Summary
In Hoppel v. Greater Iowa Corp. (1980), 68 Ohio App.2d 209, the Ninth Appellate District stated that if a case was pending in one state and the same case between the same parties was then filed in Ohio, the Ohio court has two options.
Summary of this case from Carpino v. Wheeling Volkswagen-SubaruOpinion
Nos. 9540 and 9558
Decided April 30, 1980.
Civil procedure — Conflict of laws — Courts — Jurisdiction — Prior action pending in another state — Not a defense to Ohio action.
1. The fact that an action is pending in another state does not constitute a defense to an action between the same parties over the same cause of action in Ohio.
2. An Ohio court's options, in this situation, are to grant a stay pending the resolution of the earlier action outside Ohio, or to maintain the action in this state; dismissal is not an option at this stage of the proceedings.
APPEALS: Court of Appeals for Summit County.
Aronson, Fineman Davis Co., L.P.A., Mr. Bernard Fineman and Mr. William J. Davis, for appellants.
Messrs. Roderick, Myers Linton, Mr. George T. Roderick and Mr. Robert F. Orth, for appellee Greater Iowa Corporation.
Roetzel Andress Co., L.P.A., and Mr. K. Richard Aughenbaugh, for appellee Dico Company, Inc.
Roetzel Andress Co., L.P.A., and Mr. Norman S. Carr, for appellee Fallsway Equipment Company, Inc.
Messrs. Day, Ketterer, Raley, Wright Rybolt, Mr. Larry R. Brown and Mr. James R. Blake, for appellee Monongahela Power Company.
These two cases have been consolidated on appeal. Plaintiff-appellant, Leonore Hoppel (executrix of the estate of Everett Hoppel), and plaintiff-appellant, Darryl Hoppel, each sued defendants in both the Court of Common Pleas of Summit County, Ohio, and in the Circuit Court of Hancock County, West Virginia (the actions in West Virginia were commenced first). The suits in both places share the same subject matter, the same issues, and the same parties. Plaintiffs' claims stem from an accident in which Everett Hoppel died and Darryl Hoppel was injured after they suffered contact with a 7200 volt power line in Hancock County, West Virginia.
These appeals arose after the Court of Common Pleas of Summit County, in separate proceedings, dismissed plaintiffs' claims upon defendants' motions for dismissal, or in the alternative, for a stay pending resolution of the West Virginia proceedings.
DISCUSSION.
Both appellants raise the following assignment of error:
"The court erred in dismissing the appellant's case upon the motions of the appellees, Greater Iowa Corporation, Dico Company, Inc. and Monongahela Power Company."
The fact that an action is pending in another state does not constitute a defense to an action between the same parties over the same cause of action in Ohio. Fox v. King Investment Lumber Co. (1926), 22 Ohio App. 469, 471; Berger v. Moessinger, Fritsch Co. (1891), 5 Ohio C.C. 432; 14 Ohio Jurisprudence 2d, Courts, Section 160. An Ohio court's options, in this situation, are to grant a stay pending the resolution of the earlier action outside Ohio, or to maintain the action in this state. Restatement of Conflict of Laws 2d, Section 86, Comment b. In other words, dismissal is not an option at this stage of the proceedings.
Therefore, we sustain the assignment of error of both appellants, reverse the judgments below, and remand these causes for further proceedings according to law.
Judgments reversed and causes remanded.
BELL, P. J., and VICTOR, J., concur.