Aubrey Rogers Agency, Inc. v. AIG Life Insurance

55 F. Supp. 2d 309, 44 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1067, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10052, 1999 WL 455449
CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedJune 9, 1999
DocketCIV. A. 97-529 MMS
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 55 F. Supp. 2d 309 (Aubrey Rogers Agency, Inc. v. AIG Life Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Aubrey Rogers Agency, Inc. v. AIG Life Insurance, 55 F. Supp. 2d 309, 44 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1067, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10052, 1999 WL 455449 (D. Del. 1999).

Opinion

OPINION

SCHWARTZ, Senior District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Aubrey Rogers Agency, Inc. (“Aubrey”) sold credit life insurance and disability policies underwritten by defendant American International Group (“AIG”). In February 1995, AIG unilaterally terminated its relationship with Aubrey. Shortly thereafter, AIG exited the credit life insurance and disability business due to heavy losses.

This litigation stems from AIG’s decision to terminate its relationship with Aubrey. Both AIG and Aubrey have filed cross motions for partial summary judgment. In addition, AIG has filed a motion, pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 36(b), to have its responses to Aubrey’s request for admissions deemed timely.

This Court has diversity jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332. For reasons that follow, (i) AIG’s motion to have its responses to Aubrey’s request for admissions deemed timely will be granted; (ii) AIG’s answer will be deemed amended to include the affirmative defense of the Statute of Frauds; (iii) AIG’s motion for partial summary judgment will be granted in part and denied in part; and (iv) Aubrey’s motion for partial summary judgment will be granted in part and denied in part.

II.FACTS

AIG is an international insurance company, engaged in underwriting and selling insurance, including credit life and disability insurance. Plaintiff Aubrey is an independent insurance agency that among other things, acts as a managing general agent (“MGA”) for a number of insurance companies, including AIG, that write credit life and disability insurance. Credit life and disability insurance, which pays off a loan in case of the purchaser’s death or disability, is most commonly purchased by people who are buying an automobile on credit or who are taking out a bank loan. As an MGA, Aubrey is responsible for recruiting other insurance agents, who in turn recruit automobile dealers and banks (collectively “accounts”) that actually sell the insurance to consumers. Aubrey receives a commission override for each policy that the insurance agents and accounts sell. Aubrey Rogers (“Rogers”) is the president of the Aubrey Rogers Agency, Inc.

Sometime in late 1992 or early 1993, AIG made a decision to expand its credit life and disability insurance business. On April 15, 1993, AIG and Aubrey entered into an Agent Agreement, whereby Aubrey agreed to sell AIG credit life and disability insurance in Ohio and South Car *312 olina. Shortly thereafter, the parties expanded their relationship to cover other states, including West Virginia. Their new relationship was in the form of an oral agreement. The oral agreement called for Aubrey to receive an aggregate commission of 57% on credit life insurance and 50% on disability insurance. The parties dispute whether AIG was required to provide Aubrey with monthly experience reports. 1 On July 15, 1994, AIG sent Rogers a proposed Agency and Administration Agreement (the “Agreement”), which covered the states of Florida, Virginia and West Virginia, and sought to memorialize their earlier oral agreement.

Rogers had certain reservations about the Agreement and proposed in its place a' revised agreement, which addressed his concerns. Joseph Pagano (“Pagano”), AIG’s account manager for Aubrey’s business, suggested to Rogers that he sign the Agreement, as it was unlikely that AIG would agree to Rogers’ revised agreement. What happened after this is. unclear. There is a dispute between the parties as to whether Rogers ever signed the Agreement and returned it to AIG, and, if returned, AIG signed it. AIG states that it has been unable to locate a copy of the signed Agreement in its files. Rogers has submitted a copy of the Agreement, dated October 3, 1994, which bears his signature but not AIG’s. Docket Item (“D.I.”) 130 at A172. The parties have been unable to locate a copy of the Agreement that has affixed to it both signatures.

During 1994, Aubrey’s business with AIG increased dramatically. In 1993, Aubrey’s accounts produced about $574,000 in premiums for AIG, while in 1994 they wrote premiums in excess of 6.5 million dollars. In late 1994, AIG actuaries determined the credit life insurance unit was unprofitable because the actual loss ratio on the policies was greater than projected. AIG sought to remedy this by decreasing the commission rate it paid out to its credit life insurance MGA’s from 57% to 35% effective, January 1, 1995. D.I. 130 at A158.

The new commission structure was not acceptable to Rogers. He knew he would be unable to retain his existing agents if he paid them at the new AIG commission rate because the competition was offering significantly higher commission payments. Aubrey attempted to move its credit life insurance business to other insurers, but was not entirely successful in doing so. In a December 21, 1994, letter to Jeffrey Capone (“Capone”), the head of AIG’s credit life insurance unit, Rogers advised that Aubrey was able to move only 50% of its West Virginia accounts to other insurers. D.I. 130 at A187. The rest was presumptively lost. On February 1, 1995, AIG sent Aubrey a letter terminating their relationship, effective March 5, 1995. D.I. 130 at A159. Shortly thereafter, AIG withdrew from the credit life insurance business and took a 15 million dollar write off.

III. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the court should grant summary judgment if “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and ... the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). “Only disputes over facts that might affect the out *313 come of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A dispute is genuine only if a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party. See id. When considering a motion for summary judgment, the court must “view all facts and inferences in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion.” Stephens v. Kerrigan, 122 F.3d 171, 176-177 (3d Cir.1997). The Supreme Court has clarified that the moving party must “bear the initial responsibility of informing the Court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of ‘the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any,’ which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

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55 F. Supp. 2d 309, 44 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1067, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10052, 1999 WL 455449, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/aubrey-rogers-agency-inc-v-aig-life-insurance-ded-1999.