Burdick v. Burd Brothers, Inc.

Citations

• 2019 Ohio 1593

Syllabus

Ex-employee and wife, shareholders in family-owned trucking business, appeal court decision dismissing claims for attorney fees and for the value of alleged shareholder benefits, a company car, which the couple alleged were provided to other shareholders but denied to them following the ex-employee's termination. Shareholders had no statutory right to attorney fees limited to demonstrating bad faith. No bad faith where ex-employee sent one attorney letter demanding corporate records, company responded by stating that production of the records was unnecessary and invited additional discussion. Ex-employee did not respond filed a complaint over a year later. Shareholders failed to prove that company cars were shareholder benefits as opposed to employment benefits. Ex-employee had been chief financial officer and referred to his and wife's vehicle as part of \employment compensation package.\