Read "ALL" of the Contract.

Under Ohio law, there is a doctrine called the "parol evidence rule."  This rule has nothing to do with the "parole" that a prisoner gets when he/she is released from prison early.     The "parol evidence rule" dictates that if there is a written contract between two or more parties, any previous or subsequent "oral" statements or promises made by one of the parties that is different from what is contained in the written contract, are essentially unenforceable (unless there is "fraud" involved).   The Cuyahoga Court of Appeals recently reaffirmed this rule in the case of Falivene v. Bob Schmidt Homes, Inc..  In that case, home purchasers were stuck with the strict written provisions of the purchase agreement they signed - regardless of what they claimed they were told by the home building company.    The home buyers lost this appeal when the Court applied the "parol evidence rule."  They were not happy campers, and this lawsuit soured some friendships.  The advice here is simple and obvious, you have to read ALL provisions of ALL of the contacts you sign - and perhaps have a lawyer explain some of the less-than-clear provisions.  Call us if you have problems with an issue like this.