FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT:
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEES:
MARK VAN DER MOLEN
BETH L. BROWN
Merrillville, Indiana
Kelly Law Offices
Crown Point, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
THOMAS LONGHI,
)
)
Appellant-Defendant,
)
)
vs.
)
No. 45A03-0812-CV-609
)
LOUIS MAZZONI & LORRAINE
)
MAZZONI,
)
)
Appellees-Plaintiffs.
)
)
APPEAL FROM THE LAKE SUPERIOR COURT
The Honorable Diane Kavadias Schneider, Judge
Cause No. 45D01-9907-CP-496
______________________________________________________________________________
October 8, 2009
OPINION - FOR PUBLICATION
BROWN, Judge
2
Thomas Longhi appeals the trial court‟s judgment in favor of Louis and Lorraine
Mazzoni. Longhi raises several issues, which we revise and restate as:
I. Whether the trial court erred in piercing the corporate veil of Schema
Development Company, LLC (“Schema LLC”); and
II. Whether the trial court erred when it awarded the Mazzonis treble
damages.
We affirm.
The facts most favorable to the Mazzonis follow. Schema Development Company
Inc. (“Schema Inc.”) and Deep River Pointe Development Corporation (“DRPDC”) were
formed to purchase, finance, and develop a residential real estate subdivision (the
“Project”) known as Deep River Development in Hobart, Indiana. Longhi was a
shareholder in Schema Inc. and an officer of both Schema Inc. and DRPDC.
Longhi was an architect whose role in the Project was to be the representative on-
site, assist with sales, meet with customers and help them with the selection process of
their finishes, and serve as a liaison between customers and the construction
superintendent for the Project.
Longhi was a “family friend” of the Mazzonis. Transcript at 88. Louis knew
Longhi‟s parents for “50, 60 years” and knew Longhi “since he was born.” Id. Longhi
contacted Louis Mazzoni by telephone regarding an offer to build a house for them in the
residential subdivision Project. Louis told