[Cite as Kirkner Elec., Inc. v. Rydarowicz , 2020-Ohio-3362.]



## IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO

SEVENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT COLUMBIAN A COUNTY

KIRKNER ELECTRIC INC.,
Plaintiff-Appellee,

v. JOHN RYDAROWICZ, JENNIFER RYDAROWICZ
Defendants-Appellants.

OPINION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY Case No. 19 CO 0041

Civil Appeal from the Columbiana County Municipal Court of Columbiana County, Ohio Case No. 2018 CV F 000420

BEFORE: Gene Donofrio, Cher y l L. Waite, Carol Ann Robb, Jud g es.

JUDGMENT: Affirmed

Atty. Fredric Kannensohn, Atty. Samuel Jordan , 4531 Belmont Avenue, Suite 2C, Youngstown, Ohio 44505, for Plaintiff-Appellee and
Atty. Mark Lavelle , 940 Windham Court, Suite 7, Youngstown, Ohio 44512, for Defendants-Appellants.– 2 –

Case No. 19 CO 0041 Dated: June 12, 2020

Donofrio, J.
{¶1} Defendants-appellants, John and Jennifer Rydarowicz, appeal fr om a Columbiana County Municipal Court judgment in favor of plaintif f-appellee, Kirkner Electric, Inc., on appellee’s claim for unjust enrichment, foll owing a bench trial. {¶2} Appellants began construction of their new home in 2016. Appe llants hired Digger Quality Homes (Digger) to frame the house. On Dig ger’s recommendation, appellants contacted appellee to handle the electrical work. {¶3} In March 2016, appellants met with Brant Griffith. Griffith h as worked as an electrician for appellee for over 18 years and was in charge of this project. The parties agreed that appellee would do the electrical work for the new h ome. But they never
entered into a written contract. {¶4} According to Griffith, appellant John Rydarowicz initially tol d him the house was going to be approximately 2,000 square feet . Griffith estimated the project at $5 per square foot and gave appellants an estimate of $10,000 to compl ete the electrical work.
When Griffith later went to the site of the new house, after it had been framed, he saw that the house was actually closer to 3,000 square feet. Griff ith then told appellants that the project was going to cost more than the $10,000 he initiall y quoted them. {¶5} According to John, when he and his wife met with Griffith, Gri ffith told him the price would be $10,000 “give or take.” He stated that Grif fith never told him a price per square foot. John also stated he gave every contractor who worked on his house a set of blueprints, which listed the square footage of the house as 2,912 square feet. {¶6} In October 2016, appellee sent appellants the first bill in th e amount of $7,452.42. Appellants paid the first bill in full. At that po int, the project was not yet complete and appellants knew they still owed more for the elect rical work. {¶7} In March 2017, the project was complete. Appellee sent appell ants the second bill in the amount of $9,633.09. According to John, the y were surprised at the amount appellee said they owed. John stated that he contacted Griffith, who told him they would work something out. John further stated that he con tacted appellee’s owner– 3 –

Case No. 19 CO 0041 who told him to pay what he thought was fair. Appellants made payments of $2,500 and $3,000 on the second bill. {¶8} Appellee then filed a complaint against appellants asserting a claim for unjust enrichment and seeking judgment in the amount of $4,133. 09, the balance remaining on the second b ill, plus interest. {¶9} The matter proceeded to a bench trial where the court heard te stimony from Griffith, John, and Jenna. The court found that appellee competently performed the electrical work and billed appellants in accordance with indust ry standards. The court determined it would be unjust to permit appellant to benefit fr om the work without payment. Therefore, the court awarded judgment in favor of app ellee in the amount of $4,133.09 with interest. {¶10} Appellants filed a timely notice of appeal on October 15, 2019 . They now raise a single assignment of error for this court’s review. {¶11} Appellants’ assignment of error states:

THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FINDING THE MANIFEST WEIGHT OF PLAINTIFF-APPELLEES [sic.] EVIDENCE PROVED ALL THE
ELEMENTS OF UNJUST ENRICHMENT.

{¶12} Appellants agree that appellee conferred a benefit on them and that they knew of the benefit. But they argue that the trial court’s fin ding that it would be unjust for
them not to make an additional $4,133.09 payment to appellee wa s against the manifest weight of the evidence. Appellants contend the court accepted Griffith’s testimony as truthful and disregarded John’s testimony. They assert the cou rt accepted John’s testimony that the work was completed as expected but that it d isregarded John’s testimony that appellee’s owner told him to pay what was fair. Moreover, appellants argue the trial court rewarded appellee for “sloppy business practice s” by awarding it a 70- percent increase beyond the initial quote when there was no wri tten contract for the job. {¶13} When reviewing civil appeals from bench trials, an appellate c ourt applies a manifest weight standard of review. Revilo Tyluka, L.L.C. v. Simon Roofing & Sheet Metal Corp ., 193 Ohio App.3d 535, 2011-Ohio-1922, 952 N.E.2d 1181 (8th Di st.), citing App.R. 12(C), Seasons Coal v. Cleveland , 10 Ohio St.3d 77, 461 N.E.2d 1273 (1984).– 4 –

Case No. 19 CO 0041 Judgments supported by some competent, credible evidence going to all the material elements of the case must not be reversed as being against the manifest weight of the
evidence. C.E. Morris Co. v. Foley Constr. Co ., 54 Ohio St.2d 279, 376 N.E.2d 578, syllabus (1978). See, also, Gerijo, Inc. v. Fairfield , 70 Ohio St.3d 223, 226, 638 N.E.2d 533 (1994). Reviewing courts must oblige every reasonable pres umption in favor of the lower court's judgment and finding of facts. Gerijo , 70 Ohio St.3d at 226 (citing Seasons
Coal Co ., supra). In the event the evidence is susceptible to more th an one interpretation, we must construe it consistently with the lower court's judgmen t. Id . In addition, the weight to be given the evidence and the credibility of the witn esses are primarily for the
trier of the facts. Kalain v. Smith , 25 Ohio St.3d 157, 162, 495 N.E.2d 572 (1986). {¶14} We must examine the evidence presented at trial in examining w hether the trial court’s judgment was against the manifest weight of the e vidence. {¶15} Griffith was appellee’s sole witness. Griffith testified that he first met with appellants in March 2016. (Tr. 9). He stated that there was n o general contractor on the job. (Tr. 10). Instead, he simply met with appellants and the y told him what they wanted in their new home. (Tr. 10). Griffith guesstimated that he me t with appellants on three occasions before he started work at their new house. (Tr. 11). Griffith testified that he never saw a set of plans for the house during these meetings. (Tr. 11). {¶16} Griffith testified that the parties never entered into a writt en contract. (Tr. 12). He stated that appellants told him the house was going to be 2,000 square feet. (Tr. 12). Believing the house would be approximately 2,000 square f eet, Griffith estimated a cost of $10,000 to $12,000 based on $5 per square foot. (Tr. 1 2, 29). {¶17} Griffith stated that he realized the house was more than 2,000 square feet when he went to the house to start the “rough in.” (Tr. 14). This occurred in June 2016. (Tr. 15). At that point, Griffith stated he told appellants th e project was going to cost more than he had originally quoted but he did not tell them how much more at that time. (Tr. 15, 30). He stated that appellants did not voice any complaint s to him at that time. (Tr. 17). {¶18} Griffith testified that $5 per square foot was an industry ave rage for Mahoning and Columbiana County at that time for this type of el ectrical work. (Tr. 31).– 5 –

Case No. 19 CO 0041 {¶19} As to the money paid to appellee, Griffith testified that appe llee sent appellants a bill in September 2016, for $7,452 after the “roug h in” was complete, which appellants paid in full. (Tr. 17; Ex. A). Appellee sent appell ants a second bill in March 2017, after the entire job was complete for $9,633.09. (Tr. 17 ; Ex. A). Appellants paid $2,500 toward the second bill in July 2017 and another $3,000 t oward the second bill in September 2017. (Tr. 17; Ex. A). Griffith stated there still r emained a balance of $4,133.09, which appellants have not paid. (Tr. 17; Ex A). {¶20} Griffith also testified regarding Exhibit E, which included cop ies of the work cards for the three electricians who worked on appellants’ hous e. The work cards reflected 289 total hours worked. (Tr. 19-20; Ex. E). And Grif fith testified as to Exhibits F and G, which were invoices from YESCO and receipts from Home De pot for materials for the project. (Tr. 21-22; Ex. F, G). Finally, he testified tha t the standard markup on supplies is 15 percent. (Tr. 22-23). {¶21} Next, John testified for appellants. John stated that he and J enna were the general contractors for their new house. (Tr. 35-36). They co ntacted appellee to do the electrical work based on a referral from a contractor they had hired to frame the house. (Tr. 36). John stated that they met with Griffith and Griffith told them the project would cost $10,000 “give or take.” (Tr. 38). John testified that wa s the only time the parties discussed the price before the final bill. (Tr. 38). He state d that the original plans were never modified. (Tr. 38). He stated that he gave every contra ctor a set of plans that showed the house was to be 2,912 square feet. (Tr. 46-47). Jo hn testified that Griffith never gave him a specific price per square foot and never told him there was a 15 percent markup on supplies. (Tr. 39). {¶22} John testified that when he received the first bill for $7,452 , he paid it. (Tr. 39). He believed the first bill was for the “roughing” and he knew that there would still be another bill when the project was completed. (Tr. 40). When h e received the second bill for $9,633.09, however, he was surprised by the amount. (Tr. 4 0). John testified that he contacted Griffith, who told him they would work something out. (Tr. 40). Several months later, John stated that he spoke with appellee’s owner who told him to pay what he thought was fair. (Tr. 41). John stated that after they paid $5,500 t oward the second bill, he thought the matter was settled. (Tr. 41).– 6 –

Case No. 19 CO 0041 {¶23} Finally, John testified that he was not taking issue with the quality of the work or the number of hours worked. (Tr. 47). {¶24} Jenna also testified. She stated the only time Griffith ever mentioned that the project would cost more than $10,000 was when they were wal king through the house and she informed him of where she wanted lights located and he told her it would be “a little more than” $10,000. (Tr. 50). {¶25} Unjust enrichment exists when the plaintiff demonstrates: (1) a benefit to the defendant conferred by the plaintiff; (2) knowledge by the defendant of the benefit; and (3) retention of the benefit by the defendant under circums tances where it would be unjust to do so without payment. Hambleton v. R.G. Barry Corp ., 12 Ohio St.3d 179, 183, 465 N.E.2d 1298 (1984). {¶26} In this case, appellants concede that elements one and two wer e met. They agree that appellee conferred a benefit on them and they k new of the benefit. Furthermore, appellants do not take issue with the quality of a ppellee’s work or the number of hours it took to complete the project. {¶27} The only issue then is whether there is competent, credible ev idence supporting the trial court’s finding that retention of the bene fit by appellants without payment of the remainder of the bill would be unjust. {¶28} Appellants’ argument here is that the trial court erred in bel ieving Griffith’s testimony in full and not believing all of John’s testimony. B ut the trier of fact is free to believe all, part, or none of each witnesses' testimony. State v. Matthews , 7th Dist. Mahoning No. 08-MA-49, 2009-Ohio-3254, ¶ 55, citing State v. Nichols , 85 Ohio App.3d 65, 76, 619 N.E.2d 80 (4th Dist.1993). Thus, it was up to the trial court, as the finder of fact, to determine whether Griffith’s and John’s testimonies we re accurate as to each of the matters they testified to. {¶29} Griffith testified that the $10,000 price he quoted appellants was based on appellants’ representation that their new house was to be 2,000 square feet. He further testified that once he learned that the house was actually almo st 3,000 square feet, he told appellants the price was going to increase. Appellee then billed appellants in accordance with industry standards for the amount of hours work ed.– 7 –

Case No. 19 CO 0041 {¶30} Because Griffith’s testimony supports the trial court’s judgme nt, the court’s judgment is not against the manifest weight of the evidence. W e are to give every reasonable presumption in favor of the trial court’s judgment a nd finding of facts. Gerijo

, 70 Ohio St.3d at 226 (citing Seasons Coal Co ., supra). In conducting a manifest weight of the evidence review in a civil case, “[a] finding of an erro r of law is a legitimate ground for reversal, but a difference of opinion on credibility of wit nesses and evidence is not.”
Seasons Coal , 10 Ohio St.3d at 81. Thus, even if this court may have reach ed a different conclusion, we could not reverse on that basis. {¶31} Accordingly, appellants’ sole assignment of error is without m erit and is
overruled. {¶32} For the reasons stated above, the trial court’s judgment is he reby affirmed.

Waite, P. J., concurs. Robb, J., concurs.[Cite as Kirkner Elec., Inc. v. Rydarowicz , 2020-Ohio-3362.]

For the reasons stated in the Opinion rendered herein, the sole assignment of error is overruled and it is the final judgment and order of th is Court that the judgment of the Columbiana County Municipal Court of Columbiana County, Ohio, is affirmed. Costs to be taxed against the Appellants. A certified copy of this opinion and judgment entry shall const itute the mandate in this case pursuant to Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Proc edure. It is ordered that a certified copy be sent by the clerk to the trial court to car ry this judgment into
execution.

NOTICE TO COUNSEL
This document constitutes a final judgment entry.