Auto-Owners Ins. Co. v. High Country Coatings, Inc.

388 F. Supp. 3d 1328
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedApril 24, 2019
DocketCivil Action No. 16-cv-03196-RBJ
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 388 F. Supp. 3d 1328 (Auto-Owners Ins. Co. v. High Country Coatings, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Auto-Owners Ins. Co. v. High Country Coatings, Inc., 388 F. Supp. 3d 1328 (D. Colo. 2019).

Opinion

R. Brooke Jackson, United States District Judge

This matter is before the court on Plaintiff and Counterclaim Defendant Auto-Owners Insurance Company's Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 87. For the reasons discussed herein, this motion is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background of the Underlying Action.

This case involves an insurance dispute between a construction business, High County Coatings, Inc. ("HCC"), and its general liability insurer, Auto-Owners Insurance Company ("AOIC"). HCC is a flooring company. See Am. Compl., ECF No. 60 at ¶4. In November 2012, HCC entered into a subcontract to complete the coating work on a concrete floor at an aircraft hangar in Loveland, Colorado owned by Otter Aviation, LLC ("Otter"). Id. at ¶6. In its subcontract with the general contractor, Brinkman Construction, Inc. ("Brinkman"), HCC agreed to install epoxy and urethane floor coatings and joint caulking on the concrete slabs. Id. at ¶7. The subcontract between HCC and Brinkman contained an indemnification provision that stated that HCC would indemnify Brinkman against all claims for property damage that might arise from the performance of HCC's work. ECF No. 60 at ¶8.

HCC completed its work in February 2013. ECF No. 87 at 1; ECF No. 90 at 2. Thereafter, Brinkman discovered that the epoxy floor coating was "bubbling" or "blistering" on top of the concrete slab and demanded that HCC re-perform its work at the project.1 ECF No. 60 at ¶10; ECF

*1331No. 90 at 2. On July 15, 2014 HCC entered into a "Floor System Agreement" with Brinkman to remove the existing coating on the floor and install a new flooring system. ECF No. 60 at ¶12; ECF No. 90-1 at 1. On August 14, 2014 HCC finished applying the new flooring system at the project. Id.

Meanwhile, on May 1, 2014 -- after the bubbling issue arose but before HCC and Brinkman entered into the Floor System Agreement -- HCC's policy with its liability insurer terminated. AOIC issued a commercial general liability policy, called a "Tailored Protection Policy," No. 74529076-14 ("the Policy") to HCC effective May 1, 2014 through May 1, 2015. ECF No. 87 at 2, ECF No. 90 at 3. The Policy is found in the record of this case at ECF No. 2-1.

However, after HCC finished applying the second flooring system, the bubbling occurred again. ECF No. 60 at ¶12, ECF No. 90-1 at 1. As a result, Otter asserted construction defect claims against Brinkman and HCC. ECF No. 60 at ¶12. By letter dated June 9, 2015 Brinkman's insurer Zurich American Insurance Co. ("Zurich"), on behalf of Brinkman, tendered to HCC Otter's claim against Brinkman pursuant to the insurance and indemnity provisions of the subcontract between Brinkman and HCC. ECF No. 87-5. This letter alleged that the loss in the claim against Brinkman was caused by services performed by HCC. Id. HCC reported this claim to AOIC on June 18, 2015 with the delivery of a Loss Notice from the Colorado Insurance Professions to AOIC along with a copy of the June 9, 2015 letter. Id.

On May 6, 2016 HCC received a written denial of this claim from AOIC. ECF No. 66-1. There is a dispute about the basis of this denial. HCC states that the basis of the denial was the "your work" exclusion in the policy language, and that AOIC never mentioned the "known loss" or silica exceptions. ECF No. 90-1 at 4. AOIC maintains that HCC understood that AOIC was not providing coverage based on other sections of the Policy including an exclusion if the insured knew about the property damage prior to the policy period. ECF No. 87 at 4.

On November 17, 2016 Zurich sued HCC in Arapahoe County District Court. ECF No. 14-3 (Zurich's Complaint). On December 8, 2016 AOIC appointed counsel to defend HCC in the underlying action under a reservation of the right to deny the claim and seek reimbursement of defense costs should there be no coverage for the claim. ECF No. 66-2. In its complaint, Zurich alleges that HCC relied on improper floor testing when applying its coatings and failed to let the floor slab properly dry out before performing its work. Zurich also asserted that HCC's floor coatings damaged the Airport hangar's concrete floor. Id. For purposes of this case, that lawsuit will be referred to as the "underlying action."

B. The Present Lawsuit.

AOIC filed suit against HCC and Zurich on December 29, 2016, ECF No. 2, asserting a claim for declaratory relief against HCC. The Zurich suit against HCC was still pending in state court at that time. AOIC contended that it had neither a duty to defend HCC in the underlying action nor an obligation to indemnify it should Zurich ultimately prove successful in that case. Id. at ¶18; see also Constitution Assocs. v. N.H. Ins. Co. , 930 P.2d 556 (Colo. 1996), as modified on denial of reh'g (Jan. 13, 1997) (permitting anticipatory declaratory judgment actions to determine the "duty to defend"). HCC asserted counterclaims *1332against AOIC for breach of contract and breach of its duty of good faith and fair dealing. ECF No. 13 at 6-7. Later HCC filed a motion for partial summary judgment concerning AOCC's duty to defend it in the state case. On July 12, 2017 I granted HCC's motion, concluding that AOIC did have a duty to defend under Colorado law. ECF No. 39. I also granted HCC's motion to stay the remainder of the present case until the underlying action was resolved, finding that the issues in this case were intertwined with the underlying action and could prejudice HCC in the underlying action. ECF No. 39.

The Zurich suit was tried in Arapahoe County District Court on October 2017, and the jury returned a verdict in favor of HCC. ECF No. 60 at 5. AOIC then returned to this Court and filed an amended complaint seeking a declaratory judgment that it owed no duty to defend HCC prior to the underlying action. ECF No. 60. HCC filed an answer and an amended counterclaim. In addition to its prior counterclaims of (1) breach of contract and (2) breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing it also asserted new counterclaims for (3) breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing and (4) unreasonable delay or denial of benefits pursuant to Colo. Rev. Stat §§ 10-3-1115, 1116. ECF No. 66 at 11-12.2 HCC's alleged damages from its breach of contract claim consist of: (1) defense costs HCC claims to have incurred with attorney Gilbert Egle after it was notified of Zurich's claim but before Zurich filed its lawsuit ($4,090); (2) attorney's fees and costs charged by its present counsel both before and during the present case (amount TBD); (3) payment pursuant to a policy benefit providing for loss of earnings coverage of $400 per day for Dave Anderson, the President of HCC's personal time spent working on the underlying action and this declaratory judgment action (approximately $8,000); and (4) costs HCC incurred retaining its bad faith expert, Robert Baldwin, in the present action (approximately $6,600 to date). ECF No. 87 at 6; ECF No. 90 at 12-17.

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Bluebook (online)
388 F. Supp. 3d 1328, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/auto-owners-ins-co-v-high-country-coatings-inc-cod-2019.