Brooks v. Dana Nance & Co.

153 P.3d 1091, 113 Haw. 406, 2007 Haw. LEXIS 8
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 12, 2007
Docket26736
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 153 P.3d 1091 (Brooks v. Dana Nance & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brooks v. Dana Nance & Co., 153 P.3d 1091, 113 Haw. 406, 2007 Haw. LEXIS 8 (haw 2007).

Opinions

Opinion of the Court by

LEVINSON, J.

The defendants-appellants/cross-claimants-appellants/cross-claim defendants Dana Nance & Company (Nance) and Fidelity National Field Services (Fidelity) [hereinafter-, collectively, the Appellants], appeal from the July 20, 2004 order of the circuit court of the second circuit, the Honorable Joel E. August presiding, granting the defendant-appel-lee/cross-claim defendant-appellee/eross-claimant Seasons Mortgage, Inc.’s (Seasons) petition for a determination of a good faith settlement with the plaintiffs-appellees Charles and Donna Brooks (collectively, the Brookses).

On appeal, the Appellants assert that this circuit court: (1) abused its discretion by determining, as required by Hawai'i Revised Statutes (HRS) § 663-15.5(b) (Supp.2003),1 that the settlement between Seasons and the Brookses was made in good faith; and (2) erred by dismissing the Appellants’ cross-claim against Seasons despite the existence of a written indemnity agreement between Seasons and Fidelity.

For the reasons discussed infra in section III.A., we lack jurisdiction to directly address the Appellants’ appeal, brought pursuant to HRS § 641-1 (1993),2 of the dismissal of their cross-claim, but we nevertheless analyze the merits and vitality of the cross-claim [409]*409insofar as it informs our analysis, undertaken pursuant to HRS § 663-15.5(e), see supra note 1, of the circuit court’s determination that the settlement was made in good faith. Furthermore, for the reasons discussed infra in section III.B. and thereafter, we hold that the circuit court abused its discretion in determining that the settlement between Seasons and the Brookses was made in good faith and, accordingly, vacate the July 20, 2004 order concerning that determination and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

In May 1997, the United States Veterans Administration (VA), which held a mortgage on the Brookses’ home on Maui, contracted with Computer Data Systems, Inc. (CDSI) to manage the mortgage, and, in September 1997, CDSI—later ACS Government Solutions—subcontracted with Seasons to service the mortgage payments. As part of the contract with CDSI, Seasons was obligated to preserve from neglect or abandonment properties subject to CDSI mortgages. Also in May 1997, Seasons contracted with Universal Mortgage Services, Inc. (Universal)—which, through acquisition and rebranding, became Fidelity—to perform preservation and maintenance work on mortgaged properties in default or which had been abandoned. The agreement between Seasons and Universal contained the following indemnification clause:

[Seasons] and Universal each agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the other party ... from any and all loss ... arising from the violation of any law or regulation by the party in its performance under this Agreement, compliance with the other party’s instructions, and requests, and the negligence on the part of a party ■... in the performance of this Agreement.
.... Neither Universal [nor] its inspectors ... will be held accountable for any error ... in completing the inspection unless such error ... is made in bad faith by the inspector.

One of the properties managed by Seasons was the Brookses’ home. Beginning in December 1997, payments on the mortgage fell into dispute, leading Seasons to instruct Fidelity to perform monthly inspections of the property. Seasons contends that, by July 1998, the Brookses had defaulted, and Fidelity subsequently informed Seasons that Fidelity’s agent, Nance, had determined that the property had fallen vacant and was deteriorating. In response, Seasons instructed Fidelity to secure the property, and so, between November 1998 and early 1999, Nance changed the lock on the front door, boarded up a broken window and removed extensive debris from both inside and outside the home, including several apparently abandoned vehicles.

Meanwhile, on June 1,1998, the division of the VA that managed the Brookses’ mortgage had written to CDSI to acknowledge Nance’s reports but, at the same time, to instruct CDSI that no “securing, board up [or] clean up” should take place, because the Honolulu office was in contact with the Brookses and generally did not perform such actions until foreclosure was completed. There is evidence in the record reflecting that the VA also directed the same instruction to Seasons at the same time.

In late January 1999, several days after Fidelity oversaw the last removal work, Seasons instructed Fidelity to “return all items to their original locations and to stop any further work.” Fidelity was evidently unable to locate and return much of the seized property, including the seized vehicles.

B. Procedural Background

On August 21, 2003, the Brookses filed a first amended complaint against the Appellants and Seasons alleging burglary, intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED), unfair and deceptive trade practices, and conversion and seeking total damages of twenty-five million dollars.3 They also alleged that the defendants had engaged in the actions at [410]*410issue based on the Brookses’ African-American ethnicity, “in violation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, Title VIII, as amended, and the laws of the State of Hawai[’]i and the United States.” The circuit court subsequently: (1) dismissed the burglary and unfair and deceptive trade practices claims; (2) in regard to the conversion claim, dismissed “any reference therein to alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, title VIII, and racial discrimination and/or related state or federal laws”; and (3) in regard to the IIED claim, struck “any allegations or references contained therein which concern or relate to alleged violations of state or federal constitutional rights.” On November 20, 2003, Fidelity filed a cross-claim against Seasons for contribution and indemnification. On December 8, 2003, Seasons responded with a cross-claim against the Appellants for contribution and indemnification for the actions undertaken on its behalf, apparently in part alleging bad faith on the Appellants’ part in carrying out the inspections.4

Seasons entered into settlement negotiations with the Brookses, overseen by the Honorable E. John McConnell (Retired). In their April 15, 2004 settlement conference statement, the Brookses (1) asserted damages in excess of $1,800,000.00, including property losses totaling $126,000.00, $500,000.00 in claims of lost profits from lost business opportunities resulting from the seizures, and $200,000.00 in connection with the IIED claims and (2) demanded a minimum settlement of $500,000.00 plus $150,000.00 in attorney’s fees.

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Brooks v. Dana Nance & Co.
153 P.3d 1091 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
153 P.3d 1091, 113 Haw. 406, 2007 Haw. LEXIS 8, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brooks-v-dana-nance-co-haw-2007.