If this opinion indicates that it is “FOR PUBLICATION,” it is subject to 

revision until final publication in the Michigan Appeals Reports.

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S T A T E O F M I C H I G A N

C O U R T O F A P P E A L S

HOVITA A. SMITH,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

UNPUBLISHED

March 21, 2024

v No. 365495

Clinton Circuit Court

KEVIN RADEMACHER, LC No. 21-012104-NZ

Defendant-Appellee.

Before: M. J. KELLY, P.J., and BOONSTRA and CAMERON, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

Plaintiff appeals by right the trial court’s order granting defendant’s motion for summary 

disposition. We affirm.

I. PERTINENT FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Defendant, a licensed electrician, owned a residential property in Portland. He was in the 

process of remodeling the property when plaintiff approached him about purchasing it. On 

November 3, 2020, the parties entered into a real estate purchase agreement that provided for

plaintiff to purchase the property for “a total purchase price of $125,000.” Due to financing issues, 

the November 3, 2020 purchase agreement failed and the parties subsequently entered into a new 

real estate purchase agreement (which we will sometimes hereafter refer to as “the purchase 

agreement”) on January 19, 2021.

The purchase agreement provided, “Purchase Price Includes: Property, tear out, [r]eversal 

of stairs, rough-in of improvements per buyer, structural repairs as needed, exterior doors (3). 

Exterior improvements provided where removal of large trees and stump removal.” The purchase 

agreement also provided (as did the November 2020 purchase agreement) that defendant would 

correct at his own expense any “violations” found in connection with a building inspection. 

Additionally, the purchase agreement (and its predecessor) contained a merger clause stating, 

“This Agreement, when executed by both Buyer and Seller, shall contain the entire understanding 

and agreement between Buyer and Seller and Agent, if any, with respect to the matters referred to 

herein and shall supersede all prior or contemporaneous agreements, representations and 
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understanding with respect to such matters.” Neither purchase agreement contained any additional 

provisions regarding repairs to the property.

The sale of the property was completed in January 2021. In November 2021, plaintiff filed 

suit against defendant for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, promissory estoppel, fraudulent 

misrepresentation, silent fraud, and intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED). The basis 

for plaintiff’s contract and fraud claims was her allegation that she and defendant had reached a 

“verbal agreement” for the sale of the property before either written purchase agreement was 

executed. According to plaintiff, the terms of this alleged oral agreement required defendant to 

make several repairs and improvements to the property prior to closing, specifically, repairs and 

improvements that were not contained in the written purchase agreements. Plaintiff’s IIED claim 

was based on defendant’s alleged behavior towards her and her daughter when plaintiff spoke to 

defendant about performing repairs on the property.

Defendant moved for summary disposition under MCR 2.116(C)(10), arguing that the 

parties did not have an oral agreement and that plaintiff did not provide any evidence to support 

the remaining claims against defendant. Defendant’s motion was accompanied by plaintiff’s 

uniform residential loan application reflecting that plaintiff had applied for a $90,000 construction 

loan for “[a]lterations, improvements, [and] repairs.” Defendant also produced a $90,000 estimate 

and sworn statement prepared for plaintiff by “Jeff Sager Builder,” reflecting the estimated costs 

of repairs to the property. The repairs in the estimate included repairs that defendant had 

supposedly agreed to complete, according to plaintiff’s understanding of the alleged oral 

agreement. Plaintiff admitted during her deposition that she hired a general contractor to work on 

the property, and she admitted to paying several subcontractors, including defendant, to complete 

the repairs included in the estimate.

Following a hearing, the trial court granted defendant’s motion for summary disposition. 

It relied on the parties’ written purchase agreements, which governed the purchase price of the 

property and defendant’s obligation to make repairs, and the conflict that existed between the terms 

of the alleged oral agreement and the purchase agreements. The court also noted plaintiff’s 

testimony, which established that plaintiff hired a general contractor and paid subcontractors to 

complete the repairs and improvements provided in the alleged oral agreement. The trial court 

subsequently denied plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration. This appeal followed. On appeal, 

plaintiff does not challenge the trial court’s dismissal of her unjust enrichment claim.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

This Court reviews de novo a trial court’s decision on a motion for summary disposition.

Bailey v Antrim Co, 341 Mich App 411, 421; 990 NW2d 372 (2022) (quotation marks and citation 

omitted). “When considering such a motion, a trial court must consider all evidence submitted by 

the parties in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion.” El-Khalil v Oakwood 

Healthcare, Inc, 504 Mich 152, 160; 934 NW2d 665 (2019). “A motion under MCR 2.116(C)(10) 

may only be granted when there is no genuine issue of material fact.” Id. “A genuine issue of 

material fact exists when the record leaves open an issue upon which reasonable minds might 

differ.” Id. (quotation marks and citation omitted).
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This Court reviews for an abuse of discretion a trial court’s decision on a motion for 

reconsideration. Farm Bureau Ins Co v TNT Equip, Inc, 328 Mich App 667, 672; 939 NW2d 738 

(2019). “A trial court abuses its discretion if it chooses an outcome outside the range of principled 

outcomes.” Id.

III. ORAL AGREEMENT

Plaintiff argues that the trial court erred by holding that there was no genuine issue of 

material fact regarding whether she and defendant had entered into an enforceable oral agreement. 

We disagree.

To establish a breach-of-contract claim, plaintiff “must establish by a preponderance of the 

evidence that (1) there was a contract (2) which the other party breached (3) thereby resulting in 

damages to the party claiming breach.” Bayberry Group, Inc v Crystal Beach Condo Ass’n, 334 

Mich App 385, 393; 964 NW2d 846 (2020) (quotation marks and citation omitted). A valid 

contract requires five elements: “(1) parties competent to contract, (2) a proper subject matter, (3) 

legal consideration, (4) mutuality of agreement, and (5) mutuality of obligation.” AFT Mich v 

Michigan, 497 Mich 197, 235; 866 NW2d 782 (2015).

Whether a contract exists between plaintiff and defendant is a question of law. Aguirre v 

Michigan, 315 Mich App 706, 713; 891 NW2d 516 (2016). The requisite elements of a contract 

reflect that the parties must have “a meeting of the minds on all essential terms of a contract.” 

Calhoun Co v Blue Cross Blue Shield Mich, 297 Mich App 1, 13; 824 NW2d 202 (2012) (quotation 

marks and citation omitted). “A meeting of the minds is judged by an objective standard, looking 

to the express words of the parties and their visible acts, not their subjective states of mind.” Id. 

(quotation marks and citation omitted). “Where mutual assent does not exist, a contract does not 

exist.” Quality Prod and Concepts Co v Nagel Precision, Inc, 469 Mich 362, 372; 666 NW2d 251 

(2003).

Although plaintiff indicated in her complaint, in her reply to defendant’s summary 

disposition motion, and in her deposition testimony, that she believed that the alleged oral 

agreement for repairs was essentially part of the purchase agreement for the property, on appeal 

plaintiff argues that the trial court failed to recognize that the parties’ purchase agreement and 

alleged oral agreement were “separate and distinct issues.” Apart from the inconsistency of 

plaintiff’s positions, neither position has merit. The purchase agreement contained a merger clause 

indicating that the agreement “supersede[s] all prior or contemporaneous agreements, 

representations and understanding with respect to such matters.” The agreement states that the 

purchase price includes certain repairs, which defendant completed, and is silent as to the 

additional repairs that plaintiff claims defendant agreed to complete. “When a contract contains 

an express integration or merger clause, it is conclusive evidence that the agreement is the entire 

agreement, and parol evidence is not admissible.” Zwiker v Lake Superior State Univ, 340 Mich 

App 448, 476; 986 NW2d 427 (2022).

Regarding the alleged existence of a separate, oral agreement, a reasonable trier of fact also 

could not conclude that an oral agreement existed between the parties, separate from the written 

purchase agreement governing the sale of the property. See El-Khalil, 504 Mich at 160. Plaintiff 

has not shown that she provided defendant with any consideration for this alleged oral agreement. 
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See Innovation Ventures v Liquid Mfg, 499 Mich 491, 508-509; 885 NW2d 861 (2016). The record 

contains no evidence that plaintiff provided any consideration to defendant other than the purchase 

price required by the written purchase agreement. On the contrary, plaintiff consistently stated in 

her testimony and in her response to defendant’s motion for summary disposition that she paid 

defendant the purchase price for the property and expected defendant to complete the alleged oral 

agreement’s repairs and improvements in exchange. Therefore, without any evidence of 

consideration in the record, plaintiff cannot establish a valid, separate contract for defendant to 

have breached. See AFT Mich, 497 Mich at 235; Bayberry Group, 334 Mich App at 393.

The trial court did not err by granting defendant’s motion for summary disposition with 

respect to plaintiff’s breach of contract claim. Bailey, 341 Mich App at 421.

IV. PROMISSORY ESTOPPEL

Plaintiff also argues that the trial court erred by granting summary disposition of plaintiff’s 

promissory estoppel claim. We disagree.

Promissory estoppel requires “(1) a promise, (2) that the promisor should reasonably have 

expected to induce action of a definite and substantial character on the part of the promisee, and 

(3) that in fact produced reliance or forbearance of that nature in circumstances such that the

promise must be enforced if injustice is to be avoided.” Cove Creek Condo Ass’n v Vistal Land & 

Home Dev, Inc, 330 Mich App 679, 713; 950 NW2d 502 (2019) (quotation marks and citation 

omitted). “To determine whether a promise existed, courts must objectively evaluate the 

circumstances of the transaction, including the parties’ words, actions, and relationship.” Bodnar 

v St John Providence, Inc, 327 Mich App 203, 227; 933 NW2d 363 (2019).

Quasi-contractual remedies such as promissory estoppel are inapplicable when the parties 

have made an express contract covering the same subject matter. See H. J. Tucker & Assoc, Inc v 

Allied Chucker and Engineering Co, 234 Mich App 550, 573; 595 NW2d 176 (1999). In this case, 

the existence of the written purchase agreement with a merger clause is fatal to plaintiff’s claim. 

Id.; see also UAW–GM Human Resource Ctr v KSL Recreation Corp, 228 Mich App 486, 504-

505; 579 NW2d 411 (1998). The parties’ January 2021 purchase agreement indicated that the 

purchase price included the following, specified work that defendant would complete: “tear out, 

[r]eversal of stairs, rough-in of improvements per buyer, structural repairs as needed, exterior 

doors” as well as “removal of large trees and stump removal.” According to plaintiff, the alleged 

oral agreement included additional work to replace windows, HVAC installation, drywall 

installation, roof repair, and building a closet prior to closing. The purchase agreement directly 

addressed repairs to be completed by defendant and contained a merger clause. It would have been 

unreasonable for plaintiff to rely on a prior, oral agreement or promise that was not included in the 

written purchase agreement. See id.

Moreover, even if the express contract did not cover the same subject matter as the alleged 

promise, plaintiff failed to demonstrate a genuine issue of material fact that she relied upon a 

promise from defendant, separate from the purchase of the property. See Bodnar, 327 Mich App 

at 227. Plaintiff’s actions in closing on the property when repairs were not completed, hiring a 

contractor, obtaining a construction loan, and paying defendant as a subcontractor to complete 

electrical work all contradict her allegation that defendant had promised to repair the property and 
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that she relied on the promise. Plaintiff failed to produce any evidence establishing her reliance 

on defendant’s alleged promise, and the record establishes that any reliance by plaintiff would 

have been unreasonable in light of the parties’ purchase agreement. See Bodnar, 327 Mich App 

at 227; UAW–GM, 228 Mich App at 504.

The trial court did not err by granting defendant’s motion for summary disposition with 

respect to plaintiff’s promissory estoppel claim. Bailey, 341 Mich App at 421.

V. FRAUD CLAIMS

Plaintiff argues that the trial court erred by granting defendant’s motion for summary 

disposition regarding her fraud claims. We disagree.

A claim of fraudulent misrepresentation requires that:

(1) the [party] made a material representation; (2) the representation was false; (3) 

when the [party] made the representation, the [party] knew that it was false, or made 

it recklessly, without knowledge of its truth as a positive assertion; (4) the [party] 

made the representation with the intention that the [opposing party] would act upon 

it; (5) the [opposing party] acted in reliance upon it; and (6) the [opposing party] 

suffered damage. [Maurer v Fremont Ins Co, 325 Mich App 685, 695; 926 NW2d 

848 (2018) (quotation marks and citation omitted; alterations in original).]

Generally, “an action for fraud must be predicated upon a false statement relating to a past or 

existing fact; promises regarding the future are contractual and will not support a claim of fraud.” 

Cummins v Robinson Twp, 283 Mich App 677, 696; 770 NW2d 421 (2009). “Further, to establish 

a claim of fraudulent misrepresentation, the plaintiff must have reasonably relied on the false 

representation. There can be no fraud where a person has the means to determine that a 

representation is not true.” Id.

A reasonable trier of fact could not conclude that defendant made false representations to 

plaintiff or that plaintiff reasonably relied on any such representations. See El-Khalil, 504 Mich 

at 160. Plaintiff generally alleges that defendant made false representations to plaintiff regarding 

the parties’ alleged oral agreement. However, the record reflects that the alleged oral agreement 

related to future conduct. See Maurer, 325 Mich App at 695; Cummins, 238 Mich App at 696. 

Plaintiff admitted in her deposition that defendant’s alleged oral promise to perform repairs was 

in relation to future conduct. The record also reflects that if a representation from defendant about 

completing repairs existed, plaintiff had the means to determine that the representation was not 

true. See Cummins, 238 Mich App at 696.

To support a claim of silent fraud, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant knew of a 

material fact but concealed or suppressed the truth through false or misleading statements or 

actions and with the intent to deceive. Roberts v Saffell, 280 Mich App 387, 405; 760 NW2d 715 

(2008). For a claim of silent fraud to be actionable, there must be a party with a “legal or equitable 

duty to disclose” that has concealed a material fact “with an intent to defraud.” Maurer, 325 Mich 

App at 695. “[A] legal duty to make a disclosure will arise most commonly in a situation where 

inquiries are made by the plaintiff, to which the defendant makes incomplete replies that are 
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truthful in themselves but omit material information.” Hord v Environmental Research Institute 

of Mich, 463 Mich 399, 412; 617 NW2d 543 (2000).

In this case, the record contains no evidence that defendant had a legal or equitable duty to 

disclose information to plaintiff. See Maurer, 325 Mich App at 695. Further, although plaintiff 

has alleged that defendant made affirmative misrepresentations, plaintiff has not produced 

evidence of any omission by defendant that could be considered fraudulent. See Maurer, 325 

Mich App at 695; Roberts, 280 Mich App at 405. “An appellant may not merely announce his 

position and leave it to this Court to discover and rationalize the basis for his claims, nor may he 

give issues cursory treatment with little or no citation of supporting authority.” In re Warshefski, 

331 Mich App 83, 87; 951 NW2d 90 (2020) (quotation marks and citation omitted).

The trial court did not err by granting defendant’s motion for summary disposition with 

respect to plaintiff’s fraud claims. Bailey, 341 Mich App at 421.

VI. INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS

Plaintiff argues that the trial court erred by granting defendant’s motion for summary 

disposition regarding her IIED claim. We disagree.

“To establish a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress, a plaintiff must prove 

the following elements: (1) extreme and outrageous conduct, (2) intent or recklessness, (3) 

causation, and (4) severe emotional distress.” Swain v Morse, 332 Mich App 510, 534; 957 NW2d 

396 (2020) (quotation marks and citation omitted). “Liability attaches only when a plaintiff can 

demonstrate that the defendant’s conduct is so outrageous in character, and so extreme in degree, 

as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency, and to be regarded as atrocious and utterly 

intolerable in a civilized community.” Id. (quotation marks and citation omitted). Therefore, 

“[l]iability does not extend to mere insults, indignities, threats, annoyances, petty oppressions, or 

other trivialities.” Lucas v Awaad, 299 Mich App 345, 359; 830 NW2d 141 (2013) (quotation 

marks and citation omitted; alteration in original).

Plaintiff failed to establish the existence of a genuine issue of material fact regarding 

whether defendant acted in an “extreme and outrageous” way or whether plaintiff experienced 

severe emotional distress as a result. See El-Khalil, 504 Mich at 160; Swain, 332 Mich App at 

534. Plaintiff testified at her deposition that defendant was “belligerent” toward her and her 

daughter, and that he threw equipment into a trailer, entered plaintiff’s “personal space,” and called 

plaintiff a “bitch” and an “a**hole.” While the conduct alleged by plaintiff would not be 

considered well-mannered, this conduct did not go beyond “mere insults, indignities, threats, 

annoyances, petty oppressions, or other trivialities” so as to be considered extreme and outrageous.

Lucas, 299 Mich App at 359.
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The trial court did not err by granting defendant’s motion for summary disposition with 

respect to plaintiff’s IIED claim. Bailey, 341 Mich App at 421.

Affirmed.

/s/ Michael J. Kelly

/s/ Mark T. Boonstra

/s/ Thomas C. Cameron