Amerisure Insurance v. ML & Associates, Inc. (In re ML & Associates, Inc.)

320 B.R. 109, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 116
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedJanuary 27, 2005
DocketBankruptcy No. 00-37462-SAF-7; Adversary No. 03-3442
StatusPublished

This text of 320 B.R. 109 (Amerisure Insurance v. ML & Associates, Inc. (In re ML & Associates, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Amerisure Insurance v. ML & Associates, Inc. (In re ML & Associates, Inc.), 320 B.R. 109, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 116 (Tex. 2005).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

STEVEN A. FELSENTHAL, Chief Judge.

Following a jury trial, Hiram “Chip” Johnson, the counter-plaintiff, filed a mo[112]*112tion for the entry of a judgment (doc. no. 106). Amerisure Insurance Company, the counter-defendant, also filed a motion for the entry of a judgment (doc. no. 107), renewing portions of its pre-verdict motion for judgment (doc. no. 100). Amerisure filed a motion to strike Johnson’s motion (doc. no.. 115). As a separate matter, Am-erisure filed a motion for leave to file an amended complaint (doc. no. 110). The court conducted a hearing on the motions on January 6, 2005.

Amerisure brought a declaratory judgment action against ML & Associates, Inc., the debtor, the City of Highland Village and Johnson to determine coverage under Amerisure’s commercial general liability insurance policies for a suit by the city concerning ML & Associates’ construction of a building. With his answer, Johnson filed a counter-claim, later amended, seeking a declaration that Amerisure owes a duty to defend and.to indemnify ML & Associates and Johnson regarding the city’s law suit, and that Amerisure breached its contract with Johnson, causing damages. Johnson also alleged a claim for a breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing and a violation of Article 21.21 of the Texas Insurance Code. National American Insurance Company (NAICO) issued a performance bond to guaranty ML & Associates’ performance on the construction of the building for the city. Johnson guaranteed the performance bond. Johnson also seeks a declaration that Amerisure must indemnify Johnson for payments made on his guaranty to NAICO.

Amerisure and Johnson both filed motions for summary judgment. In a memorandum opinion and order entered on December 1, 2003, the court held that Amerisure had a duty to defend ML & Associates on count four of the third amended petition filed by the city, but denied without prejudice the motions addressing a declaration of a duty to indemnify ML & Associates. The court denied Johnson’s motion for summary judgment regarding the alleged duty to defend and indemnify Johnson and regarding his causes of action for damages. Amerisure Insurance Co. v. ML & Associates, Inc. (In re ML & Associates, Inc.), 302 B.R. 857 (Bankr.N.D.Tex.2003).

The parties consented to the bankruptcy judge presiding over the jury trial of the remaining issues between Amerisure and Johnson. The court granted a motion to intervene filed by NAICO.

Before conducting the jury trial, the court reconsidered its jurisdiction. See transcript of August 20, 2004. ML & Associates’ insurance policies with Amerisure constitute property of the bankruptcy estate. Houston v. Edgeworth (In re Edgeworth), 993 F.2d 51, 55 (5th Cir.1993). The determination of coverage under the policies could have a conceivable effect on the administration of the ML & Associates’ bankruptcy case. 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b); Matter of Wood, 825 F.2d 90, 93 (5th Cir.1987). In addition, Johnson asserted that ML & Associates agreed to indemnify Johnson for payments on the performance bond, either in his alleged capacity as an officer or director, or by separate contract. Determination of the coverage under the policies as to Johnson could therefore also have a conceivable effect on a claim he may bring against the bankruptcy estate. Id. Consequently, the court has jurisdiction.

The court entered the parties’ joint pretrial order. The court conducted the jury trial on November 1-3, 2004.

At the close of Johnson’s case, the court granted a judgment that Amerisure had no duty to defend Johnson. The jury returned a verdict on the remaining special issues. The jury found that Johnson was [113]*113not an insured under the commercial general liability insurance policy issued by Amerisure to ML & Associates beginning on August 1, 1999. The jury also found that Johnson was not an insured under the commercial general liability insurance policy issued by Amerisure to ML & Associates beginning on August 1, 2000.

The jury found that Amerisure breached its duty to defend ML & Associates, causing Johnson to suffer $75,000 in damages. The jury found that Amerisure failed in good faith to effectuate a prompt, fair and equitable settlement of a claim brought by the city against ML & Associates, but that did not cause Johnson to suffer damages.

Before addressing the competing motions for judgment, the court considers Amerisure’s motion to strike Johnson’s motion for judgment. Amerisure assumes that Johnson has filed his motion under Fed.R.Civ.P. 50(b). Rule 50 is made applicable by Bankruptcy Rule 9015. Rule 50(b) requires a motion for judgment under Rule 50(a)(2) before submission of the case to the jury. Johnson did not lodge a motion for judgment before submission of the case to the jury. Amerisure contends, therefore, that Johnson may not prosecute a motion for judgment after the trial. Johnson replies that he only seeks a judgment under Rule 58, made applicable by Bankruptcy Rule 7058, based on the jury’s verdict. As discussed below, Johnson departs from the trial issues to matters beyond the amended counter-claim and pretrial order. In addition, Johnson concedes that he asks the court to enter a judgment for him notwithstanding the jury’s determination that he was not an insured under the Amerisure policies. In effect, Johnson seeks a judgment as a matter of law. The court accepts Johnson’s principal position that he only seeks the entry of a judgment under Rule 58. The court addresses Johnson’s request regarding the “insured” issue in order to enter a final judgment. But the court will not consider evidence not presented at trial. In anticipation of a motion under Rule 59, made applicable by Bankruptcy Rule 9023, Johnson may not present evidence that he should have presented at trial. For these reasons, the court denies Amerisure’s motion to strike Johnson’s motion for judgment.

Amerisure is entitled to a judgment based on the jury’s findings that Johnson was not an insured under the Amerisure policies and on the court’s ruling at the conclusion of Johnson’s case. Amerisure shall have a judgment declaring that it had no duty to defend Johnson and that Amerisure had no duty to indemnify Johnson regarding the city’s third amended petition against ML & Associates.

Indeed, Johnson has not been named as a defendant by the city. See Dairyland County Mut. Ins. Co. of Texas v. Childress, 650 S.W.2d 770, 775 (Tex.1983). The Amerisure policy does not cover Johnson’s contractual obligations to make payments to NAICO.

Johnson asserts that the court should disregard the jury’s findings as a matter of law. As the court instructed the jury, under the Amerisure policies, to be an “insured,” Johnson had to be a director, a stockholder or an executive officer of ML & Associates during the time period of each of the Amerisure policies.

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Bluebook (online)
320 B.R. 109, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 116, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/amerisure-insurance-v-ml-associates-inc-in-re-ml-associates-inc-txnb-2005.