Campion v. Old Republic Home Protection Co.

861 F. Supp. 2d 1139, 2012 WL 992104, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40193
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedMarch 23, 2012
DocketCase No. 09-CV-748-JMA(NLS)
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 861 F. Supp. 2d 1139 (Campion v. Old Republic Home Protection Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Campion v. Old Republic Home Protection Co., 861 F. Supp. 2d 1139, 2012 WL 992104, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40193 (S.D. Cal. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [DOC. NO. 79] AND DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE THE FIRST AMENDED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT [DOC. NO. 89]

JAN M. ADLER, United States Magistrate Judge.

Two motions are currently pending before the Court. The first to be filed was Defendant Old Republic Home Protection Company, Ine.’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Claim for Violation of Consumer Legal Remedies Act (“CLRA”) and on all Claims as to Injunctive Relief, which was filed on October 28, 2011. [Doc. No. 79.] Plaintiff Douglas J. Campion filed an opposition brief on January 6, 2012, and Defendant’s reply was filed on January 13, 2012. [Doc. No. 85 & 86.]

Thereafter, on January 27, 2012, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Leave to File the First Amended Class Action Complaint. [Doc. No. 89.] Defendant opposed Plaintiffs motion on February 15, 2012, and Plaintiffs reply brief was filed on February 22, 2012. [Doc. No. 90 & 91.] A hearing was held on both motions on February 29, 2012. Francis A. Bottini, Esq. appeared on behalf of Plaintiff and Jay N. Varón, Esq. and Andrew B. Serwin, Esq. appeared on behalf of Defendant. After due consideration of the parties’ briefs and oral arguments, and as set forth below, the Court GRANTS Defendant’s motion for summary judgment and DENIES Plaintiffs motion for leave to file an amended complaint.

[1142]*1142 I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Defendant sells home warranty plans to homeowners. Complaint, ¶ 25. Plaintiffs Complaint alleges how Defendant’s home warranty plans work and the plan Plaintiff purchased from Defendant (the “Plan”) is incorporated by reference. Id. at ¶ 9, Ex. B. Based on the Complaint and the Plan, the following facts are undisputed. In essence, Defendant’s home warranty plans provide that covered systems and appliances that become inoperable during the contract term due to normal wear and tear will be repaired or replaced at Defendant’s expense, or the plan holder will be provided with payment in lieu of repair or replacement. Id. at ¶ 25, Ex. B. Defendant does not repair or replace covered systems itself, but rather maintains a network of independent contractors that it can dispatch to a plan holder’s home to perform the service. Id. at ¶¶ 27-28, Ex. B. The decision to repair or replace the covered systems, as opposed to providing the plan holder with payment, rests solely with Defendant. Id., Ex. B.

Plaintiff purchased a plan from Defendant that was effective from April 26, 2007 to April 26, 2008. Id. at ¶ 9, Ex. B. In February 2008, he made a warranty claim regarding his garbage disposal. Id. at ¶ 34. After dispatching a contractor to Plaintiffs home to inspect the unit, Defendant informed Plaintiff it was denying his claim on the basis the garbage disposal was improperly installed. Decl. of Tammy H. Boggs in Supp. of Def. Old Republic Company, Inc.’s Mot. for Summ. J. on Claim for Violation of CLRA and on all Claims for Injunctive Relief (“Boggs Decl. ”), Ex. B (Transcript of Deposition of Douglas J. Campion (“Campion Depo.”) pp. 30-36, In. 11-12).1 Plaintiff did not renew his home warranty plan when it expired. Id. at p. 27, In. 3-15. He does not currently have a home warranty plan with Defendant and does not intend to purchase another one. Id. at p. 27, In. 8-15; p. 65, In. 12-19.

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Plaintiff filed his Complaint on March 6, 2009. In it, he alleges on behalf of himself and the putative class members, Defendant fraudulently induced them to purchase warranty plans by misrepresenting that it would pay the cost of covered items under the home warranty plans when, in fact, it maintained policies, procedures and economic incentives to deny legitimate claims or to shift the majority of the costs for repair or replacement work to the policyholder. Complaint, ¶ 51 and 71. He sought to represent a class defined as;

All persons and entities in the United States who, during the period from approximately March 6, 2003, through the present (the “Class Period”), made a claim under a home-warranty plan obtained from Defendant Old Republic Home Protection Company, Inc. Excluded from the class are defendants and their parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, all governmental entities, and co-conspirators.

Id. at ¶ 15. The causes of action asserted include Breach of Contract, Breach of Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing, Violation of Cal. Civ.Code § 1790 (CLRA), Violation of Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200 (Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”)), Violation of Cal. Civ.Code § 1710(1) (Intentional Misrepresentation & Concealment), and Violation of Cal. Civ. Code § 1710(4) (False Promise).

[1143]*1143On September 19, 2010, following a Case Management Conference, the Court entered a scheduling order, setting a deadline for any motions to amend the pleadings or add parties of November 9, 2009, and a deadline for the filing of Plaintiffs class certification motion of April 16, 2010. [Doc. No. 17.] The deadline for the filing of the class certification motion was later continued to May 28, 2010, per the parties’ agreement. [Doc. No. 26.] On May 28, 2010, Plaintiff moved for leave to amend his complaint [Doc. No. 36] and also to certify a class under Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(b)(2) and (b)(3) [Doc. No. 30]. On July 17, 2010, the Court denied the motion for leave to amend, finding that even if Plaintiff had established good cause to afford him leave from the scheduling order deadline, as required by Fed.R.Civ.P. 16(b), the proposed amendment would be futile under Fed. R.Civ.P. 15(a). [Doc. No. 42.] After the conclusion of briefing on the motion for class certification, on January 6, 2011, 272 F.R.D. 517 (S.D.Cal.2011), the Court also denied that motion, finding certification was not appropriate under either Rule 23(b)(2) or (b)(3). [Doc. No. 56.] Plaintiff then filed a Motion for Reconsideration, or in the Alternative, Request for Clarification, of the Court’s denial of class certification, which was denied on May 20, 2012. [Doc. No. 58 & 64.]

III. DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

A. Legal Standard

Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a) permits a party to seek summary judgment on all or part of a claim or defense. Summary judgment is proper where the pleadings and materials demonstrate “there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a); see also Celotex Corp. v. Catrett,

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Bluebook (online)
861 F. Supp. 2d 1139, 2012 WL 992104, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40193, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/campion-v-old-republic-home-protection-co-casd-2012.