[Cite as Dotson v. Bledsoe, 2016-Ohio-4598.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS 

ELEVENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT 

TRUMBULL COUNTY, OHIO 

BRYAN M. DOTSON, : O P I N I O N 

 Plaintiff-Appellant, : 

 CASE NO. 2015-T-0120

 - vs - : 

REGGIE BLEDSOE, : 

 Defendant-Appellee. : 

Civil Appeal from the Niles Municipal Court, Case No. 15 CVI 00666. 

Judgment: Affirmed. 

Benjamin Joltin, Benjamin Joltin, L.L.C., 106 South Broad Street, Canfield, OH 44406-

8063 (For Plaintiff-Appellant). 

John C. Pfau, Pfau, Pfau & Marando, 3722 Starr’s Centre Drive, P.O. Box 9070, 

Youngstown, OH 44513 (For Defendant-Appellee). 

CYNTHIA WESTCOTT RICE, P.J. 

{¶1} Appellant, Bryan M. Dotson, appeals from the judgment of the Niles 

Municipal Court, after a trial to the bench, ruling in favor of appellee, Reggie Bledsoe. 

We affirm. 

{¶2} On September 18, 2015, appellant filed a small claims complaint in the 

Niles Municipal Court, naming appellee the sole defendant. Appellant alleged 

“Defendant was hired to transport a motor vehicle that Plaintiff purchased from Michigan 

to [appellant] in Niles, OH. Defendant did not properly load and/or transport the motor 
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vehicle which caused damage.” The matter proceeded to trial after which the trial court 

entered judgment in appellee’s favor. The court’s judgment entry provided: 

{¶3} “The Court finds for the Defendant and dismisses the case at Plaintiff’s 

cost for the following reasons: 1. The Plaintiff contracted with Turning Point Transport 

LLC, not the Defendant. 2. The only evidence supporting Plaintiff’s claims suggest that 

the seller of the vehicle was responsible for damages caused. 3. Plaintiff’s exclamation 

of his claimed damages was vague and unsupported.” 

{¶4} Appellant filed a timely appeal, but failed to file a transcript of the 

proceedings. For his sole assignment of error, he asserts: 

{¶5} “Whether the trial court erred in dismissing appellant’s small claims 

complaint for suing appellee individually rather than his corporation, Turning Point 

Transport, LLC and whether appellee was the individual responsible for the damages 

alleged.” 

{¶6} Appellant’s assignment of error argues the trial court erred in dismissing 

the case for failing to name appellee’s company, Turning Point Transport, LLC, as a 

party defendant because, appellee, as the sole shareholder, was the alter ego of his 

company. In effect, appellant contends the trial court, given the evidence, should have 

permitted him to pierce the corporate veil, regardless of his failure to file a supplemental 

complaint. 

{¶7} Appellant’s entire argument relies upon facts and evidence purportedly 

received by the trial court during trial. Appellant, however, failed to include a transcript 

of the proceedings or a suitable substitute. App.R. 9 requires that the party challenging 

the trial court’s decision prove the alleged error through references to the record. Knapp 
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v. Edwards Laboratories, 61 Ohio St.2d 197, 199 (1980). Where a transcript is 

necessary for resolving errors assigned on appeal, the appealing party is obligated to 

provide that transcript. Id. See also Buckley v. Ollila, 11th Dist. Trumbull No. 98-T0177, 2000 Ohio App. LEXIS 787, *2 (Mar. 3, 2000). 

{¶8} Appellant’s arguments are premised upon his rendition of the events that 

precipitated the filing of the underlying complaint. A trial transcript is accordingly 

necessary for this court to assess his arguments. Because there was no transcript of 

the hearing or some other acceptable alternative as set out in App.R. 9(C) or App.R. 

9(D), appellant cannot demonstrate the claimed error. Accordingly, this court must 

presume the regularity of the trial court proceedings as well as the validity of its 

judgment. See, e.g., Lambert v. Lambert, 11th Dist. Portage No. 2004-P-0057, 2005-

Ohio-2259, ¶18. 

{¶9} Appellant’s assignment of error lacks merit. 

{¶10} For the reasons discussed in this opinion, the judgment of the Niles 

Municipal Court is affirmed. 

DIANE V. GRENDELL, J., 

THOMAS R. WRIGHT, J., 

concur.