Black v. Fireman's Fund American Insurance

767 P.2d 824, 115 Idaho 449, 1989 Ida. App. LEXIS 11
CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 10, 1989
Docket16879, 16908
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 767 P.2d 824 (Black v. Fireman's Fund American Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Black v. Fireman's Fund American Insurance, 767 P.2d 824, 115 Idaho 449, 1989 Ida. App. LEXIS 11 (Idaho Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

SUBSTITUTE OPINION

The Court’s prior opinion, dated November 4, 1988, is hereby withdrawn.

*450 WALTERS, Chief Judge.

This is a consolidated appeal in two related cases arising from an alleged personal injury occurring at an auction. The dispute presents two principal issues: first, whether the “business pursuit” exclusion to a homeowner’s liability insurance policy relieved an insurer of its duty, under the facts of this case, to provide coverage to the insured; and second, whether the insurer had the duty to defend its insured even though coverage for the accident was questionable. We hold that the “business pursuit” exclusion eliminated the insurer’s obligation to provide coverage for the injured third-party, but that the insurer still had a duty to defend its insured. We therefore reverse the judgment for the injured third-party, and we affirm the order granting the insured a trial on the question of damages for the insurer’s breach of a duty to defend.

I. Facts

The facts of this case are simple, but the procedure is somewhat convoluted. Elaine Fenwick (Fenwick) is the widow of Donald Fenwick, who operated Fenwick Electric in Twin Falls for approximately thirty years until his death in 1983. After their marriage in 1980, the Fenwicks incorporated Fenwick Electric; Donald served as president and Elaine as vice president. The business was located across an alley from the Fenwicks’ residence. After Donald’s death, Elaine became president and continued to operate the business for one and one-half years, but ultimately decided to close the business for financial reasons. In November of 1984, Fenwick decided to forfeit the charter of the corporation. I.C. § 30-1-134. The remaining employees of Fenwick Electric were terminated, unemployment records and tax returns were filed, the business’ liability insurance policy was cancelled, and all suppliers were informed that Fenwick Electric was no longer in business. The dissolution process was undertaken without supervision by a court, I.C. §§ 30-l-87(c), -97. Elaine contacted Wall Auctioneers to conduct an auction for the purpose of liquidating the corporate assets of Fenwick Electric and some of Donald’s personal effects. The auction was scheduled for November 15, 1984.

James Black attended the auction. As Black was proceeding to the auction site, he slipped on snow or ice near the Fenwick residence, fell, and broke his ankle. It is unclear whether the accident occurred on the residential portion of Fenwick’s property, in the alley, or across the alley on the business side of Fenwick’s property. Black sued Wall Auctioneers, the City of Twin Falls and Fenwick, alleging that he had been a business invitee to the auction, and that the defendants were liable for negligently maintaining the property in a dangerous condition. 1 For simplicity, that action will be designated hereinafter as “Case I.”

Immediately after the accident, Fenwick contacted her insurance agent, who in turn contacted Fireman’s Fund American Insurance Company (Fireman’s Fund), the insurer under Fenwick’s homeowner’s policy. Fireman’s Fund conducted an investigation of the accident site. Subsequent to that investigation, Fireman’s Fund denied liability insurance coverage to Fenwick. Fen-wick then obtained counsel at her own expense, and moved for summary judgment against Black. The motion was denied by the trial court. Thereafter, Black and Fen-wick entered into a stipulation in which Fenwick conceded liability and, in exchange, Black agreed not to execute on his judgment against Fenwick. Additionally, Fenwick stipulated to representation by Black’s attorney in future proceedings arising from the accident. Black obtained judgment against Fenwick on the question of liability and, at a hearing, proved damages in the amount of $281,104.37.

Shortly after obtaining that judgment, Black and Fenwick sued Fireman’s Fund *451 and Fenwick’s insurance agent 2 to enforce the judgment entered against Fenwick in Case I, for attorney fees for both Black and Fenwick in Case I, and for damages arising from Fireman’s Fund’s tort of bad faith in failing to defend Fenwick against Black. That case will be referred to hereinafter as “Case II.” 3 Pursuant to discovery requests, Fireman’s Fund deposed Black and Fenwick. Black’s deposition revealed that he had been employed primarily as a card dealer in Nevada for the two years prior to his accident, contrary to his testimony during the damages hearing in Case I, where he stated that he had been a construction worker (earning considerably more money than he would have made as a card dealer). Fenwick’s deposition revealed that she felt no personal liability for Black’s accident, suggesting that she had stipulated to liability only to escape personal financial loss. Subsequently, Fireman’s Fund moved to intervene and to set aside the judgment in Case I, and to consolidate the proceedings in Case I and Case II. In that motion, Fireman’s Fund contended that Black’s misrepresentation of his vocation as a construction worker, and Black’s and Fenwick’s collusion in obtaining the judgment, warranted intervention. The motion to consolidate was denied by the trial court in Case II, but the motion to intervene and to set aside the judgment in Case I was left to the decision of the trial judge in that case.

On cross-motions for summary judgment, the trial court in Case II held that Black and Fenwick were entitled to judgment against Fireman’s Fund for the amount of the judgment in Case I (contingent upon the trial court’s ruling in Case I regarding the motion to intervene or to set aside judgment); that Fenwick was entitled to attorney fees in Case I and Case II; that Black was not entitled to attorney fees; and that Fenwick was entitled to damages as a result of Fireman’s Fund’s tort of bad faith in failing to defend Fenwick in Case I. In the meantime, the trial judge in Case I denied Fireman’s Fund’s motion to intervene and to set aside judgment, stating that Fireman’s Fund had failed to show any “unusual and compelling circumstances” warranting intervention. The court also dismissed Fireman’s Fund’s motion to set aside judgment and to consolidate both cases. Fireman’s Fund obtained certification under I.R.C.P. 54(b) regarding the issues determined in the order and judgment in Case II and, along with the final order on the motion to intervene in Case I, appealed to this Court. We granted a motion to consolidate both cases on appeal.

II. Business Pursuit Exclusion

Fireman’s Fund argues that the injury suffered by Black is not covered under Fenwick’s policy because it occurred in connection with the auction, an activity removed from coverage under the policy’s “business pursuit” exclusion. 4 Fireman’s Fund contends that the language of Fen-wick’s policy specifically excludes business activities; because Fenwick’s auction was part of her corporate duty to “wind-up” the affairs of Fenwick Electric, Fireman’s Fund is not liable for injuries sustained in the course of the auction. In addition, Fireman’s Fund submits that Fenwick is not eligible for coverage regardless of *452

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Deluna v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co.
233 P.3d 12 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2008)
State Farm Fire & Casualty Company v. Darrell Sparks
Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 2007
Hoyle v. Utica Mutual Insurance
48 P.3d 1256 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2002)
Mutual of Enumclaw v. Wilcox
843 P.2d 154 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1992)
Old Guard Mutual Insurance v. Quigley
4 Pa. D. & C.4th 620 (Adams County Court of Common Pleas, 1990)
McMinn v. Peterson
777 P.2d 1214 (Idaho Court of Appeals, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
767 P.2d 824, 115 Idaho 449, 1989 Ida. App. LEXIS 11, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/black-v-firemans-fund-american-insurance-idahoctapp-1989.