court rejected this argument, however, noting that "it is now well established that `a claim will meet the predominance requirement when there exists generalized evidence which proves or disproves an element on a simultaneous, class-wide basis, since such proof obviates the need to examine each class member's individual position.'" Id., quoting Lockwood Motors, Inc. v. Gen. Motors Corp.
(D.Minn. 1995),
{¶ 44} Likewise, in In re Consol. Mtge. Satisfaction Cases,
supra,
{¶ 45} "[Class defendants] contend, and the court of appeals found, that class certification is inappropriate because to determine liability * * * `each [class member] must establish his status as a residential mortgagor, the fact and the date of the satisfaction of the indebtedness, and the date that the satisfaction of the mortgage was recorded.' Thus, the appellate court concluded that the standard for compliance with the predominance requirement of Civ.R. 23(B)(3) could not be met because `[t]he proof of these elements requires a separate evidentiary showing on the part of each [class member]." Id. at ¶ 9.
{¶ 46} As in Cope, the Supreme Court rejected that argument, finding:
{¶ 47} "Clearly, the claims brought by each plaintiff invoke a common question of law: whether a particular lender violated its duty to record a satisfaction of mortgage. In resolving this common question, the trial court of course will be presented with different evidence relating to each lender's failure to record a satisfaction of a residential mortgage. While appellees assert that sifting through these facts in a class action suit will be arduous, we are not compelled to agree. The mere existence of different facts associated with the various members of a proposed class is not by itself a bar to certification of that class. If it were, then a great majority of motions for class certification would be denied. Civ.R. 23(B)(3) gives leeway in this regard and permits class certification when there are facts common to the class members." Id. at ¶ 10. Thus, the Supreme Court made clear that where the plaintiff's claims invoke a common question of law, the mere fact that evidence as to each transaction would have to be gathered did not preclude the finding of a common question of law or fact, nor did it preclude class certification.
{¶ 48} Here, as the trial court found, "the common questions of law and fact arise from the same form "buyer's agreement" with the pre-printed charge. The essence of each putative class member's complaint is the same and relates to the alleged improper charge made by Spitzer." Appellees allege a common scheme that can be proven through the use of form documents and standardized procedures, thus demonstrating a factual commonality among class members. Accordingly, the fact that some individual evidence will need to be gathered regarding each transaction does not preclude a finding that common questions predominate.
{¶ 49} We next consider whether a class action is the superior method to be utilized in achieving a fair and efficient adjudication of this controversy. As noted by the Ohio Supreme Court in Hamilton, "the purpose of Civ.R. 23(B)(3) was to bring within the fold of maintainable class actions cases in which the efficiency and economy of adjudication outweigh the interests of individual autonomy." Thus, the court noted, "this portion of the rule also was expected to be particularly helpful in enabling numerous persons who have small claims that might not be worth litigating in individual actions to combine their resources and bring an action to vindicate their collective rights." Id.,
{¶ 50} "In this case, questions of law and fact which have already been shown to be common to [the class] arise from identical or similar form contracts. The gravamen of every complaint within [the class] is the same and relates to the use of standardized procedures and practices. No individual has attempted to institute a parallel action or to intervene in this action, and it is unlikely that any new suits will be filed given the relatively small individual recoveries and the massive duplication of time, effort and expense that would be involved. While the class is numerically substantial, it is certainly not so large as to be unwieldy. Class action treatment would eliminate any potential danger of varying or inconsistent judgments, while providing a forum for the vindication of rights of groups of people who individually would be without effective strength to litigate their claims. This appears to present the classic case for treatment as a class action, and cases involving similar claims or similar circumstances are routinely certified as such." Hamilton, supra,
{¶ 51} Likewise, in this case, the claims of putative class members arise from form contracts and standardized procedures. It does not appear that any other actions respecting Spitzer's practices have been brought by individual class members, nor has any individual class member sought to intervene in this action. The potential recovery on an action brought individually would be relatively limited and expensive, whereas a forum for collective vindication would give class members a method to economically assert their rights. Finally, while the class is numerically substantial, it is not so large as to be unwieldy. Accordingly, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in finding that appellees had met the requirements of Civ.R. 23(B)(3) and certifying this as a class action.
{¶ 52} Appellants' fourth assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 54} Section
{¶ 55} "(B) An order is a final order that may be reviewed, affirmed, modified, or reversed, with or without retrial, when it is one of the following:
{¶ 56} "(2) An order that affects a substantial right made in a special proceeding or upon a summary application in an action after judgment[.]"
{¶ 57} "Substantial right" means "a right that the United States Constitution, the Ohio Constitution, a statute, the common law, or a rule of procedure entitles a person to enforce or protect." R.C.
{¶ 58} "Special proceeding" means "an action or proceeding that is specially created by statute and that prior to 1853 was not denoted as an action at law or a suit in equity." R.C.
{¶ 59} Relying upon Deegan McGarry v. Med-Cor (1998),
{¶ 60} First, the "dispositive issue" presented in Deegan was whether an order granting class certification was a final, appealable order, not whether actions brought pursuant to the CSPA are actions brought in a special proceeding. Deegan,
{¶ 61} Even assuming, however, without deciding, that appellees' claims for violation of the CSPA are brought in a "special proceeding," it is apparent that the trial court's order denying appellants' motion for summary judgment did not affect a "substantial right." Although a party to litigation may incur substantial expenses, avoiding the potential payment of such expenses is not a "legal right entitled to enforcement and protection by law" nor did the trial court's order denying appellants' motion for summary judgment "deprive [appellants] of a remedy which [they] would otherwise possess." Chef Italiano Corp. v. Kent State Univ.
(1989),
{¶ 62} It is well-established that an order denying a motion for summary judgment is an interlocutory order not subject to immediate appeal. See, e.g., Celebrezze v. Netzley (1990),
{¶ 63} Lacking a final appealable order pursuant to R.C.
Affirmed in part; dismissed in part.
Colleen Conway Cooney, P.J. And Anthony O. Calabrese, J. Concur.