COA to hear 4 cases; one at Plainfield High School

The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear arguments in four cases next week, including one on the road at Plainfield High School.

A three-judge panel will hear arguments Monday in Meridian Insurance v. Cha Cha, Inc., No. 53A01-0608-CV-352, which poses the question of whether the period for restoration of a business damaged by fire in an adjoining building should be decided by the courts or through the appraisal process.

The following day two panels will hear afternoon arguments – David Scholtman v. Taza Café, 49A05-0608-CV-475 and Terry Huber, et al. v. Danny W. Sering, et al., 54A01-0604-CV-162. The 1 p.m. arguments in Schlotman will be at Plainfield High School. The case addressed the issue of whether a carry-out restaurant, Gyro Joint, had a common-law duty to protect a patron – in this case one attacked while eating at an outdoor table at the establishment. Scholtman asserts that duty was breached in light of multiple criminal complaints against the establishment, while the eatery argued it did not have a duty and the injuries weren’t foreseeable.

Following arguments in that case, panel judges Edward Najam, Melissa May, and Paul Mathias will answer questions about the judicial process.

In Huber, judges will consider at 1:30 p.m. whether forfeiture of a real estate contract is valid when a party has paid more than 20 percent of the purchase price.

Final arguments of the week are scheduled for Wednesday in Frank Nagy v. Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corp, No. 82A05-0609-CV-488. This argument is a sequel to a class action suit decided by the Indiana Supreme Court last year on the constitutionality of certain school fees to compensate the school district’s budget. Justices decided a $20 fee charged by the district was unconstitutional. Now, the successful challengers are asking the court to determine whether they are “prevailing party” for purposes of being awarded attorney fees.