Capitol Life Insurance v. Rosen

69 F.R.D. 83, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15542
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 30, 1975
DocketCiv. A. No. 74-563
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 69 F.R.D. 83 (Capitol Life Insurance v. Rosen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Capitol Life Insurance v. Rosen, 69 F.R.D. 83, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15542 (E.D. Pa. 1975).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

FOGEL, District Judge.

We have before us exceptions filed by defendants Jack Rosen and Philadelphia Mortgage and Insurance Consultants (Philadelphia Mortgage), to our rulings on motions, findings of fact, and conclusions of law announced orally in court at a hearing in this case on April 1, 1975. For the reasons expressed more fully in this opinion, we deny the exceptions and readopt our prior rulings on motions, findings of fact and conclusions of law.1

The original complaint was filed by The Capitol Life Insurance Company (Capitol Life) against Rosen, individually and trading as Philadelphia Mortgage, on March 8, 1974. The complaint alleged that Rosen had perpetrated a fraud on Capitol Life through a scheme by which Rosen obtained commissions on life insurance policies which Capitol Life was led to believe it had issued, but which had not in fact been delivered to the named individual insureds, because of the fraudulent actions of Rosen. On the day that the complaint was filed, a temporary restraining order was issued, to restrain Rosen and Philadelphia Mortgage from removing the contents of any bank accounts.

On March 15, 1974, an appearance was entered by counsel for Jack Rosen, who filed a motion to dismiss, based upon plaintiff’s alleged failure to properly serve the defendant in accordance with Rule 4(d)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. That motion was denied without prejudice, after briefing and argument, on April 30,1974.

On June 7, 1974, plaintiff sought leave to file an Amended Complaint so that Wisconsin National Life Insurance Company (Wisconsin National Life) could intervene as a party plaintiff and Alan Luber and Martin Luber could be joined as additional defendants. It was alleged that they had been participants in the scheme to defraud, and that the scheme had defrauded both plaintiff and intervenor plaintiff. Leave was granted for the amendment and the intervention. Defendant Rosen then filed another set of motions, again seeking to dismiss the complaints for failure to comply with Rule 4(d)(1), or, in the alternative, to obtain a specific statement of the alleged fraud. Both of these motions were denied on August 13, 1974, and defendant was granted leave to seek additional time for discovery. The additional time was granted on September 17, 1974. The Lubers entered an appearance on October 9, 1974, demanded a jury trial, and filed answers to the amended complaint and intervenor complaint on October 15, 1974. Rosen’s answers to the amended and intervenor complaints had been filed on October 10, 1974.

On November 5, 1974, the third notice of deposition was filed by - plaintiffs against defendant Rosen. Rosen’s counsel sought a protective order on November 18, 1974. This was denied on November 19, 1974. Thereafter, on December 23, 1974, plaintiff and intervenor plaintiff moved for sanctions against defendant Rosen under Rule 37(d), for failure to appear for depositions and for failure to answer interrogatories. A consent decree settling the action as to the Lubers was entered on January 6, 1975. On the same day, sanctions were imposed on Jack Rosen for failure to appear for depositions and for failure to answer interrogatories. The sanctions consisted of foreclosing Rosen from presenting any defenses that ran to the [87]*87merits of the liability question. A hearing was then set for an assessment of damages, pursuant to Rule 55(b)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

At the hearing on February 26, 1975, counsel for Mr. Rosen sought leave to withdraw. The explanation offered was that counsel had not had any communication with their client, Jack Rosen, since sometime approximately two months prior to the filing of the original complaint, and so proceeding with a trial might leave them in the untenable position of taking unauthorized action. The withdrawal was allowed when new counsel was retained, either by or on behalf of Mr. Rosen.2 The new attorneys made several objections to the evidence on damages as presented at the hearing. They also sought leave, which was granted, to file exceptions in the manner of a 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss for failure of the complaint to plead fraud with sufficient specificity to satisfy Rule 9(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. All of the motions and objections were ruled on at the hearing of April 1, 1975, prior to the oral delivery of the findings of fact and the conclusions of law. Judgment was entered against Mr. Rosen in favor of Capitol Life for $512,198.09, and in favor of Wisconsin National Life for $115,071.83. The exceptions which we have before us now relate to the rulings on the motions, including the motion which raises the question of the validity of the service of the complaint on Rosen, and the sufficiency of the evidence to support our findings of fact and conclusions of law. We will discuss these matters seriatim.

I. PERSONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS

Rule 4(d)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure authorizes personal service of the summons and complaint:

[u]pon an individual other than an infant or an incompetent person, by delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to him personally or by leaving copies thereof at his dwelling house or usual place of abode with some person of suitable age and discretion then residing therein or by delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to an agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service of process.

(Emphasis added). Defendant Rosen contends that this Court lacks jurisdiction over his person because the complaint and summons were not left at his usual place of residence.

Service of the several complaints and amended complaints was made at 2539 Woodleigh Road, Havertown, Pennsylvania, as evidenced by the Marshal’s returns. There is no question about the fact that Barbara Rosen, defendant’s sister-in-law, and Irving Rosen, defendant’s brother, reside at that address. It is also undisputed that they received the complaints and summons from the United States Marshal at that address. The core of the dispute is whether 2539 Woodleigh Road was, at the time of service, Jack Rosen’s “dwelling house or usual place of abode.” Rule 4(d)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Irving Rosen was deposed by the plaintiffs on March 18, 1974. He testified that his brother lived with him, at his residence, that there was a regular room that Jack used, that he paid rent and helped share expenses when he was there; that Jack Rosen kept his clothing and any other belongings at the house, that he had lived there with Irving Rosen and his family since August, 1971, and that, to the best of Irving’s knowledge, Jack Rosen had no other regular place of abode. (Deposition of Irving Rosen at 7-8). Irving Rosen also testified that his brother would frequently be on journeys of varying duration, but that he would always return to the house. Also, defendant was regularly [88]

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Bluebook (online)
69 F.R.D. 83, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15542, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/capitol-life-insurance-v-rosen-paed-1975.