Opinion ID: 1293411
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The appropriate forum for determining the scope of the arbitration clause.

Text: World Finance argues that under the terms of the arbitration agreement, arbitration is the proper forum for determining the scope of the arbitration agreement. Therefore, World Finance claims that the court of appeals erred in determining whether the arbitration agreement covered Aiken's claims without first submitting the issue to an arbitrator. We find that this issue is not properly preserved for review. In order to be preserved for appellate review, an issue must have been raised to and ruled upon by the trial court. Pye v. Estate of Fox, 369 S.C. 555, 564, 633 S.E.2d 505, 510 (2006). World Finance made no argument regarding the proper forum for determining the arbitrability of the underlying claims in either its motion to compel arbitration or in the hearing before the circuit court. Instead, World Finance's argument focused solely on the merits of the motion (i.e., whether Aiken's claims were within the scope of the arbitration agreement). Consequently, the trial court's order only addresses whether the scope of the arbitration agreement encompasses the underlying claims. We agree with the court of appeals that the issue of the proper forum for determining the scope of the arbitration agreement is not properly preserved for review. Accordingly, the court of appeals did not err in deciding the question of whether Aiken's underlying claims were within the scope of the arbitration agreement.