Ashton R. O'dwyer, Jr. and Alexis O'Dwyer Navarro Versus The Metairie Towers Condominium Association Board President Ronald T. Carter, Individually, and Board Member Jennifer Fagan, Individually, Advanced Property Restoration Services, LLC and Its Owner Jason Houp, Individually, Strategic Claim Consultants, LLC and Its Owner Brandon Lewis, Individually, Gno Property Management, LLC and Its President Robert Kirk Phillips, Individually, Jack K. Whitehead, Jr (A Professional Law Corporation) and Jack K. Whitehead, Jr., Individually, and Cynthia Bologna, Individually, and the Loeb Law Firm, LLC, J.bartholomew Kelly III, Individually, and Alvendia, Kelly & Demarest, LLC, Charles E. Sutton, Indivdually, and Sutton Law Firm, LLC, Brian D. Grubb, Individually, and Gravis Law Pllc, and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London Subscribing to Commercial Lines Policy No. Pxa0001321-01

CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 25, 2025
Docket24-CA-594
StatusUnknown

This text of Ashton R. O'dwyer, Jr. and Alexis O'Dwyer Navarro Versus The Metairie Towers Condominium Association Board President Ronald T. Carter, Individually, and Board Member Jennifer Fagan, Individually, Advanced Property Restoration Services, LLC and Its Owner Jason Houp, Individually, Strategic Claim Consultants, LLC and Its Owner Brandon Lewis, Individually, Gno Property Management, LLC and Its President Robert Kirk Phillips, Individually, Jack K. Whitehead, Jr (A Professional Law Corporation) and Jack K. Whitehead, Jr., Individually, and Cynthia Bologna, Individually, and the Loeb Law Firm, LLC, J.bartholomew Kelly III, Individually, and Alvendia, Kelly & Demarest, LLC, Charles E. Sutton, Indivdually, and Sutton Law Firm, LLC, Brian D. Grubb, Individually, and Gravis Law Pllc, and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London Subscribing to Commercial Lines Policy No. Pxa0001321-01 (Ashton R. O'dwyer, Jr. and Alexis O'Dwyer Navarro Versus The Metairie Towers Condominium Association Board President Ronald T. Carter, Individually, and Board Member Jennifer Fagan, Individually, Advanced Property Restoration Services, LLC and Its Owner Jason Houp, Individually, Strategic Claim Consultants, LLC and Its Owner Brandon Lewis, Individually, Gno Property Management, LLC and Its President Robert Kirk Phillips, Individually, Jack K. Whitehead, Jr (A Professional Law Corporation) and Jack K. Whitehead, Jr., Individually, and Cynthia Bologna, Individually, and the Loeb Law Firm, LLC, J.bartholomew Kelly III, Individually, and Alvendia, Kelly & Demarest, LLC, Charles E. Sutton, Indivdually, and Sutton Law Firm, LLC, Brian D. Grubb, Individually, and Gravis Law Pllc, and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London Subscribing to Commercial Lines Policy No. Pxa0001321-01) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Ashton R. O'dwyer, Jr. and Alexis O'Dwyer Navarro Versus The Metairie Towers Condominium Association Board President Ronald T. Carter, Individually, and Board Member Jennifer Fagan, Individually, Advanced Property Restoration Services, LLC and Its Owner Jason Houp, Individually, Strategic Claim Consultants, LLC and Its Owner Brandon Lewis, Individually, Gno Property Management, LLC and Its President Robert Kirk Phillips, Individually, Jack K. Whitehead, Jr (A Professional Law Corporation) and Jack K. Whitehead, Jr., Individually, and Cynthia Bologna, Individually, and the Loeb Law Firm, LLC, J.bartholomew Kelly III, Individually, and Alvendia, Kelly & Demarest, LLC, Charles E. Sutton, Indivdually, and Sutton Law Firm, LLC, Brian D. Grubb, Individually, and Gravis Law Pllc, and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London Subscribing to Commercial Lines Policy No. Pxa0001321-01, (La. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

ASHTON R. O'DWYER, JR., ET AL NO. 24-CA-594

VERSUS FIFTH CIRCUIT

THE METAIRIE TOWERS CONDOMINIUM COURT OF APPEAL ASSOCIATION BOARD PRESIDENT, ET AL STATE OF LOUISIANA

ON APPEAL FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 849-260, DIVISION "N" HONORABLE STEPHEN D. ENRIGHT, JR., JUDGE PRESIDING

September 25, 2025

MARC E. JOHNSON JUDGE

Panel composed of Judges Marc E. Johnson, Stephen J. Windhorst, and Timothy S. Marcel

AFFIRMED MEJ SJW TSM PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT, ASHTON R. O'DWYER, JR. In Proper Person

COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLEE, CERTAIN UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYD'S, LONDON SUBSCRIBING TO POLICY NO. PXA-0001321-01 Lori D. Barker Ashley E. Bane Victoria E. Pitre JOHNSON, J.

Plaintiff/Appellant, Ashton R. O’Dwyer, Jr., appeals the trial court’s

judgment sustaining peremptory exceptions of no cause of action, no right of

action, and prescription and dismissing his claims in favor of

Defendants/Appellees, Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, London Subscribing to

Policy No. PXA0001321-01, which was rendered in the 24th Judicial District

Court, Division “N”. For the following reasons, we affirm the trial court’s

judgment.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

This is Mr. O’Dwyer’s second appeal taken in this proceeding. The

following pertinent facts are recited in the first appeal, O’Dwyer v. Metairie

Towers Condominium Association Board President, 24-277, p. 1 (La. App. 5 Cir.

1/29/25), 404 So.3d 1059, 1063, writ denied, 25-282 (La. 5/20/25), 409 So.3d 216:

This matter arises from damages sustained to the Metairie Towers condominium complex on August 29, 2021, during Hurricane Ida, as well as a second incident on September 28, 2021 that allegedly caused additional damage to the property. Metairie Towers is a 219- unit condominium building located at 401 Metairie Road in Metairie, Louisiana. Mr. O’Dwyer alleges that he owns Unit 330, as well as an undivided interest in the common areas of the condominium complex. The Metairie Towers Condominium Association, Inc. (“MTCA”) is a non-profit corporation that manages the property through its Board of Directors.

On November 27, 2023, Mr. O’Dwyer filed this lawsuit alleging that the MTCA’s Board of Directors failed to secure adequate insurance for the property, squandered over $30 million dollars of insurance proceeds, and mishandled the repairs to the condominium complex. In addition to suing the Board of Directors and certain members, Mr. O’Dwyer also sued the MTCA’s insurer, Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, London, as well as contractors, property managers, consultants, attorneys, and public adjusters hired by the Board of Directors. Mr. O’Dwyer contends that the MTCA improperly paid the insurance proceeds to these individuals and entities, rather than utilizing them to repair Metairie Towers. Mr. O’Dwyer also contends that unit owners were repeatedly assured that the insurance proceeds would be sufficient to repair the property. However, he alleges that after two years, the Board of Directors reversed course in September 2023 and advised the unit owners that the remaining insurance proceeds were insufficient to rebuild the condominium complex, that the rebuild

24-CA-594 1 would require a large assessment against the unit owners, and that the unit owners should sell the property rather than attempting to rebuild it. Mr. O’Dwyer filed his petition for damages shortly thereafter, in November 2023.

In his petition1, Mr. O’Dwyer generally alleged that Certain Underwriters at

Lloyd’s, London (hereinafter referred to as “Underwriters”) breached its duties

under tort law, contract law, and warranty law in the handling of the claims

associated with Policy No. PXA0001321-01 (hereinafter referred to as “the

Policy”). He argued that Underwriters owed him the duty of good faith and fair

dealing, which included an affirmative duty to fairly and promptly adjust the

insurance claims arising out of the damage to his property at Metairie Towers and

to make a reasonable effort to settle the claims following receipt of satisfactory

proof of loss. Mr. O’Dwyer contended that Underwriters colluded with certain co-

defendants to procure their names in release documents and walk away from what

he described as “the train wreck” that Underwriters had engineered through their

alleged bad faith and mismanagement of the hurricane damage repair project, when

Underwriters’ own expert Building Consultant had opined should have been

completed for the expenditure of less than $5 million. He also argued that he had

the legal standing necessary to sue Underwriters directly because he paid the

premiums for the Policy intended to cover the costs to repair the damages to the

individual units. Mr. O’Dwyer further contended the “Declaration of

Condominium” in MTCA’s “Condominium Documents” and the provisions of the

Louisiana Condominium Act, specifically La. R.S. 9:1123.112, provided that the

issuance of an insurance policy for a condominium association was for the use and

benefit of the unit owners.

1 Mr. O’Dwyer’s petition also captioned Alexis O’Dwyer Navarro as a plaintiff. Underwriters’ exceptions of no right of action, no cause of action, and prescription were sustained against Mrs. Navarro, in addition to Mr. O’Dwyer. However, Mrs. Navarro did not appeal the trial court’s judgment; thus, this opinion does not pertain to the rulings rendered against her. See, Healthlogic Partners, L.L.C. v. Owen, 22-47 (La. App. 5 Cir. 11/2/22), 362 So.3d 824, 842, writ denied, 22-1885 (La. 2/24/23), 356 So.3d 334; Anderson v. Anderson, 20-186 (La. App. 5 Cir. 12/23/20), 309 So.3d 868, 878.

24-CA-594 2 In opposition to Mr. O’Dwyer’s petition, Underwriters filed peremptory

exceptions of no cause of action, no right of action, and prescription. In its motion,

Underwriters averred Mr. O’Dwyer had neither a cause of action nor a right of

action because the Policy provided for the payment of a covered loss to covered

property in excess of the applicable policy deductible solely to MTCA—the name

insured—and the Policy did not provide for payment to individual unit owners or a

stipulation pour autrui. It maintained that the Policy, when read in conjunction

with La. R.S. 9:1123.112, only benefitted the named insured, with all payments to

be made to the named insured, with MTCA holding all such funds in trust and

making the appropriate allocations to unit owners—if there were funds available

after making repairs for the common elements. It also maintained that Mr.

O’Dwyer’s bad faith claim failed under La. R.S. 22:1892 and 1973 because those

circumstances only apply to liability coverages, and the Policy provided coverage

exclusively for commercial first party insurance, meaning there could be no

liability to non-insureds. Underwriters further averred that Mr. O’Dwyer’s petition

was filed outside of the two-year provision in the Policy from the underlying

events, making any claims under the Policy and/or La. R.S. 22:1892 or 1973

prescribed.

To counter Underwriters’ exceptions, Mr. O’Dwyer filed an opposition

memorandum on August 16, 2024, arguing that his petition was primarily premised

upon La. C.C. art. 2315; and, his allegations had to be accepted as true, in the

absence of evidence to the contrary. He then asserted that MTCA owned no

property and never had an insurable interest in the 401 Metairie Road property,

which caused the individual unit owners to be the intended insurers of the Policy.

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Ashton R. O'dwyer, Jr. and Alexis O'Dwyer Navarro Versus The Metairie Towers Condominium Association Board President Ronald T. Carter, Individually, and Board Member Jennifer Fagan, Individually, Advanced Property Restoration Services, LLC and Its Owner Jason Houp, Individually, Strategic Claim Consultants, LLC and Its Owner Brandon Lewis, Individually, Gno Property Management, LLC and Its President Robert Kirk Phillips, Individually, Jack K. Whitehead, Jr (A Professional Law Corporation) and Jack K. Whitehead, Jr., Individually, and Cynthia Bologna, Individually, and the Loeb Law Firm, LLC, J.bartholomew Kelly III, Individually, and Alvendia, Kelly & Demarest, LLC, Charles E. Sutton, Indivdually, and Sutton Law Firm, LLC, Brian D. Grubb, Individually, and Gravis Law Pllc, and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London Subscribing to Commercial Lines Policy No. Pxa0001321-01, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ashton-r-odwyer-jr-and-alexis-odwyer-navarro-versus-the-metairie-lactapp-2025.