American Home Assurance Co. v. Abrams

69 F. Supp. 2d 339, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15229, 1999 WL 791676
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedSeptember 30, 1999
Docket3:96CV01684(GLG)
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 69 F. Supp. 2d 339 (American Home Assurance Co. v. Abrams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Home Assurance Co. v. Abrams, 69 F. Supp. 2d 339, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15229, 1999 WL 791676 (D. Conn. 1999).

Opinion

OPINION

GOETTEL, District Judge.

In this declaratory judgment action, 1 American Home Assurance Company *342 seeks a declaration that certain claims asserted by defendants Falconeri, on behalf of the Stergius Estate, and by Montemur-ro, on behalf of the Montemurro Estate, against the late James M.S. Ullman, Esq., are not covered by a Lawyer’s Professional Liability policy which it issued to James M.S. Ullman, P.C. 2 Ullman’s Estate has counterclaimed against American Home for breach of contract for failing to provide a defense to claims asserted against the Estate and for violation of Connecticut’s Unfair Insurance Practices Act (“CUI-PA”), C.G.S.A. § 38a-815, et seq. Subsequently, defendant Falconeri filed a counterclaim against American Home for breach of contract, bad faith, and violation of CUIPA and Connecticut’s Unfair Trade Practices Act (“CUTPA”), C.G.S.A. § 42-110a, et seq.

American Home now moves for summary judgment [Doc. # 51], and Falcon-eri, as Executor of the Estate of Stergius, has cross-moved for summary judgment [Doc. # 63]. 3 Following oral argument on the motions, the Court renders its decision granting the motion for summary judgment of American Home and denying the cross-motions of the defendants.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

It is well-established that a motion for summary judgment will not be granted unless the Court determines that there is no genuine issue of material fact to be tried and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Rule 56(c), Fed.R.Civ.P.; see generally Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The substantive law governing the case identifies those facts that are material on a motion for summary judgment. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. A dispute regarding a material fact is genuine “if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Aldrich v. Randolph Cent. Sch. Dist., 963 F.2d 520, 523 (2d Cir.1992) (internal citation and quotations omitted). The party moving for summary judgment bears the burden of showing that there exists no genuine dispute about an issue of material fact. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 159, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). In assessing the record to determine whether a genuine dispute as a material fact exists, the Court is required to resolve all ambiguities and draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the nonmovant. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505.

FACTS

The facts in this case are essentially undisputed.

At all relevant times, James M.S. Ull-man (“Ullman”) was an attorney practicing law in Meriden, Connecticut. By written application dated April 24, 1993, Ullman, as president of James M.S. Ullman, P.C., 4 applied to American Home for renewal of his lawyer’s professional liability (“LPL”) *343 policy. The policy that was issued, Policy No. LPL 7053308, was a “elaims-made” 5 policy with a policy period from September 8, 1998, to September 8, 1994, and with liability limits of $200,000 per claim and $600,000 in the aggregate, subject to a stated per-claim deductible.

In 1994, Ullman was criminally charged with first-degree larceny as a result of his alleged embezzlement of clients’ funds. On the day of his scheduled court appearance, August 24, 1994, Ullman committed suicide.

Two days later, James W. Abrams (“Abrams”) was appointed Temporary Administrator of Ullman’s Estate. Abrams testified in his deposition that he was aware of the criminal charges against Ull-man and, upon his appointment, he went to the Ullman law office, had the locks changed and secured the files. He stated that the office was in considerable disarray; it looked like the “fall of Saigon.” He reviewed all of Ullman’s active files and sent letters to all of the active clients, his major concern being the running of statutes of limitations.

On August 29, 1994, Abrams faxed a letter to the insurance agency, Kronholm & Keeler, Inc., which stated:

To Whom It May Concern:
I have been appointed Temporary Administrator of the Estate of James M.S. Ullman, your insured on the above-referenced policy. I have reason to believe that claims may be made against the Estate, which may involve liability under the policy, and hereby give you notice of the existence of such claims.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

This letter was forwarded by Kronholm & Keeler to American Home.

On that same day, Kronholm & Keeler wrote a letter to American Home, which bears the heading “First Report,” and states that on August 25, 1994, they had seen “the enclosed newspaper article” regarding James M.S. Ullman, which “contains potential claims information which we are putting the company on notice of. Please give this your attention.” The attached article reported that Ullman had taken his own life after he was arrested on charges of stealing $166,000 from a couple who had hired him to represent them at the closing of a mortgage refinancing. The article stated that, according to the detective’s affidavit, the couple had given Ullman this money to pay off their old mortgage but, instead, Ullman had stolen the money and had attempted to cover up the theft through bad checks, wire transfers, and altered copies of checks. The article also mentioned ten grievances that had been filed with the Statewide Grievance Committee against Ullman and a dispute between Ullman and the State Department of Transportation (“DOT”) over collections Ullman had performed for DOT but never remitted to DOT.

On August 30, 1994, Kronholm & Keeler again faxed the same newspaper clipping to American Home, stating on the cover sheet that “this is to put the co. on notice.” On September 2, 1994, the agency sent another facsimile to American Home indicating that another potential claim against Ullman had been received and that all insurance information was being sent (presumably to the third party).

Defendant Falconeri has also submitted handwritten notes of William Powell, a professional liability claims adjuster with American Home, dated September 6 and 7, 1994, regarding “various claimants” under Ullman’s “200/600 policy.” His notes indicate that American Home was aware of Ullman’s suicide, that they had received several claims, and that Abrams had been appointed the Temporary Administrator of the insured’s estate.

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Bluebook (online)
69 F. Supp. 2d 339, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15229, 1999 WL 791676, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-home-assurance-co-v-abrams-ctd-1999.